Getting Started — Log Reader
First successful read: connect to a FULL recovery database → choose Online log (or a .trn) → set a narrow time filter → open Log Entries → pick one INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE → generate both row-level undo and redo scripts and review them offline first.
Getting Started
- Connect to SQL Server — Saved instances appear in the left Connections sidebar. Double-click one, or click Connect / Refresh and enter the server plus Windows, SQL, or Azure Entra authentication.
- Select a database — After connecting, choose your target database from the Database dropdown. The dropdown lists all databases you have access to.
- Choose a time window — Use the Duration dropdown (Last 1 Hour, Last 2 Hours, Last 6 Hours, and so on) to limit which log entries are shown, or switch to Date Range mode and enter specific From/To times. For a live database, a wider window is needed if the change is older than the default Last 1 Hour.
- Read the log — Click the blue Read Log button. The status bar shows progress, then something like Read N log entries, M transactions. If filters still hide rows, it continues with Showing K after filters.
- Explore the tabs — Switch between Log Entries, Transactions, and Analysis (Summary / Timeline / Row History). Point-in-Time Recovery is a side panel on Log Entries. Transaction Recovery is a side panel on Transactions. Live tail is the Monitor Active log toolbar dialog, not a tab.
Tip: The Exclude system txns checkbox (enabled by default) hides internal SQL Server background activity so you only see user-generated changes. Uncheck it and re-run Read Log to include system transactions.
Connection & Authentication
Use Connect / Change Server in the title bar to open the connection dialog. Supported authentication modes:
| Mode | When to use |
|---|---|
| Windows Authentication | Default for domain-joined workstations; uses your Windows identity. |
| SQL Server Authentication | SQL login + password. |
| Azure Entra ID — Password | Entra user with password (Azure SQL / MI). |
| Azure Entra ID — MFA Interactive | Interactive browser/MFA sign-in for Entra accounts that require MFA. |
After connecting, pick a database from the dropdown (refresh with ↻). You can reconnect at any time without restarting the app.
Log Sources
| Source | How to select | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Online Database | Set Source to Online database (default). Connect and pick a database. Leave the file path empty. | All log records still in the active transaction log. How far back this goes depends on your recovery model and log backup frequency. |
| Log File (.ldf) | Set Source to Transaction log (.ldf), click Browse, and select a .ldf (or .ndf) file. | All records in the detached log file. Requires sysadmin. The file path must be readable by the SQL Server service account. |
| Full backup (.bak) | Set Source to Full backup (.bak), then Browse. The file dialog lists .bak files first. |
Transaction log records embedded in the full backup. The tool then fits the time window (and leftover search / table / login / LSN filters) to what is actually in the file. |
| Log backup (.trn) | Set Source to Log backup (.trn), then Browse. You can also leave Source on Online and Browse — the dialog still offers Backup Files first so a .trn is easy to pick. |
Transaction log records in the log backup. Same filter-fit behavior as a full backup so Last 1 Hour does not hide older dump records. |
File → Save Investigation writes the current source, database name, duration, table/login/txn/LSN filters, and search text to a JSON file. Open Investigation restores those settings. It does not reconnect or read the log automatically — click Read Log after you are connected to the right server.
Licensing
Log Reader uses the shared DBLense license store on your machine. From About you can:
- Start a 14-day trial (one trial per machine)
- Activate a license key online, or offline when the license server is unreachable
- See edition, expiration, and trial status in the title-bar badge
Licenses are per user (seat), not per SQL Server instance. Purchase and manage keys from the pricing page after signing in to your DBLense account.