Exporting Management Log Files in Windows 11
So, I ran into this while trying to grab some logs for support on a managed device—either enrolled in company MDM or locked down by an admin. Honestly, finding those diagnostic logs in Windows 11 felt like searching for a needle in a haystack at first. The options are there, but they can be buried or labeled weirdly, depending on the build or how your device is configured.
Getting to the Log Export Settings
The first step I took was to open up the Settings app—the gear icon, same as always. From there, you want to head into Accounts. For managed devices, this is often where the logs are accessible because they’re linked to work or school accounts.
Click on Access work or school. Sometimes, on certain builds or if your device’s management profile is set differently, you might see a label like Connected or Managed Devices. Look for something along those lines. The key thing is to find an option that says Export your management log files. Not gonna lie, it’s not exactly front and center—sometimes it’s tucked away under Advanced options or inside a dropdown menu. I’ve seen it on my older ASUS laptop buried deeper in settings, so don’t get discouraged if it’s not immediately obvious.
How to Export the Logs
Once you find that option, clicking Export will generate a management log file. Usually, Windows saves this somewhere within your user folder—like:
C:\Users\your_username\Documents\MDM Diagnostics
This makes life easier because you don’t have to dig through Windows system folders. These logs can be pretty detailed, including error reports and diagnostics that support or IT departments might ask for during troubleshooting.
Does It Differ on Windows 10?
Interestingly, this process is fairly similar if you’re on Windows 10. The location for exporting logs is pretty much the same: Settings > Accounts > Access work or school. The labels might differ slightly, or the layout changed a bit, depending on the build or whether your device is joined to a domain or Azure AD—stuff like that. But overall, the path is comparable. The main thing is that the saved logs usually go to a predictable directory; you don’t need to hunt through the entire system.
Using Command Line — When GUI Fails or You’re Lazy
Now, if the GUI method doesn’t work or you’re just more comfortable with command line, there’s a way to get these logs out via PowerShell or an elevated Command Prompt. It’s surprisingly straightforward. You open Command Prompt as administrator (right-click the Start button, choose Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin)) then run:
mdmdiagnostics.exe /export "C:\Path\to\save\LogFile.zip"
This will export the management diagnostics directly into a ZIP file you specify. Make sure the target folder exists—you don’t want it to fail. Sometimes, you need to find where mdmdiagnostics.exe is located—usually in C:\Windows\System32—but some OEMs or admins might move or disable it.
Other Log Locations to Keep in Mind
If you just want to peek around and see what’s there, Windows also stores logs in system folders like:
C:\Windows\System32\LogFiles\WMI
or
C:\Windows\Logs\Management
But these are more for sysadmins or people comfortable with raw data, and they might require special tools or parsing to make sense of. Honestly, most folks won’t need to go this route unless you’re doing deep troubleshooting or scripting.
Final Tips I Learned the Hard Way
- Make sure you’ve got admin rights before trying to export logs—otherwise, the system might silently give you permission errors.
- Check that the export completed successfully—sometimes permission issues or locked files can stop the process without a clear error.
- Understanding what’s in the logs can really speed things up—if you can interpret some error codes or messages, troubleshooting becomes way easier.
It took me a couple of frustrating tries to find the right menu, especially on a managed device where options can move around after updates. But once you get the hang of it, exporting these management logs is a pretty routine task—probably one that’s going to save you a ton of time if you need support help or are troubleshooting an issue. Just remember to double-check where the files are saved and that you’ve got the right permissions.
Hope this helped — it took me way longer than it should have to figure all this out. Anyway, hopefully this saves someone else a weekend of poking through menus!