Exchange SMTPSVC log files - how do I get them to display timestamps in my local time zone?

Why does MS Exchange 2003 SMTPSVC# log files display times in UTC? Is
there a way to force it to convert all time stamps to the computer's
local time zone setting? WHY would admins ever want to see it in
another time zone? Call me silly :)

Mark
Thu Aug 09 03:39:52 CDT 2007

On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:55:48 -0700, Mike
<mike.google@compusolve-us.com> wrote:

>Why does MS Exchange 2003 SMTPSVC# log files display times in UTC? Is
>there a way to force it to convert all time stamps to the computer's
>local time zone setting? WHY would admins ever want to see it in
>another time zone? Call me silly :)

Silly.
They're in UTC globally so that nobody has to do a conversion. Any log
file reader you purchase will have the facility to display them in
your local time zone but globally, SMTP and all the other IIS logs are
recorded in UTC.

Mike
Thu Aug 09 05:56:25 CDT 2007

On Aug 9, 4:39 am, "Mark Arnold [MVP]" <m...@mvps.org> wrote:
> On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:55:48 -0700, Mike
>
> <mike.goo...@compusolve-us.com> wrote:
> >Why does MS Exchange 2003 SMTPSVC# log files display times in UTC? Is
> >there a way to force it to convert all time stamps to the computer's
> >local time zone setting? WHY would admins ever want to see it in
> >another time zone? Call me silly :)
>
> Silly.
> They're in UTC globally so that nobody has to do a conversion. Any log
> file reader you purchase will have the facility to display them in
> your local time zone but globally, SMTP and all the other IIS logs are
> recorded in UTC.

I guess a checkbox option to [x] use local time would have been too
much programming work for MS :) I have been using a text editor to
look at the logs, not any 3rd party tool. Guess they are so
unintelligible that most admins opt for a tool that makes them more
human :) Thanks for the explanation!

Mark
Thu Aug 09 06:40:58 CDT 2007


>
>I guess a checkbox option to [x] use local time would have been too
>much programming work for MS :) I have been using a text editor to
>look at the logs, not any 3rd party tool. Guess they are so
>unintelligible that most admins opt for a tool that makes them more
>human :) Thanks for the explanation!

It's nothing to do with Microsoft as it happens. You'll find the same
thing all over the show.

Mike
Thu Aug 09 07:21:06 CDT 2007

On Aug 9, 7:40 am, "Mark Arnold [MVP]" <m...@mvps.org> wrote:
> >I guess a checkbox option to [x] use local time would have been too
> >much programming work for MS :) I have been using a text editor to
> >look at the logs, not any 3rd party tool. Guess they are so
> >unintelligible that most admins opt for a tool that makes them more
> >human :) Thanks for the explanation!
>
> It's nothing to do with Microsoft as it happens. You'll find the same
> thing all over the show.

Blindly copying what others do huh? I'm a longtime programmer and
never would have made the logs only show UTC. Very unfriendly. What
is the point of entering your time zone information, if Windows does
not use it?