Hello, I have Win XP Pro installed on my machine and I was wondering if it's possible to create (or trigger an event) log file when a user logs on to XP. I'm not actually sure if there is already a log file and I can't find it, but I've tried reading the "sytem log" and it doesn't have the information I want. Basically I want a log file that will tell me which user logged on at what time and executed which applications. If there is some software that does this can anyone suggest a popular one? But I'd rather have XP do the logging it self, if that's possible. THANK YOU!!

To create a trace log Using the Windows interface Open Performance. Double-click Performance Logs and Alerts, and then click Trace Logs. Any existing logs will be listed in the details pane. A green icon indicates that the logs are running; a red icon indicates logs have been stopped. Right-click a blank area of the details pane, and click New Log Settings. In Name, type the name of the trace log you want to create, and then click OK. By default, the log file is created in the PerfLogs folder in the root directory on your system drive, a sequence number is appended to the file name you entered, and the sequential trace file type with the .etl extension. Use the Log Files and Advanced tabs to modify these parameters or define other parameters for your log. To define providers and events to log, use the General tab. To specify when you want logging to occur, use the Schedule tab. Notes To open Performance, click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Performance. You can also use the Run As text box and Password button to specify the logon account name for the performance logs and alerts service. You can access these features from the General tab. To save the settings for a log file, right-click the file in the details pane, and click Save Settings As. You can then specify an .htm file in which to save the settings. To reuse the saved settings for a new log, right-click the details pane, and click New Log Settings From. Using a command line Open Command Prompt. To create a trace log type: Logman create trace collection_name Value Description create trace Creates a trace log collection query. collection_name Specifies the name of the collection query. For example, to create a trace log named perf_log, type: logman create trace perf_log Notes To open command prompt, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt. To view the complete syntax for this command, at a command prompt, type: Logman /?

A lot of detail there, but there is a much easier way. Audit LOGIN events. Now everytime ANYTHIME logs in it will be recorded nicely to the event viewer. I would not recommend using performance logging unless you are having performance issues or debugging software, it will and can dramatically affect your overall system performance.