SHOWLOG.EXE ----------- This is a little (DOS command line) utility to display the contents of the LOG file (default=UNINSTAL.LOG) created by the installer. This is the same LOG file used by UNINSTAL.EXE to do its job. The syntax is: SHOWLOG [>filename] The above shows that the output of SHOWLOG can be redirected to a file - by default, the output is sent to the screen. SHOWLOG will search the DOS "path" for the LOG file specified. If no file name is supplied, then SHOWLOG will prompt for the name of the LOG file to be displayed. SHOWLOG was written as a compromise measure for those people who wanted some sort of readable log of the installation. I have no intention of improving this utility any further - it will only be updated if and when the file format of the LOG file changes. What SHOWLOG shows you is a translation (into understandable language) of what the uninstaller sees when it is run. $DEBUG-LOG ---------- Normally, the only things logged are the new files, icons, groups, and entries in the registration database, which have been created by the installer. Existing files and icons are not logged. If you want a full logging for DEBUG purposes, then use the $DEBUG-LOG command in your INF file. This reserved word takes NO PARAMETER, and is only documented here. It should NOT be used in the INF file that you ship with your application. It will only make the LOG file become too big and this serves no useful purpose for your customers. When this command is used, log entries are made for files which already existed on the system when the installation was run, and which the user chose to overwrite (they will be tagged as $$OLD_FILE and will NOT be deleted by the uninstaller). Log entries are also made for icons which already existed (tagged as $$OLD_ICON). These also will not be deleted by the uninstaller. This is the only difference that using $DEBUG-LOG makes - but note that in a large installation, the entries made for existing files and icons may increase the size of the LOG file dramatically.