How to Interrogate Log Files

I am looking for advice from the Windchill expert community on how you interrogate log files. For instance, I would like to take a log file, search for the string 'error ' in the content, and then eliminate lines which contain a pattern for unimportant strings. This should parse the log so that it only contains the lines of information which may contain notable errors. I currently only have Windows 7 text editors in my toolbox.

I am looking for the following type of advice.

1 - What is your method for interrogating logs to find relevant 'errors'?

2 - Is it possible to create macros in Microsoft word to filter out unimportant lines?

3 - Are there other text editors I should be considering which might make the task of interrogating logs easier (preferably free)?

Thanks!

Ken Morrison