Top 6 free and paid file server analysis tools

If you have a lot of files on your server it is an elementary task to keep an eye on it from time to time to ensure the integrity of the files and make sure they are not compromised in any way. If you deal with a lot of your customers’ data and their necessary files, you should use a proper and feature-rich file server analysis tool that gives you complete control over the files on your server. Depending upon the type of file server, and where the files are kept, you choose the most appropriate file server analysis tool that can help you get the job done. Just like, you might get confused, when you have to choose one particular tool from many others, the same is applicable at the time of choosing a file server analysis tool for your requirements. 

But, just like every single time I am here with the top six file server analysis tools that you can count on, and you can use any one of them depending upon the features that you are looking for. Before I begin, I must say most of the file server analysis tools that I will keep on the list will be paid and you will have to shell out some pennies if you want to keep using the tools forever, or at least as long as you have access to the file server. I will try to mention the most important features, most users will look for, and thus, you can also consider it to be the final guide to choosing the most appropriate file server analysis tool for your requirements.

Top Six file server analysis tools


So, without any further delay, let’s get started with the top six tools to analyze file servers that you can download on your computer and get started.

Netwrix for Windows File Servers


The first one in the list is Netwrix, which is more security-centric and it will give you the complete report of the users, who tried to access your files and folders so that you can safeguard your files with better protection standards. With the help of Netwrix, you can manage the permissions of the individual files and folders and you can also find information about when a file was created or modified, and also when a previous file is deleted by some user. With the help of Netwrix, continuous server auditing will be carried out and you can also make Netwrix create a report so that you can find all the smallest events that took place on your server. 

Netwrix for Windows File Servers

Furthermore, Netwrix will also show you successful and unsuccessful attempts made by users to open or modify the files so that you can also upgrade the permissions depending upon your need to access the files and folders and finally make necessary changes to them. Thus, if you’re looking for more security, when it comes to File server analysis tools, Netwrix is the best that you can go for. You can try Netwrix out for 20 days before you finally pay for using the software.

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ManageEngine File Server Auditing


ManageEngine File Server Auditing silently monitors the server file systems and creates reports based on the event that takes place in your server environment, to finally show the reports at any point in time. When it comes to other aspects, the user interface is very simple and minimalistic, which does not have any additional bells and whistles that might ruin the complete user interface and confuse things completely. With ManageEngine File Server Auditing, you can get audits about files and folder access made by the users on your server and you can also find a snapshot of the activities that take place, including the patterns, which can give you much information about who exactly is willing to access the files or modify them. 

ManageEngine File Server Auditing
ManageEngine File Server Auditing

Furthermore, ManageEngine File Server Auditing will also keep track of which files are deleted or renamed, and you also help you get reminded about the permission changes. Talking about those files and folders that are accessed frequently, ManageEngine File Server Auditing also uses artificial intelligence to find out the most active users, and it will also monitor the integrity of the files and folders in real-time, which eventually makes the software a full-fledged file server analysis tool that you can count on. You can download the fully functional trial version after which you have to pay $745 to use the premium file server analysis tool.

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FileAudit for Windows Server & Cloud Storage


The next file server monitoring tool for File Auditing in the list is FileAudit, which is best suited for an organization that needs to keep a constant on the user data and other sensitive files in real-time. Just like most other premium file server analysis tools, FileAudit also protects sensitive data as per the standard set by regulatory authorities and that is one of the unique selling propositions of FileAudit.

Talking about the features of FileAudit, it monitors file and folder access in real-time 24×7 and gives you an integrated file access report based on real-time information, which can also be sorted and filtered as per your requirements from time to time. 

FileAudit for Windows Server & Cloud Storage
FileAudit for Windows Server & Cloud Storage

Talking about the operations, FileAudit keeps a close eye on operations that include reading, creating, modifying, and renaming the files and folders and you can also get a notification for potential data breaches, which is something very useful in today’s world of Technology. FileAudit provides graphical information of the file server events, and you can also customize it as per your requirements, which can also be useful in decision-making when it comes to changing the permissions on your file server. Just like most other premium file server analysis tools, you can download the trial version before you finally pay for the full version of FileAudit.

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SolarWinds File Monitoring Software


If you are looking for a full-fledged solution, when it comes to File server analysis, SolarWinds File Monitoring Software is the ultimate solution that you can count on. The file server analysis tool by SolarWinds or SolarWinds File Monitoring Software comes with the server and application monitoring tool for different file servers and at the same time, you can also manage file access just like most other file server analysis tools. Talking about the leading features of SolarWinds File Monitoring Software, it can track the changes made in the files in real-time, and you can also set thresholds so that you can be informed if the thresholds are crossed. 

SolarWinds File Monitoring Software
SolarWinds File Monitoring Software

It can monitor changes in files on different operating systems and cloud Computing environments and at the same time, it can also generate very easy-to-understand reports which can be read by the file server administrator and also for auditing purposes, when it is necessary. SolarWinds File Monitoring Software is a premium file server analysis suite and thus, it is also priced premium. But before you go pay for the suite, you should also try out the fully-functional 30-day trial version of the software.

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DirectoryMonitor


If you are looking for a free file server analysis tool, DirectoryMonitor is the solution for you, which can monitor the changes made to your files or the complete file system in real-time. When the changes are monitored, they will also be displayed to you in a log format so that you can take the quickest actions to prevent any unauthorized user from making changes to the file.

With the help of DirectoryMonitor, you can also know about the users who are making changes to the files along with the application that is used for the purpose. You can also save the complete log so that you can read it, later on, to find out more details about the changes made to the files by the users on their systems. 

DirectoryMonitor
surveillance of directories and/or network shares

You can also automate numerous things through scripts and you can also be notified through emails, or by making changes in the database and through audio notifications. So, you are getting several premium features from DirectoryMonitor, but the user interface might not be as good as most other file server analysis tools. However, that can be a trivial issue for most users. Even though the software is free to use, there is also a paid version, and depending upon the number of machines you want to use it on, the amount that you have to pay is going to vary at the same time.

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FolderChangesView


The last one in the list is a completely free file server analysis tool, i.e. FolderChangesView which is one of the most lightweight applications to help you get your job done. If you are into a business and you are looking for a comprehensive set of features in the file server analysis tool that you have chosen, FolderChangesView is not for you. FolderChangesView will just give you information about when different files are created and if certain files are deleted or modified to give you a rough idea of what exactly going on on your server. You cannot get a lot of options available in most other file server analysis tools, and that’s why you do not require installation of FolderChangesView, and you can just run the executable to get started. 

FolderChangesView – Monitor files changes on Windows
FolderChangesView – Monitor files changes on Windows

You can either choose The complete files system, or you can also choose the specific files or folders that you want to monitor and you can also export the log in several formats and translate them to 21 different languages. FolderChangesView is completely free to use and it does not come with hidden charges this can be the best choice for you if your computer struggles with some resources but you still need to manage a remote file server. Just try it before you purchase a premium file server analysis tool that is available.

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So, that was my list of top six file server analysis tools that you can download on your computer and get started. I tried to keep all the notable features of all the file server analysis tools that should matter to you now, but you should choose the best one depending upon what is your priority. With the help of all the tools, I have mentioned here, you can have better control over your file server and can also keep a constant eye on the important set of files and folders that matter to you.

I hope you find the list of the top six file server analysis tools useful. Do you have anything else to say? Feel free to comment on the same below.