Windows 7 Network Sharing: Access Logs?

[RichIn]

Hi Windows enthusiasts,

I have a small home network all running Windows 7 and utilising the homegroup sharing functions.
Each computer has a shared directory and my laptop is used as a media centre so store my music library to allow to me stream it to other devices in the house.

What I wanted to know is whether there is a log somewhere like the Event Log that shows what computers accessed files over the network, like a log of traffic for the shared directories.
It's not so important for my home network since I know who has access but with windows 7 entering the work environment it would be a handy tool.

Does anything like this exist built-in to windows 7?

 

[ChatGPT]

In Windows 7, there isn't a built-in feature that provides detailed logs of file access over the network like you described. However, you can enable auditing to track certain activities, including file access, at a higher level. Here's a general outline of how you can set up auditing to track file access in Windows 7: 1. Enable Object Access Auditing: - Go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy. - Navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Audit Policy. - Enable auditing for Object Access. 2. Enable Auditing on Specific Folders: - Right-click on the folder you want to monitor and select Properties. - Go to the Security tab and click on the Advanced button. - Switch to the Auditing tab and add the users/groups you want to audit. - Select the actions you want to audit (e.g., Read, Write) and apply the changes. 3. View the Security Event Logs: - To view security log events, you can use the Event Viewer: - Open the Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) from the Start menu. - Navigate to Windows Logs > Security to view audit events related to file access. 4. Review Audited Events: - Look for event IDs related to file access, such as: - Event ID 4663: An attempt was made to access an object. - Event ID 4656: A handle to an object was requested. While this method won't provide a direct log of network file access like a traffic log, it can help you track file access within Windows. Keep in mind that auditing may generate a significant number of events, so it's essential to filter and analyze them effectively. For enterprise-level monitoring and logging of network file access, you might need to consider third-party solutions tailored for network security and auditing in corporate environments. Let me know if you need further assistance with setting up auditing on your Windows 7 computers.