How to View Console Messages on a Mac

Whenever a Mac computer system recognizes that an error has occurred in a software program or basic function, it makes note of the problem in a log file that is stored on the main hard drive. Users can access this log file at any time through the Console application in the "Utilities" folder. Console lists all recent error messages that the computer has found, which can be helpful when you are trying to troubleshoot a hardware or software problem. This article explains how to the view the error log in the Console program.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mac running OS X 10.4 or later

1. Open a new Finder window by clicking on the icon in the dock.

2. Navigate to the "Applications" folder and open the "Utilities" folder.

3. Double-click on the "Console" icon to open the utility program. A new window will open that lists all recent system-error messages.

4. Click the "Show Log List" button in the upper right corner of the Console window to view all available log files.

5. Select an individual log file from the left portion of the window to view all related error messages.