Check ADFS Sign-In Events via Event Viewer

To check ADFS (Active Directory Federation Services) sign-in events, you primarily use Event Viewer on the ADFS server. Here’s a step-by-step guide:


🛠️ Steps to Check ADFS Sign-In Events via Event Viewer:

1. Open Event Viewer

  • Log in to your ADFS server.
  • Press Win + R, type eventvwr, and press Enter.

2. Navigate to the ADFS Log Path

In the Event Viewer, go to:

Applications and Services Logs
 └── AD FS
      └── Admin

You can also check:

Applications and Services Logs
 └── AD FS
      └── Tracing
           └── Debug (only if tracing is enabled)

3. Look for Sign-In Events

Common Event IDs related to sign-ins:

Event IDDescription
1200ADFS received a request for a token
1202Token successfully issued
364ADFS error occurred (common for failed sign-ins)
411A user was authenticated successfully
510User sign-in failed
342Claims issuance failure

🔍 4. Filter Events for Quick Search

  • Right-click on Admin log → Filter Current Log...
  • Use Event ID field to filter by IDs like: 364, 411, 1200, 1202, 510.

5. Optional: Enable Auditing for Detailed Logs

If you’re not seeing the logs, you may need to enable auditing:

  • Open Group Policy Management → Edit the appropriate GPO or Local Security Policy.
  • Navigate to: Computer Configuration └── Windows Settings └── Security Settings └── Advanced Audit Policy Configuration └── Audit Policies └── Logon/Logoff
  • Enable:
    • Audit Logon Events
    • Audit Account Logon Events
    • Audit Authentication Policy Change

Then run:

gpupdate /force

📘 Helpful Tip:

For modern ADFS logs and easier analysis, you can use Azure AD Sign-in Logs (if federated), or tools like:

  • ADFS Diagnostics Tool (ADFS Rapid Restore Tool)
  • PowerShell (Get-AdfsEvent, Get-AdfsAccountActivity)

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