file monitoring programs

Hi, im looking for a free file monitoring program that alerts of changes to files once theres modified or changed.

 

In addition to LWMs reply :

First some questions come to mind:

1.
Which version of Windows are you using?
95-98-ME or 2000-XP ?

2.
Would you like to be alerted more or less in real time, or would you run such a program on-demand?

3.
Would you like to be alerted on :
- all files,
- certain type of files (based on extension like for example .exe files),
- only a not so big number of files?

FileChecker from Javacool is definitely a great (and free) program.
It runs on all those Windows versions.
It runs more or less in real-time; well, not exactly but you can set it up to poll very frequently.
If you would like to use it in the way that it alerts for a very big number of files (I'm talking here about many thousands of files), then maybe you might like to try if and how much it slows down your PC.
Javacool certainly can tell you more about that

For NT-2000-XP there is also File Change Alarm from Albjan.
http://www.capimonitor.nl/Atguard%20&%20NIS/_loadurl.php?filename=filechangealarm.php
It is also free.
It runs in real time.
However, it is no longer maintained.

For all Windows versions there is NISfileCheck from Albjan:
http://www.capimonitor.nl/Atguard%20&%20NIS/_loadurl.php?filename=niscrc.php
See also the now archived forum for it here at Wilders:
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/index.php?board=4
It is free.
You can only run it on-demand (so no real time checking).
In my humble opinion it is great !
However: it is no longer maintained.


Some not-free programs; all only on-demand:

Adinf32
http://www.adinf.com/home.htm

Inspector in KAV Personal Pro:
http://www.kaspersky.com/buyonline.html?info=26

CRC32-test in TDS-3
See the TDS-forum-section here at Wilders.

Some other links:

FileWatch
http://www.foundstone.com/resources/proddesc/filewatch.htm

Floke Integrity
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/wickmann/floke.html

Validator
http://camtech2000.net/Pages/Validator.htm

 

You could also have a look at this old thread:

Integrity Checkers

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=742

I do apologize to everyone that I have stopped maintaining that thread
Sorry !!!

 

I think FanJ has pretty much covered the critical issues here.

Specifically, are you looking for a real-time (i.e., memory-resident) service or for something that can be run on-demand (or on a pre-determined schedule, for that matter)?

Which OS? The real-time stuff pretty much has to be on one of the Win NT/2K/XP OSs. (With the exception of Javacool's near-real-time option.)

 

Thanks Joseph !