Hoo WinTail - Real-Time Log File Viewer for Windows

Key Features

• Hoo WinTail is a real-time file viewing Windows utility like the Unix tail -f utility.
• It can be used to view the end of a growing file.
• It is ideal for viewing application traces or server logs in real time, as they are generated.
• Quickly viewing the last part of a large file without the need to load the entire file.
• Hoo WinTail is a file viewer.
• It makes no changes to the file that is opened.
• It opens the file in read-only mode.
• As new lines are written to the file by another program (such as would happen with a log file, for example), Hoo WinTail reads the new lines and displays them.
• Hoo WinTail can read and display any text file.
• It cannot support .doc files, .xls files, or other proprietary formats.
• Hoo WinTail can capture and display OutputDebugString (Windows Debug API) and TRACE (MS Visual C++ Debug Function) output as well.
• Features: * Highlight user specified strings in the output.
• * Set the rate to monitor updates to the target file.
• * Search for any text string, support search next and previous.
• * Capture and display OutputDebugString (Windows Debug API) and TRACE (MS Visual C++ Debug Function).
• * Setting maximum display buffer size and retain line number when truncate content.
• * Can set main window keep always on top.
• * Both Unix and DOS/Windows text file formats support.
• * Clear all showed content and reload the last part of file.
• * Editing showed content arbitrarily, but making no changes to the monitored file.
• * Filename may be specified on the command line or by browsing.
• * Indicates file size in window title bar.

Technical Specifications

• **Publisher:** https://www.hootech.com
• **License:** Shareware
• **Operating System:** Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11
• **Last Updated:** October 15, 2025
• **Category:** Utilities / File Managers