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Summary: Windows XP includes a useful utility to monitor exactly what programs are being run on your machine. It's easy to enable, and easy to see the results.
Can I monitor who's using my machine?
There are lots of tools out there that will allow you to monitor not just who's using your machine, but what they're doing, even typing, when they do. That's called spyware, and requires installing additional software to be installed to log and report the activities.
What many people don't realize is that there are some simple logging tools built into Windows XP already. They won't log keystrokes, but they will at least let you see who's logged into your machine and what programs they ran while they were there.
It's off by default, but it's easy to turn some of that logging on.
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The settings are buried a little deep: Start, All Programs, Accessories, Administrative Tools, Local Security Policy. Once that's opened up, look underneath Security Settings, expand Local Policies by clicking on the boxed plus sign next to it, and then click on Audit Policy.
There are several items of interest here, but we'll focus on only three. Start by double clicking on Audit account login events. Make sure that both success and failure are checked, and press OK. Repeat for Audit logon events. Those two will log when someone logs into your computer or tries to connect to your computer via a remote share. Now repeat the process for Audit process tracking - this one will log an event each time a process (program) starts or stops.
Now close Local Security Settings.
Use the event viewer to see the results of the logging we just enabled.
Press Start, Run, and type "eventvwr". Click on the security item in the left hand pane. In the right will be a list of security events, most recent at the top. Double click on one for the details of that event. In the case of a login event, for example, you'll see the account used as well as the date and time of the event. In the case of a process event, you'll see the name of the program that was run as well as the account that started it.
Video: This short video shows the steps I've outlined above.
Related:
Ask Leo! - What is the Event Viewer, and should I care?
Ask Leo! - How can I keep my kids safe from internet garbage?
Article C2086 - June 26, 2004
To the best of my knowledge, you cannot. If you suspect a problem, change your password.
Posted by: Leo A. Notenboom at January 23, 2006 3:04 PMI see a lot of internet activity on my cablemodem even when nobody is using my computer. How can I see internet traffic in my computer?
Posted by: Haydee at December 2, 2006 2:04 PMhow do i monitor activity on my yahoo account? like dates and times when i logged on
Posted by: nikki at January 21, 2007 10:45 AMI tried to foloow this but I dont have nothing that says administrative tools where ya said to go too. On my other comp which is a compact presario, I have a hp Web Helper Notepad, that is in my computer-cdrive. But yet I dont have it on my emachine one. It helps me to keep track of where my kids are going on internet and shows all pages visited and what it was they visited. Am trying to find same thing for my emachine as well, that I can personally put in and use same way without haveing to buy something in its place I really like it can you help me to find same thing for the emachine?
Posted by: Robin at October 1, 2007 11:38 AMI see how to turn on the audit logon events but this doesn't seem to be an option in Windows XP Home. Do you know if it is possible to audit logons in the home edition? thanks, rita
Posted by: Rita Fulton at October 21, 2008 9:22 AMThanks for the tip on activating the logs for remote logins to my PC. I will start monitoring now. hope this will show all the programs like intelliviewer and mstsc.
What i need to know is that you said abt some spyware that will help monitoring remote logins. can u name some safe ones.. i dont want it to be a nuisence after installing for a cause.
Posted by: Deepak at March 18, 2009 5:13 AMIf it is not in your accessories folder, go to control panel, performance and maintenance. You will then be able to find Local Security Policy shortcut.
Posted by: Mel at May 20, 2009 8:33 AMsomeone comes in my house and uses my comp can i find out whom
Posted by: misty at June 5, 2009 7:05 AMLeo
As a past writers mentioned on XP Home the Local Security Policy is not on either the Control Panel or on Administrative Tools. Under Administrative Tools you do have Computer Management. How do I install or activate the Local Security Policy? Also how do I activate WMI Control which does not show any information on its screen.
Posted by: Alan at June 16, 2009 8:49 AMi was just curious i can see what time my computer was logged on but what i would like to know is what time they logged off.
Posted by: saddy at June 29, 2009 7:52 AM