5.4.2.1 Error Logging on Windows

On Windows, mysqld uses the --log-error, --pid-file, and --console options to determine whether mysqld writes the error log to the console or a file, and, if to a file, the file name:

• If --console is given, mysqld writes the error log to the console, unless --log-error is also given. --log-error takes precedence over --console if both are given.

• If --log-error is not given, or is given without naming a file, mysqld writes the error log to a file named host_name.err in the data directory, unless the --pid-file option is specified. In that case, the file name is the PID file base name with a suffix of .err in the data directory.

• If --log-error is given to name a file, mysqld writes the error log to that file (with an .err suffix added if the name has no suffix). The file location is under the data directory unless an absolute path name is given to specify a different location.

If the server writes the error log to a file, the log_error system variable indicates the error log file name.

In addition, the server by default writes events and error messages to the Windows Event Log within the Application log:

• Entries marked as Error, Warning, and Note are written to the Event Log, but not messages such as information statements from individual storage engines.

• Event Log entries have a source of MySQL.

• You cannot disable writing information to the Windows Event Log.