2 Easy Ways to Find Out the Last Time Your Computer Was Used

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A user-friendly guide to finding recent computer usage history
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Do you think someone has been sneaking on your computer? You can use Windows' Event Viewer or Mac's Terminal to see the last activity on your computer, including when it was powered on. Here's how to know when your computer was last used.

Things You Should Know

  • On Windows, right-click the Start menu and click "Event Viewer". Click "Windows Logs" → "System" to view the event log.
  • To add a filter, click "Filter Current Log…" → "Event Sources" → select "Power-Troubleshooter" → "OK".
  • On Mac, open Terminal. Type "last" and press "Enter" to view the event log.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using Windows

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  1. This will open a menu. [1]
  2. You can find this towards the top of the menu. [2]
    • A new window will open.
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  3. This is in the left panel. The folder will expand.
  4. This will be underneath Setup' .
  5. You'll see a list of everything that happened on your computer with the date, time, source, event ID, and more. [3]
    • Click an event to see more details.
  6. If you want to filter the event log to only show when your computer was powered on, do the following:
    • Click Filter Current Log… in the right panel.
    • Click the Event sources: drop-down menu.
    • Select Power-Troubleshooter .
    • Click OK .
    • View the date and time for each event.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using Mac

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  1. Open Terminal . This can be done from the Launchpad, Finder, or Spotlight. [4]
  2. This will send the command.
  3. Terminal will list all recent login events with your account username and the date and time it happened. [5]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I delete events from Event Viewer?
    Community Answer
    On the right side under where it says "Action" you click "Clear Log" and it gives you the option to save and clear or to just clear the logs.
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    Not Helpful 10 Helpful 23
  • Question
    How do I use my web cam to capture whoever logs in to my computer?
    Community Answer
    You can use a batch script to do that. Copy and paste this code: @echo off if not exist "C:\Login History" mkdir "C:\Login History" if not exist "C:\Login History\history.log" echo Login History>"C:\Login History\history.log" echo %userdomain%\%username% logged in at %date%%time%>>"c:\login history\history.log" Then, save it as C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp\anyname.bat To view who logged in, open C:\Login History\history.log
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 14 Helpful 6
  • Question
    Can I find out when my computer was turned on?
    Community Answer
    Yes, via the system log within the event viewer. It will show you the date and time of the events and you might be able to tell if there is something suspicious.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/shows/inside/event-viewer
      2. ↑ https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/event-viewer-how-to-access-the-windows-10-activity-log/
      3. ↑ https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/event-viewer-how-to-access-the-windows-10-activity-log/
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/terminal/open-or-quit-terminal-apd5265185d-f365-44cb-8b09-71a064a42125/mac
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/console/activities-cnsl6df527d3/mac

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