Catch event of auto_shrink in SQL Server Log? I am aware of the disadvantages of AUTO_SHRINK being configured on SQL Server databases. Recently, in a new environment, I discovered several production servers with the Auto Shrink option turned on.

Now, before I change this configuration, I wonder: Since the auto_shrink event starts at 25% unused space I wonder if and/or when this is actually happening on the SQL Servers. I  tried to find the relevant SQL-Event-Logfile entries. I started manual shrinking on test databases but there is no Event-Log entry showing up.

Does anyone know how to find out when shrinking has happened within the latest days or weeks on a SQL Server?
Pls see this link : 

To summarize (and this worked for me) :

Find out the location of your default trace file using :

SELECT * FROM fn_trace_getinfo(default);

Then use that to query your default trace file :

SELECT top 10 
    TextData,
    HostName,
    ApplicationName,
    LoginName, 
    StartTime  
 FROM 
 [fn_trace_gettable]('C:\MSSQL\Log\log_1110.trc', DEFAULT) 
 WHERE TextData LIKE '%SHRINK%'; 


You can see entries there for operations like DBCC SHRINKDATABASE etc.