How to purge a MSMQ system queue journal programatically?

.net, logging, msmq

Solution

The correct format for system queues:

FormatName:Direct=os:.\\System$;JOURNAL

I've tested this format on Windows 7 and Windows 2003.

(the dot after os: means the localhost/local computer)

var systemJournalQueue = new MessageQueue("FormatName:Direct=os:.\\System$;JOURNAL");
var systemDeadLetterQueue = new MessageQueue("FormatName:Direct=os:.\\System$;DEADLETTER");
var systemDeadXLetterQueue =new MessageQueue("FormatName:Direct=os:.\\System$;DEADXACT"));

systemJournalQueue.Purge();

or if you want to keep N days of messages you can do this:

private static void PurgeQueues(int archiveAfterHowManyDays, MessageQueue queue)
{
    queue.Formatter = new XmlMessageFormatter(new Type[] { typeof(System.String) });
    queue.MessageReadPropertyFilter.ArrivedTime = true;

    using (MessageEnumerator messageReader = queue.GetMessageEnumerator2())
    {
        int counter = 0;
        while (messageReader.MoveNext())
        {
            Message m = messageReader.Current;
            if (m.ArrivedTime.AddDays(archiveAfterHowManyDays) < DateTime.Now)
            {
                queue.ReceiveById(m.Id);
                counter++;
            }
        }
    }
}

Problem

Original source