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PrivateACB Documentation

System Messages & Logs

What Are System Messages?

Section titled “What Are System Messages?”

PrivateACB keeps you informed about operations through three messaging systems. Each serves a specific purpose: real-time feedback, session history, and permanent audit trail.

What you’ll learn:

  • The three types of messaging systems and when to use each
  • Where to find logs for troubleshooting
  • What information is recorded (and what isn’t)

Time to read: 3 minutes

The Three Messaging Systems

Section titled “The Three Messaging Systems”
SystemWhereDurationPurpose
Status BarBottom of windowCurrent session onlyWatch operations in real-time
Session Log FilesDocuments/PrivateACB/logs/Permanent (until deleted)Troubleshooting and support
Events TableInside your databasePermanentLong-term audit trail

Key point: All three receive the same messages. The difference is where they’re displayed and how long they last.

1. Status Bar (Real-Time Feedback)

Section titled “1. Status Bar (Real-Time Feedback)”

What It Is

Section titled “What It Is”

Look at the bottom of the PrivateACB window. You’ll see messages with timestamps as operations run.

Examples:

  • [10:31:14] [INFO] Opening database: Crypto_Tax_2024.db
  • [10:31:45] [INFO] Starting CA ACB calculation for BTC (17 transactions)
  • [10:31:47] [INFO] Calculation complete: 17 records in 0.2s (Performance: A)

When to Use It

Section titled “When to Use It”

Best for:

  • ✅ Watching calculations in progress
  • ✅ Confirming operations started
  • ✅ Immediate feedback on actions

Not for:

  • ❌ Reviewing past operations (messages scroll away)
  • ❌ Troubleshooting yesterday’s errors

Color coding:

  • Cyan - Normal operations (INFO)
  • Yellow - Warnings (non-critical issues)
  • Red - Errors (something failed)

2. Session Log Files (Your Session History)

Section titled “2. Session Log Files (Your Session History)”

What They Are

Section titled “What They Are”

Every time you start PrivateACB, a new log file is created. It records every status bar message from that session.

Format: CSV (comma-separated values) - open with Excel or text editor

Location: C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents\PrivateACB\logs\

Filename example: system-messages-2025-11-19T14-30-15.log

  • Date and time show when the session started

When to Use Them

Section titled “When to Use Them”

Best for:

  • ✅ Troubleshooting errors - See what happened before failure
  • ✅ Sharing with support - Attach log file to support requests
  • ✅ Review timing - Check how long operations took
  • ✅ Session audit - Confirm what you did

Example: Import failed

Can’t remember the error message?

  1. Open Documents\PrivateACB\logs\
  2. Find today’s log file
  3. Open in Excel
  4. Search for “ERROR” in the Type column
  5. Read full message: “Invalid CSV format on line 42”

File Contents

Section titled “File Contents”

Three columns:

Timestamp,Type,Message
2025-11-19T14:30:45.123Z,INFO,"Database opened: Crypto_Tax_2024.db (1,234 records)"
2025-11-19T14:32:05.890Z,WARNING,"FRED API key not configured"
2025-11-19T14:35:22.100Z,ERROR,"Import failed: Invalid CSV format on line 42"

Message types:

  • INFO - Normal operations
  • WARNING - Non-critical issues
  • ERROR - Operation failed
  • CRITICAL - Serious failure (rare)

3. Events Table (Permanent Database Record)

Section titled “3. Events Table (Permanent Database Record)”

What It Is

Section titled “What It Is”

The Events Table is stored inside your encrypted database file (.db). Same messages as log files, but permanent and encrypted.

Location: Inside your database (e.g., Crypto_Tax_2024.db) Security: AES-256 encrypted with your database password

When to Use It

Section titled “When to Use It”

Best for:

  • ✅ Long-term audit - Review operations from months ago
  • ✅ Cross-session history - See all operations on this database
  • ✅ Backup included - Events saved when you export database

How to access:

  • Currently: Requires database query tools (e.g., the Data Viewer tab can query tables)

What Information Is Logged?

Section titled “What Information Is Logged?”

What IS Logged ✅

Section titled “What IS Logged ✅”

Operations and counts:

  • “Database opened”
  • “Imported 1,234 records from Coinbase CSV”
  • “Starting CA ACB calculation for BTC (17 transactions)”
  • “Calculation complete: 5 capital gains identified”
  • “Performance: A, Memory: 15MB”
  • Error messages

What Is NOT Logged ❌

Section titled “What Is NOT Logged ❌”

Your sensitive data is never recorded:

  • ❌ Transaction amounts (prices, quantities, values)
  • ❌ Wallet addresses
  • ❌ API keys or passwords
  • ❌ Database encryption password
  • ❌ Individual trade details
  • ❌ Capital gains amounts

Privacy-first: Logs contain operation records only, no financial data. Safe to share with support.

When to Use Which System

Section titled “When to Use Which System”

Scenario: “Is my calculation running?”

Section titled “Scenario: “Is my calculation running?””

Use: Status bar (bottom of window)

Scenario: “Why did my import fail?”

Section titled “Scenario: “Why did my import fail?””

Use: Session log file (open today’s file in Excel, search for ERROR)

Scenario: “Did I delete that import job last week?”

Section titled “Scenario: “Did I delete that import job last week?””

Use: Events table (if accessible) or last week’s log file

Scenario: “I need help from support”

Section titled “Scenario: “I need help from support””

Use: Session log file (attach to support email - no sensitive data)

Finding Your Log Files

Section titled “Finding Your Log Files”
  1. Open File Explorer
  2. Navigate to: C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents\PrivateACB\logs\

Quick access:

  • Press Windows + R
  • Type: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\PrivateACB\logs
  • Press Enter

Log File Management

Section titled “Log File Management”

How Much Space?

Section titled “How Much Space?”

Typical file sizes:

  • Light session: 5-10 KB
  • Normal session: 20-50 KB
  • Heavy session: 100-200 KB

Annual storage: ~11 MB/year for daily use

Cleaning Up (Optional)

Section titled “Cleaning Up (Optional)”

Logs are kept forever until you delete them manually.

To clean up:

  1. Open logs folder
  2. Sort by date
  3. Delete files older than 30-90 days

Recommendation: Keep at least 30 days for troubleshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”

Can I disable logging?

Section titled “Can I disable logging?”

No. Logging is essential for troubleshooting, audit trails, and support.

Are logs encrypted?

Section titled “Are logs encrypted?”
  • Session log files (CSV): No (plain text for easy access)
  • Events table: Yes (AES-256, inside encrypted database)

Both are privacy-safe: no sensitive transaction data is logged.

How do I share logs with support?

Section titled “How do I share logs with support?”
  1. Go to Documents\PrivateACB\logs
  2. Find the log file from when the issue occurred
  3. Attach to email or support request

Safe to share: No amounts, addresses, or passwords in logs.

Why isn’t the status bar showing messages?

Section titled “Why isn’t the status bar showing messages?”
  • Check the bottom of the window (not top)
  • Some operations complete instantly
  • Verify by checking today’s log file

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

Three ways PrivateACB communicates:

  1. Status Bar - Real-time feedback (bottom of window)
  2. Session Logs - CSV files for each session (Documents/PrivateACB/logs/)
  3. Events Table - Permanent database record (encrypted)

Remember:

  • ✅ All three get the same messages
  • ✅ No sensitive financial data logged
  • ✅ Session log files are best for troubleshooting
  • ✅ Safe to share logs with support

Need help? See our Error Reporting Guide for next steps.

Related guides:

Last Updated: February 2026 PrivateACB Version: 2.0