Jan 27, 2024 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions
When you see the ‘Failed to transfer logged messages’ error message, it means that Windows is unable to write the log reports on the system volume which, in most cases is C: drive. There could be several reasons that can cause this issue to come up, and there are a couple of effective solutions as well to help you get rid of the problem.
That said, in the following sections, you will learn some of the most common inconsistencies that generate the trouble, their possible remedies, and what measures can you take to avoid the issue from arising in the first place.
As discussed above, there could be many possible reasons for the error message showing up on your computer screen. Some of the most common ones are listed below:
All your data is first stored in the RAM (Random Access Memory) of your computer, and then it is saved onto your hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD). If any of these memory types are in read-only mode, they wouldn’t be able to store any new information on it including the log messages, and you will see the error message.
This is usually the case with permanent storage drives such as an HDD or SSD. If your hard disk drive or solid-state drive has some bad clusters or bad sectors, the operating system won’t be able to write the event logs in those areas, and you will see the error message.
Sometimes when you run some troubleshooting commands like CHKDSK from a read-only bootable media such as a DVD drive, Windows isn’t able to write any log reports on it. When this happens, you may see this error message.
Note: In this condition, you don’t have to worry as nothing is wrong with the computer or the OS itself.
If your HDD or SSD is physically damaged, and is unable to store any kind of data, you may see this error message. However, the condition is unlikely to occur because in case of any physical damages to the disks, even the operating system fails to boot most of the time.
Note: In this condition, you are left with no option other than replacing the drive.
Depending on the reason the OS is showing the error message, there could be many possible solutions. Some of the most common ones that have been tested by many users worldwide with decent success ratio are listed below:
System File Checker or SFC is a Windows’ built-in utility that is executed from an elevated Command Prompt window (explained later). When you run SFC, the tool checks all the system files for their inconsistencies, and repairs or replaces them with the new ones as needed. A noteworthy point here is, the System File Checker utility works as a panacea to get rid of most of the issues that occur in Windows.
Note: When you open the instance of the Command Prompt window that has all the administrator rights, it is called an ‘Elevated Command Prompt’.
You can learn how to launch an elevated Command Prompt window and run the System File Checker utility from there by following the instructions given below:
Step 1: Launch the Elevated Command Prompt Window
Type CMD in the Cortana search box at the bottom, click Run as administrator from the right pane of the results list, and click Yes on the User Account Control confirmation box that comes up next to launch an instance of the elevated Command Prompt window. If you are using an older version of Windows 10 that doesn’t open the results list along with its execution options in the right pane, you can right-click Command Prompt itself, click Run as administrator from the context menu, and continue from there.
Step 2: Run System File Checker
In the Command Prompt window, type SFC /SCANNOW, and press Enter. Wait while the tool runs, and checks for and fixes any issues that Windows has before you proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Restart the PC
Once the SFC command executes successfully, type EXIT and press Enter. Next, go to Start > Power > Restart to restart Windows normally so that all the changes can take effect.
Alike SFC, even the Disk Checker utility is a command that needs to be executed from an instance of an elevated Command Prompt window. However, the difference is, Disk Checker detects and fixes any issues with the hard disk drive or SSD. In case these media types have bad clusters, the command fixes them. On the other hand, if there are any bad sectors that cannot be repaired, Disk Checker attempts to extract the data that is stored in them, and marks the affected portions of the disk as unusable.
You can learn how to run the Disk Checker utility in Windows 10 by following the instructions given below:
Step 1: Launch Elevated Command Prompt
Use the method explained earlier to launch an instance of an elevated Command Prompt window.
Step 2: Run the Disk Checker Utility
In the Command Prompt window, type CHK /F /R and press Enter. When the tool prompts you to schedule the scanning upon the next restart, type Y and hit Enter again.
Step 3: Restart the Computer
Use the method explained earlier to exit the Command Prompt window, and restart Windows. Notice that the operating system scans your disk drive for errors before booting up.
Deployment Image Servicing and Management or DISM is yet another Windows 10’s built-in tool that runs in an elevated Command Prompt window. However, unlike SFC and CHKDSK, DISM is pretty versatile in nature, and is capable of doing many tasks such as enabling or disabling features, checking and restoring system health, and much more.
The process of using the DISM command is explained below:
Step 1: Open Elevated Command Prompt
Use the method explained earlier to open an instance of an elevated Command Prompt window.
Step 2: Run the DISM Commands
In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands:
Step 3: Restart the Computer
Use the process explained above to exit the Command Prompt window, and then restart Windows 10 to allow all the changes to take effect.
A few years before when the Ransomware virus started attacking the PCs globally, Microsoft immediately added a new layer of security called ‘Ransomware protection’ to Windows that prevents any new files to be written on the HDD/SSD. By default, the feature is turned off, but can be easily enabled whenever needed. If you see the error message saying that the logs cannot be written, it would be a good idea to check if you didn’t accidentally turn on ‘Ransomware protection’ on your computer.
The instructions given below teach you how to turn off ‘Ransomware protection’ on your Windows 10 PC to get rid of the error message:
Step 1: Get to the Windows Security Dashboard
Type Windows Security in the Cortana search box in the Taskbar, and click Windows Security from the results list to get to the app’s dashboard.
Step 2: Turn off Ransomware protection
On the Security at a glance screen, click the Virus & threat protection tile, and on the next window, click Manage ransomware protection from under the Ransomware protection section. When the Ransomware protection screen opens up, turn off the Controlled folder access switch to disable Ransomware protection on your computer.
Step 3: Restart Windows 10
Use the method explained above to restart Windows to allow the changes to take effect.
Even though the troubleshooting solutions explained above can rectify the issue, and you won’t see the error message again, it would be wise to take some precautionary measures to avoid the problem from arising in the first place. A couple of tips in this context are listed below:
Log files are quite important for Windows because they contain detailed information about all the events that occurred inside the operating system. The significance of such reports increases when some issue arises, and a log report with all the details is generated. Because the log files are saved in your local hard drive, if the disk is in read-only mode, Windows won’t be able to write anything and therefore you will see the error message. When this happens, you can always come here and follow the suggestions to fix the issue that your copy of the operating system is facing.
Q1) What if the CHKDSK, SFC, DISM commands fail to work, and even ‘Ransomware protection’ is turned off?
A1) Although it is unlikely that none of the commands could resolve the issue, if it happens, you can reset Windows to factory defaults without removing your files. To do so, you can go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, and click ‘Get started’ from under the ‘Reset this PC’ section.
Q2) Is there any workaround to get the issue fixed if my HDD/SSD is physically damaged?
A2) If your data is not quite important, you can continue using your disk as long as it is functioning correctly. However, you must understand that there is always a risk. You may see that one fine day when you wake up and power on your PC, it would say ‘No bootable media found’ or something similar. When this happens, you may lose all your data for good and forever. If you are not ready to take that kind of risk, you are strongly advised to get your HDD/SSD replaced as soon as you possibly can.
Q3) Is it bad if I let the issue alone?
A3) If you are not much of a technical person and don’t know how to read log files, their presence or absence wouldn’t matter. However, to be honest, log files are extremely important as they contain detailed information about the issue that Windows may experience while doing anything. Such info helps you (or the other technical person) identify the root cause of the problem which further assists you (or them) in finding a precise solution easily and quickly. Therefore, you are suggested to get rid of this error message at the earliest.
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