Check a users Application usage

[Stroppy]

Hi,

At work we have a peer to peer network, nothing fancy at all. We don't have monitoring software, enterprise software etc.

Question is, is there a way I can access logs to see a history of application use on a Windows 7 machine.

I was unhappy to find that a staff member was playing Solitaire - the context of which is not for this forum, suffice to say it goes beyond what is acceptable in my generous terms.

So, I looked about briefly last night and found Solitaire in a list somewhere but could not for the life of me find when it was last used. So (why oh why,?)I opened it up. Then closed it. Finally found a window that had it listed including the time it was last used, which was unfortunately the time I opened it just a minute or so before.

Is there a way I can look at an Applications use log that goes beyond "last used/modified?". I'd like to verify that it was used before the time I opened it.

(To add the human bit: I am a very generous boss, one person gets an extra 4 weeks leave per year for free, I am very flexible in terms of employment conditions, create lots of opportunities for people and more....which is why this particular one is getting to me. So, any help you may be able to give me on this is not being used to micro-manage anyone unfairly)

M

 

[cmeagan656]

Make sure that you have the "Date Modified" column showing in Windows Explorer. and then look in C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft Games\Solitaire you will find 2 files: SolitaireSettings.xml and SolitaireSettings.xml.bak. These show you the last two times that the statistics for the game were updated. Assuming that the user hasn't used the game since you opened it then the .bak file will be the last time that the user opened the game.

Also, if you can open the game under the User's login then if you go Game ->Statistics it will give you the last 5 high scores and the dates played (but not the times).

Hope this helps.

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[Stroppy]

Hi cmeagan, the computer doesn't have appdata where you've suggested and even with a search I'm not getting Appdata or the other files. Not sure if it's because of the type of machine it is..

However, followed your second suggestion and it says no games have been played so maybe it was the first time she did it and as she was interrupted didn't get to play the game.

Oh well. Thanks anyway.

Merarth

 

[linney]

Without resorting to third party applications maybe you can make use of these procedures from a preventive point of view.

Auditing Access to Files

http://www.gregthatcher.com/Papers/IT/audit.aspx

See what AppLocker or Software restriction Policy can do for you.

Windows 7 AppLocker Executive Overview

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd548340(WS.10).aspx

Description of the Software Restriction Policies in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310791

If you want to spend some cash then something like this might be of use.

StatWin software is designed to collect, store and analyze the statistics of computer operation and user activities under Windows

http://www.sxrsoft.com/

 

[Nelviticus]

In Windows XP the AppData folder is at 'C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data', in Vista or Windows 7 it's at 'C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming' (unless you've moved it elsewhere). These are hidden folders though so you'll need to turn on the display of hidden folders to see them.

You can uninstall the games that come with Windows - Solitaire, Minesweeper etc.

Regards

Nelviticus

 

[Stroppy]

Hi all,

Thank you for your assistance. Will follow up out of business hours (in Australia) and get back to you.

M