LogCutter

LogCutter is a lightweight and portable software program that enables you to find and analyze log files. It comes packed with advanced options for experienced users.

Since there is no installation pack involved, you can drop the program files in any part of the hard disk and just click the executable to run LogCutter. It's also possible to keep it stored on a USB flash drive to be able to directly launch it on any PC with minimum effort. It doesn't modify Windows registry settings.

The GUI is user-friendly, made from a normal window with a straightforward look that doesn't put emphasis on looks, the interface invites you to tinker with the search settings when it comes with the input type (file system, file tail, Windows event log), path, file filter, sorting order and directory, number of items to process, and maximum folder depth, among others.

Additional configuration parameters focus on the parsing and matching modes, results (e.g. internal and external viewer, number of lines before and after match), columns, and saved searches. Once the scan job is completed, LogCutter lets you copy all or just selected results to the Clipboard, or save them to file.

We haven't come across any stability issues in our tests, thanks to the fact that the software application didn't hang, crash or prompt error messages. It carried out scan jobs in reasonable time while remaining light on system resources, since it needed low CPU and RAM to work properly.

Unfortunately, the interface needs many improvements in the visual department, as it makes LogCutter seem like an unfinished project. What's more, its options are not intuitive. Nevertheless, you can test LogCutter for yourself because it's free.