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Last Modified: 2012-05-11

Log user active session time (excluding screensaver active time)

Hello :-)

As part of new regulations in my industry (education) I am required so log how many hours my users spend in front of an active session (i.e. logged in to windows, and no screensaver active) and report this information weekly.

As I see it I have three options:

I could write an app to do it
I could use a commercial solution (if one exists).
I could pull the info out of the AD security logs (I'm not sure if I can get screensaver active time this way though)

How would you do it?

thanks for looking :-)

Wibble_

Asked: 2011-03-07

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1 Solution

LVL 23

Jeremy WeisingerSenior Network Consultant / EngineerCommented: 2011-03-07

If you can write an app then go for it. :-)

The logs won't get you the granular info that you're looking for afaik and that can be a huge pain. In the past I've used a program called SpectorSoft that will monitor pretty much any aspect of what the user is doing. It is full fledged commercial spyware. This software will do what you're looking for and generate a nice report for you but it also does a TON of other monitoring and blocking if you configure it. So this might be overkill for what you're looking for.
http://www.spectorcne.com

LVL 48

DonNetwork AdministratorCommented: 2011-03-07

I suggest that you have a logon script that writes to an excel spreadsheet(.csv) that logs username, computername, date, and time. Then a logoff script that does the same.

Could be as simple as:

echo %username%,,%computername%,,Date:~0,16%,,%Time:~0,5%,,"logged on" >>\\yourserver1\logs$\logins.csv <<<For logon.bat

echo %username%,,%computername%,,Date:~0,16%,,%Time:~0,5%,,"logged off" >>\\yourserver1\logs$\logoffs.csv <<<For logoff.bat

The double commas make it easier to read

Wibble_Author Commented: 2011-03-07

@My_Username: Perhaps you are correct, writing an app maybe the way to go. Spector is way to expensive for my needs. thanks.

@dstewartjr: Uuuh, without trying to being rude, did you actually read the title or message of my post? How would your solution deal with subtracting the screensaver active time?

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