SCCM Configmgr 2012 How to make CMtrace tool as default log viewer for reading .log files for all users

This post is pending since long and finally has come out. CMtrace.exe (Configmgr guys favorite tool) is  log file viewer which is friendly ,easy to use and other benefits of this tool can be found from Garth post here .

This tool can be downloaded from Configuration manager 2012 R2 tool kit http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36213. Download and install the toolkit .After the install ,You can get CMTrace from C:\program files (x86)\Configmgr 2012 toolkit R2\clientTools.

Garth posted blog on How to install CMTrace using application mode here .In this post,Garth explained ,how to copy the CMtrace tool to  C:\windows\system32 and from there you can double click this tool to read .log files using this tool.

In my post,I will show you,how to make this tool as default log viewer for all users  without the need of going to system32 and double click cmtrace.exe .

This process consists of 2 applications (both share common source) each with one deployment type. The reason for choosing 2 applications is because one app is for Computer and other is for User.

I haven't tried (unsure if that works in this case) ,how this works by having 2 deployment types (1 copy cmtrace for computers and other deployment –changes to registry keys which is for users with dependency of copy cmtrace) in one application.

Before we start creating applications,download the source files from here.Both applications share same content .

So create application 1) Copy CMtrace using Garth blog post but don’t create any deployment ,just only application with deployment type.Distribute to DP’s.

After you are done with Garth post,you will see something like with application and its deployment type.

Now lets create Application 2) CMTrace Default Log Viewer .Creation of the application with script as deployment is like other apps but this is for user and detection method is something you should look at.

Detection Method: Registry ,Key: Software\Classes\Log.File\shell\open\command ,String Value: C:\Windows\system32\cmtrace.exe "%1"

So after the end of application 2,I have something like this:

Distribute the content to DP’s.

Now ,create User based collection with some test users and deploy application 2) CMTrace Default Log Viewer to this collection.

Results:

On User PC, initiate user policy retrieval from configuration manager applet,control panel ,wait for couple of min for client to download and execute the policy. Go to C:\windows\ccm\logs ,open any of the log, you will see the log file open automatically using cmtrace.

Thanks to Jay(happysccm) for providing the fix to suppress the above window (HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Trace32] "Register File Types"="0" )

scripts are updated with above registry setting.

Summary:

We created 2 applications 1) for computer and 2) for user ---first app as dependency to this application and deploy to user collection.