You cannot create an event in an event log in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 if the source field contains a single quotation mark

Consider the following scenario. You have a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. You try to run the eventcreate command together with the /so parameter to create an event in a specified event log. If the /so parameter (the source field) specifies a source that contains a single quotation mark, the operation fails. Additionally, you receive an error message that resembles the following in the output:For example, you try to create an event log by executing the following command: The specified source abc'1 contains a quotation mark. Therefore, the operation fails and you receive the following error message:

The issues occur because event logs use the XML format in Windows Vista and in later versions. When the source field contains a single quotation mark, the XML stream is considered invalid. Therefore, the eventcreate command does not work correctly.

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing the problem described in this article. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, you must be running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.

Note If you encounter the same issue on a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, apply the hotfix that is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Registry information

To use the hotfix in this package, you do not have to make any changes to the registry.

Restart requirement

You may have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace a previously released hotfix.

File information

The global version of this hotfix installs files that have the attributes that are listed in the following tables. The dates and the times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The dates and the times for these files on your local computer are displayed in your local time together with your current daylight saving time (DST) bias. Additionally, the dates and the times may change when you perform certain operations on the files.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 file information notes

Important Windows 7 hotfixes and Windows Server 2008 R2 hotfixes are included in the same packages. However, hotfixes on the Hotfix Request page are listed under both operating systems. To request the hotfix package that applies to one or both operating systems, select the hotfix that is listed under "Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2" on the page. Always refer to the "Applies To" section in articles to determine the actual operating system that each hotfix applies to.

• The MANIFEST files (.manifest) and the MUM files (.mum) that are installed for each environment are listed separately in the "Additional file information for Windows Server 2008 R2 and for Windows 7" section. MUM and MANIFEST files, and the associated security catalog (.cat) files, are extremely important to maintain the state of the updated components. The security catalog files, for which the attributes are not listed, are signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows 7

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows 7 and of Windows Server 2008 R2

For all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2

Workaround for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Method 1

Use the entity reference ' instead of the quotation mark in the source field.

For example, you can rewrite the command in the "Symptoms" section as follows: The command runs successfully and you receive the following output:

Method 2

Do not use single quotation marks in the source field.

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

For more information about the eventcreate utility, visit the following Microsoft Web site: For more information about entity references of special characters, visit the following Microsoft Web site: For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Additional file information

Additional file information for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2

Additional files for all supported x86-based versions of Windows 7

Additional files for all supported x64-based versions of Windows 7 and of Windows Server 2008 R2

Additional files for all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2