Finding Windows applications/softwares to monitor changes to a directory on remote computers

Question

Finding Windows applications/softwares to monitor changes to a directory on remote computers

Tommer Francis 0

Hello everyone, I would like to find some Windows applications/softwares to monitor changes to a directory on remote computers, which consist of:

A client program that runs on the machines to be monitored.
A server program that runs on the monitoring machine.

Detailed description:

Client program: connects to and exchanges information with the server.
Server program:

Manages the list of clients.
Selects which client to monitor and selects the directory on the client machine to monitor. All changes to this directory (deleting/adding subdirectories, deleting/adding/modifying the contents of files within the directory) must be reported to the user (on the server).
Must be able to monitor multiple clients simultaneously (each client monitors only one directory).
Graphical user interface.

Thank you very much.

1 answer

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Answer 1

Emmanuel Santana 32,585 Independent Advisor

Hello. What you’re asking for is a very specific setup. Windows doesn’t ship anything that matches your checklist and most non-enterprise, off-the-shelf tools lack this design.

However, solutions specifically categorized as File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) or Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), such as Tripwire, Qualys FIM, SolarWinds SEM, OSSEC, and Wazuh, are built precisely upon the client agent plus central server/console architecture you are looking for.

What exact Windows versions are those remote machines running? The mix of Windows 10/11 editions or Server builds affects which remote-management methods will actually work.

Tommer Francis 0 Reputation points

2025-12-05T09:54:36.31+00:00

@Emmanuel Santana Thanks for your answer. For your given question, all the remote computers are running Windows 11.
Emmanuel Santana 32,585 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-12-05T09:58:18.87+00:00

Thanks for following up. Well, with everything on Windows 11, you don’t have to deal with legacy compatibility. It does not change the fact that Windows offers no built-in tool for the client–server model you described. It only means deployment is simpler.

Are all these Windows 11 machines on the same network or spread across multiple sites? Are they domain-joined or standalone devices?
Tommer Francis 0 Reputation points

2025-12-05T10:04:15.67+00:00

@Emmanuel Santana These devices are all on the same network and standalone.
Emmanuel Santana 32,585 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-12-05T10:17:42.8866667+00:00
Noted. Well, a central server can’t directly monitor a folder on another Windows 11 machine in real time. Each computer needs a small agent running locally to detect file changes and send those events back to your server.

You essentially have two solid options:

Use an existing agent-based file integrity monitoring tool like Wazuh or OSSEC. They already handle real-time event forwarding and provide a central dashboard.

Build your own lightweight agent that listens for local file system changes (using Windows APIs) and sends those events to your server over TCP or HTTP.

I would personally suggest Wazuh, is the easier route since it’s open source and well documented. A basic setup looks like this:

Install the Wazuh Manager and Dashboard on your main server.

Install the Wazuh agent on each Windows 11 PC.

In each agent’s configuration, enable File Integrity Monitoring and point it to the folder you want to watch.

Restart the agent, events should start appearing immediately in the dashboard.

It’s a simple deployment, and you can explore more advanced configurations in their community resources: https://wazuh.com/community/

(Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The content appears accurate and safe, but be cautious with any ads or third-party downloads. Always research products before installing them.)
Tommer Francis 0 Reputation points

2025-12-05T10:20:53.2033333+00:00

@Emmanuel Santana Thanks for your suggestions. Does Microsoft provide any applications/softwares which satisfy my description?
Emmanuel Santana 32,585 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-12-05T10:26:54.34+00:00

Microsoft doesn’t offer a built-in Windows 11 or on-premises application that matches your exact “client program + central server with GUI” layout for real-time folder monitoring on standalone PCs.

The closest Microsoft-supported alternative is an enterprise solution: Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Defender for Servers Plan 2). It uses the same agent + central management console architecture you described, but it is part of a cloud security platform rather than a general-purpose file monitor. But it's very robust and if you want to stay within Microsoft, which I highly recommend, then this could be a very good solution.
Tommer Francis 0 Reputation points

2025-12-06T08:25:13.44+00:00

@Emmanuel Santana What do you think about Syncthing?
Emmanuel Santana 32,585 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-12-06T08:28:23.9433333+00:00

I haven't used Syncthing personally. From what I read, I guess it’s fine if the goal is to keep folders in sync across a few machines for backup or collaboration. It is not designed to monitor a remote directory and send structured change events to a central console.

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Finding Windows applications/softwares to monitor changes to a directory on remote computers

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