Computer may hang if the maximum log file size is set incorrectly

When you reduce the Maximum log size setting for an event log in the log file's properties, the change does not take effect until you clear the log. If you do not clear the log after you make this change, the event log grows to the last set limit.

If you change the Maximum log size setting for each log file to a maximum setting of around 200 megabytes (MB) but you do not apply the changes correctly, the event log files may grow to be too large. The memory usage for the Services.exe process may become very large, leaving less available free memory. This may cause the computer to stop responding (hang).

This problem is caused by a known design issue in Eventlog.dll. Eventlog.dll maps the whole event log file in process address space, which causes the working set size for the Services.exe process to grow by the size of the event log file that is mapped.

To resolve this issue, make sure you have applied the Maximum log size setting for event logs appropriately, and clear all the event logs to make the changes take effect.

If your server is currently not responding correctly because of this issue, try clearing all the event logs. This will reduces the working set size for Services.exe. Your server may recover without having to be restarted.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.