The IMatch log file is a support tool which allows us to get more information about a problem or error on your computer. When IMatch does not behave as expected or even crashes (gosh!) the log file may provide the data we need to analyze the problem.
Enabling the Debug Mode
The IMatch log file is always on, which means that it will already be running when you need it. By default, the log file logs only a minimum of information. If instructed by Support you can switch the log file into the debug mode. In this mode, IMatch writes a lot more information to the log file, which makes it easier to track down the reason of a problem.
To switch the log file into Debug mode, go to Help menu > Technical Support > Toggle Debug Log file. Make sure this menu entry shows a little check mark in front. If the item is checked, debug logging is enabled.
Securing the Log File
On every program start, IMatch starts a fresh log file. The name of this file is IMATCH3_LOG.LOG and it is stored in the TEMP folder on your system. The log file of the previous session is retained under the name IMATCH3_LOG.LO_.
When a crash happens you should first copy these two files to a different folder so IMatch does not overwrite them when you start it again. To find these files, open the TEMP folder on your system as follows:
- Start Windows Explorer
- In the address bar, type
%temp%
and press <Enter - This opens the TEMP folder on your system.
- There, locate the two files IMATCH3_LOG.LOG and IMATCH3_LOG.LO_ and copy these files into a different folder on your disk (e.g. the Desktop)
Alternatively you can also:
- Open the Windows START menu
- Type
%temp%
into the Search Box to open the TEMP folder on your system. - There, locate the two files IMATCH3_LOG.LOG and IMATCH3_LOG.LO_ and copy these files into a different folder on your disk (e.g. the Desktop)
This ensures that the log files with the error reports are safe, even when you restart IMatch.
Sending The Log File
If you want to send the log files to support, please ZIP the two files into an archive (Windows can do that for you) and attach them to your support email.
Please do not copy/paste the log file contents into your email. This would make it very hard to read.
A Note about Privacy
The log file contains information about your Windows version, the IMatch version you are using, the version numbers of certain system DLLs and some general system info like the amount of available and free RAM.
Depending on which operations are written to the log file, the log file may also contain folder and file names from your system.
If you are concerned about security and privacy you can open the log file in any text editor (e.g. Windows Notepad) to see what it contains. The log file is a plain text file in standard UNICODE format.