Detect when a user opens a file

Question

I am looking for something that detects when a user opens a file(much like anti-virus software), i've been looking, but all i could find is when a user creates/deletes/modifies a file on a specific path

[`FileSystemWatcher` class](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.io.filesystemwatcher)? — Uwe Keim, Jan 25 '16 at 17:55
@UweKeim OP is asking for something different. When a user opens a file. — Sriram Sakthivel, Jan 25 '16 at 17:56
@UweKeim I think FileSystemWatcher only triggers on changed, created, deleted, and renamed. I don't think it notifies on open/lock. — tehDorf, Jan 25 '16 at 17:56

score -1 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:45

-1

You can use C# FileWatcher - Listens to the file system change notifications and raises events when a directory, or file in a directory, changes.

Example: http://matijabozicevic.com/blog/csharp-net-development/csharp-monitor-directory-activity-using-fileSystemWatcher-class

Using FileSystemWatcher to monitor a directory

MSDN: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.io.filesystemwatcher(v=vs.110).aspx

FileSystemWatcher watcher;

private void watch()
{
   watcher = new FileSystemWatcher();
  watcher.Path = path;
  watcher.NotifyFilter = NotifyFilters.LastAccess | NotifyFilters.LastWrite
                     | NotifyFilters.FileName | NotifyFilters.DirectoryName;
  watcher.Filter = "*.*";
  watcher.Changed += new FileSystemEventHandler(OnChanged);
  watcher.EnableRaisingEvents = true;
}

private void OnChanged(object source, FileSystemEventArgs e)
{
  //Copies file to another directory.
}

edited May 23 '17 at 11:45

Community

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answered Jan 25 '16 at 17:56

null1941

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It has onchanged() oncreated() ondeleted() , but nothing for when a user opens a file? – stefan Jan 25 '16 at 18:00
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NotifyFilters can help i think.. Lemme check.. – null1941 Jan 25 '16 at 18:02
with NotifyFilters.LastAccess we can detect file open event also.. Did you check? – null1941 Jan 25 '16 at 18:06
No, do you have an easy example? – stefan Jan 25 '16 at 18:09
the snipped mentioned here is enough. You can add directly into your solution and check it.. – null1941 Jan 25 '16 at 18:10
I tried it, and it doesn't launch the event when i open a file in the given path( i tried C:\ and C:\windows) – stefan Jan 25 '16 at 18:18

solidau · Answer 2 · 2016-01-26T23:29:30.020

-1

Try using the FileSystemWatcher.Changed event: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.io.filesystemwatcher.changed(v=vs.110).aspx

In order to detect when it is opened, you must set the NotifyFilter property to NotifyFilters.LastAccess (this will trigger the Changed event because the LastAccess property of the file is changed).

I've never used it to monitor an entire HDD, so YMMV.

edited Jan 26 '16 at 23:29

answered Jan 25 '16 at 17:57

solidau

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Question is how to detect when a file is 'opened'. – Yogee Jan 25 '16 at 17:58

Detect when a user opens a file

2 Answers2