Windows 95 Utility to View Open Shared Files

In Windows 95, network administrators and users needed a way to monitor shared resources and track peer-to-peer network activity. This article explains how the Net Watcher utility functioned in Windows 95, detailing its role in viewing actively open files, managing shared folders, and monitoring inbound connections on a local network.

The Net Watcher Utility

The primary utility used to view active open files on shared network folders in Windows 95 is Net Watcher (netwatch.exe). Included as an optional networking component, Net Watcher provided real-time monitoring of local or remote shared resources on systems running File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks (or NetWare Networks).

Key Capabilities of Net Watcher

Net Watcher offered three main viewing perspectives:

• Show Users: Displayed all remote users currently connected to the computer, how long they had been connected, and the specific resources they were accessing.
• Show Shared Folders: Displayed all shared directories and printers hosted by the machine, along with the connected users for each resource.
• Show Files: Provided a direct, real-time list of all files currently opened by remote network users, indicating which user had locked or accessed each file.

In addition to monitoring, users with administrative rights could use Net Watcher to close open files, disconnect users from shares, and add or remove network shares on the fly.

How to Access Net Watcher in Windows 95

To launch the utility:

1. Click the Start button.
2. Navigate to Programs, then Accessories, and then System Tools.
3. Click Net Watcher (or run netwatch from the Run dialog).

If Net Watcher was not present in the menu, it had to be installed via the Control Panel under Add/Remove Programs, navigating to the Windows Setup tab and checking Net Watcher within the System Tools category.