A simple audit trail tool

This tip was submitted to the SearchWin2000.com Tip Exchange by member Carol Miller. Let other users know how useful it is by rating the tip below.

If you've ever been subject to an Information Systems audit, you know that you're in for a never-ending series of questions -- Why did you modify a certain machine? What settings were established before you changed them? Did you run diagnotics? Did you keep a record of them?

A simple, yet often overlooked tool is the '>' sign when used with command prompt utilities. A great example of this is the 'IPCONFIG /ALL', a commonly used utility that can become much more useful if entered like this:

  • IPCONFIG /ALL >machineXX.txt

This entry will create a text file with the IP settings for the current machine and will send the output to a file called 'machineXX.txt'. This file can be printed or filed as a system audit trail.

If you are troubleshooting, and need to keep track of your results, then try this:

  • NETDIAG /test:bindings >networkbind.txt

This example uses the 'NETDIAG' utility to verify the network bindings and sends the results to a text file.

Simple yet effective -- try it with all your command prompt tools and utilities!

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This was first published in November 2002

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