File System Watcher

File System Watcher is an application you can configure to monitor files or directories for changes, such as when the last write and access times are modified.

It's practical when you suspect that your browser is downloading and updating more files that it should, or that someone else with PC access is snooping around your personal documents, to name a couple of examples.

The interface is made from a standard window that shows all options neatly organized, giving you an overview. You can configure monitor mode and filtering settings by asking the app to watch a specific file or directory, include or exclude folders, as well as take into account the creation, last write and access time, security properties, file attributes, file and directory name, along with sizes.

After indicating a file or folder to keep track of, you can start the monitor with one click and start analyzing log details for each new event when it comes to the timestamp, action type, and file name. This information can be saved to CSV-formatted files for closer inspection and safekeeping.

The entire program's packed in just one .exe file that you can save anywhere on the disk or copy to a USB flash drive to seamlessly run File System Watcher on any computer. Just keep in mind that it needs .NET Framework to work properly. It doesn't add new entries to your system registry, though, nor does it create extra files on the disk without your confirmation.

It worked smoothly in tests and had an excellent time. System resources were minimally used. However, this free edition has some limitations. For example, it permits you to monitor only one directory at a time and it cannot watch removable devices or read-only volumes. Nevertheless, File System Watcher has a powerful set of options and can be easily used.