How do I view the error messages registered in Event Log?

Event Viewer maintains logs about program, security, and system events on your computer. You can use Event Viewer to view and manage the event logs, gather information about hardware and software problems, and monitor Windows security events. Event Log helps you track more information about an unknown error, such as the following one:

Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience

This message does not give any further information right? But, Windows would have recorded more information about this error in the Event Log. Here is how to access the Event Viewer:

Click Start, Run and type eventvwr.msc
Select Application entry in the left pane
In the right-pane, look for the Error entry denoted by a Red X

Sort by date and track-down the entry based on what time the error exactly occurred. Locate and double-click the entry and you'll see more information in the resulting dialog, as given below:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1000
Date: 7/11/2004
Time: 6:16:42 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SUPERCOMPUTER
Description:
Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2800.1106, faulting module shell32.dll, version 6.0.2800.1106, fault address 0x0019dec6.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 65 78 70 ure exp
0018: 6c 6f 72 65 72 2e 65 78 lorer.ex
0020: 65 20 36 2e 30 2e 32 38 e 6.0.28
0028: 30 30 2e 31 31 30 36 20 00.1106
0030: 69 6e 20 73 68 65 6c 6c in shell
0038: 33 32 2e 64 6c 6c 20 36 32.dll 6
0040: 2e 30 2e 32 38 30 30 2e .0.2800.
0048: 31 31 30 36 20 61 74 20 1106 at
0050: 6f 66 66 73 65 74 20 30 offset 0
0058: 30 31 39 64 65 63 36 0d 019dec6.
0060: 0a .

This indicates that Explorer has crashed with the resulting module named Shell32.dll. This information is vital for a troubleshooting personnel. Click the copy button at the top and copy the whole event and paste it to a Notepad document and save it.

The Event ID can further be drilled-down using these sites:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/support/eventserrors.mspx
http://www.eventid.net/search.asp

Another Example:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1000
Date: 12/30/2004
Time: 2:41:34 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SUPERCOMPUTER
Description:
Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.2180, faulting module
hyperbar.dll, version 1.0.1.1, fault address 0x0000e956.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 65 78 70 ure exp
0018: 6c 6f 72 65 72 2e 65 78 lorer.ex
0020: 65 20 36 2e 30 2e 32 39 e 6.0.29
0028: 30 30 2e 32 31 38 30 20 00.2180
0030: 69 6e 20 68 79 70 65 72 in hyper
0038: 62 61 72 2e 64 6c 6c 20 bar.dll
0040: 31 2e 30 2e 31 2e 31 20 1.0.1.1
0048: 61 74 20 6f 66 66 73 65 at offse
0050: 74 20 30 30 30 30 65 39 t 0000e9
0058: 35 36 0d 0a 56..

WinXPTutor's XP Resources

How do I view the error messages registered in Event Log?