ShareWatcher

ShareWatcher is an approachable network utility that facilitates a user-friendly working environment for monitoring files shared over LAN, so you can find out who is accessing them. It comprises some advanced options or configuration parameters that mainly cater to experienced users.

Hassle-free setup and clear-cut GUI

The installation procedure is a fast and easy task that requires minimal attention. As for the interface, the main app window has a neatly organized structure that invites you to indicate the folders to monitor for user access, whether they are local or from FTP.

Set folders to monitor and activate notifications

It is possible to include or exclude subfolders, apply file filters, as well as enable email notifications and sound alerts for important events. Advanced users may also create custom commands for execution.
A separate area is dedicated to viewing the users who have accessed the files in question. However, you can put together an ignore list. Moreover, ShareWatcher can ignore files accessed by the local host, and you can pick the frequency to check for new files as well as apply a proxy configuration.
The app can be asked to automatically run at every Windows startup, minimize to the system tray, and verify for software updates at startup. The data files are backed up to file and you can pick a different location.

Evaluation and conclusion

We have not come across any stability issues in our tests, thanks to the fact that ShareWatcher did not hang, crash or pop up error messages. It runs on low CPU and RAM, so it doesn't hamper system performance.
Thanks to its practical features and extensive set of configuration settings, ShareWatcher should please users looking for an efficient way to monitor files shared over the local network.