Have you ever started your PC and felt that odd or strange feeling that things on your system just don't seem to be right and wondered if someone else used it?

In Windows XP there is a feature called an Event Viewer that allows you to bring up a log of all the events on your system.  There may be other ways to do this in other operating systems, but I haven't come across that information so we will show you how to do this using Windows XP. 

There are also various types of software programs available that will track and/or record chats, emails, keystrokes, and do screen captures.  If you have a need for a more robust way of monitoring your system, you'll want to check out products like Spector Pro, Ghost Keylogger, and the like. 

For our purposes today, we just want to give you Windows XP users a quick and easy way to see what your computer has been doing without having to purchase anything extra.
To bring up the Event Viewer:

1. Go to Start > Run
2. Type in eventvwr.msc

You'll see 3 categories by which the events are stored.  To see if your system was started in your absence, you'll want to view the System log.

3. Click on System in the left column.
4. A list of events will populate the right panel.  Check the Date and Time columns for a time when you know your computer should have been off.

Double-clicking any event in the right panel will display more details.  To get even more information, click the URL provided in the Event Properties dialog box.

You'll get a window like this one below with more information and resources to help you.

If you want to know how long someone was on your computer, just check the time it was started and the time it was shut down.