You are archiving the Windows 2000 Security Log from Event Viewer so that you can later import and analyse the events in a spreadsheet or other data analysis tool. When saving the Security Log, which file type should you choose so that the log contents can be easily opened and processed in a spreadsheet application?

Introduction / Context:
Event Viewer on Windows 2000 allows administrators to save event logs to files for archiving, reporting and analysis. When you need to analyse security events in a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel, choosing the correct file format simplifies data import and manipulation. Understanding which format is best suited for spreadsheets is a common practical question for system administrators.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• You are working with the Security Log in Windows 2000 Event Viewer.
• You plan to save the log for later analysis.
• The analysis will be performed using a spreadsheet application.
• The goal is to import structured event data with minimal manual conversion.

Concept / Approach:
Spreadsheets are designed to work efficiently with delimited text formats where columns are separated by a known character, such as a comma. The comma separated values (CSV) format is a standard text format where each line represents a record and fields are separated by commas. Excel and similar tools can open CSV files directly and parse the data into columns. The native .evt format is optimized for Event Viewer itself, not for external analysis, and .txt files may require additional parsing. An .exe file is an executable and is not used for data storage.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Open Event Viewer and select the Security Log.Step 2: Use the Save Log File As option to export the log contents.Step 3: Review the available save formats. Options typically include .evt (native), .txt and .csv.Step 4: Recognize that .csv stands for comma separated values and is specifically suited for spreadsheets.Step 5: Choose .csv so that each event record appears on its own line with fields separated into columns when opened in Excel.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you save the log as .evt and attempt to open it directly in a spreadsheet, the file will not display meaningful rows and columns, because it is in a binary format designed for Event Viewer. A plain .txt file can be opened, but you may need to run a text import wizard and manually define delimiters. On the other hand, a .csv file opens cleanly in Excel with fields automatically placed into separate columns, which is ideal for sorting and filtering.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The .evt format is the native event log format and is best suited to re importing logs into Event Viewer, not for spreadsheet analysis. A .txt file is simply plain text and may not use consistent delimiters, requiring more manual work. The .exe extension denotes an executable program and is irrelevant for data export and would not be offered as a valid log file type in this scenario.

Common Pitfalls:
Administrators sometimes archive logs solely in .evt format and later discover that they cannot easily perform bulk analysis without reopening the logs in Event Viewer. Others use .txt files and then spend extra time configuring delimiters during import. Remembering to select .csv for analysis oriented exports saves time and ensures that security event data is immediately usable inside spreadsheet tools.

Final Answer:
The best file type for later analysis of Security Log data in a spreadsheet is .csv (comma separated values).