software usage

  • Thread starter Thread starter Laurent (de la cabane au Canada)
  • Start date Start date
L

Laurent (de la cabane au Canada)

Hi there,

Some softwares are able to scan your system and display software usage
(such as last time a given software was launched, how many times it has
been used etc.).

I was wondering how they work. Are there any registry keys that record
that type of information?

Laurent
 
For last access time/modified/created information you can get via
properties. In code file properties. Not sure about how many times the
application is used though.

Right-click a file & choose Properties. This will list the last file access
date, modified time, creation time, file size etc.

Crouchie1998
BA (HONS) MCP MCSE
 
Hi crouchie1998,

The funny thing about right-clicking/properties is that it gives me a
last access date and time of precisely the date and time I did the
right-click/properties...Not very useful in the end. Maybe that
information can be accessed via a VbScript or by other means without
being modified?

Also, in the control panel/add-remove program, many entries don't
display the last access date. I wonder why.

Any comment or idea that would help me determine when an application was
last started (and eventually how many times it has been run) is appreciated.

Thanks,

Laurent
 
I am a programmer & yes, it can be accessed via code. Just search Google for
'File Properties' & 'VB Script'.

Crouchie1998
BA (HONS) MCP MCSE
 
Hi crouchie1998

I haven't found any info on a hypothetical registry entry that would
count how many times an application was launched. Maybe that info is new
to Windows XP (on such OS, control panel/add-remove programs displays a
text info concerning application usage, such as rare/frequent use)?
Maybe that info is not available in win2000 (which I use)

As for the date last accessed, I eventually found a vbscript property
called DateLastAccessed. Makes sense. I'll go ahead with some vbscript
ptogramming. Thanks for the hint,

Laurent
 
In microsoft.public.win2000.registry Laurent (de la cabane au
Canada) said:
Hi there,

Some softwares are able to scan your system and display software
usage (such as last time a given software was launched, how many
times it has been used etc.).

I was wondering how they work. Are there any registry keys that
record that type of information?
Click to expand...

I do not know, but have run across this on ARPCache that *may* be a
source of data for "Some softwares".

http://www.baselinemag.com/print_article/0,3668,a=31172,00.asp
(also http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1173443,00.asp )

FWIW
 
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