There is a nice little feature built into Windows that allows you to track when someone views, edits, or deletes something in a particular folder. So if there is a folder or file that you want to know who has access to, this is the built-in method without having to use any third-party software.
See which files are open on your computer
This feature is actually part of a Windows security feature called Group Policy, which is used by most IT professionals who manage computers on the corporate network via servers. However, it can also be used locally on a PC without servers. The only disadvantage of using Group Policy is that it is not available in lower versions of Windows. For Windows 7, you need Windows 7 Professional or later. For Windows 8, you need Pro or Enterprise.
The term Group Policy basically refers to a set of registry settings that can be managed through a graphical user interface. You enable or disable various settings and these edits are then updated in the Windows registry.
In Windows XP, to get to the Policy Editor, click Start and then click Run. In the text box, type "gpedit.msc" without the quotes as shown below:
