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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTo see which programs start on a computer, enable the operating system’s process-execution auditing and review its event records. Windows provides Security Event 4688; Sysmon can add richer process details. Linux can record execution events through configured auditd rules. On modern macOS, security software can use Apple’s Endpoint Security interface. None of these should be assumed to capture every detail automatically: configuration, permissions, and log retention matter.
Choose a method for the system you need to monitor
| Method | What it is suited to record | Main setup consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Security Event 4688 | Process starts, program and user; command line if separately enabled | Configure process-creation auditing and, if needed, the command-line policy |
| Windows Sysmon Event ID 1 | Process creation with command line, image hash, parent context, and ProcessGUID correlation | Enable Sysmon and tune its event configuration |
| Linux auditd | Configured kernel audit events, including execution-related system calls | Load rules for the identities and executable paths that matter |
| macOS Endpoint Security | Exec events with process metadata and access to arguments and other execution context | Use an application or security product built for Apple’s Endpoint Security architecture |
For a basic Windows audit trail, start with Event 4688. Choose Sysmon when you need richer process context and correlation. On Linux, the records depend on the audit rules you load. On macOS, Endpoint Security is an interface for software that implements execution monitoring, not a general-purpose log viewer.
Track process starts on Windows
Enable Security Event 4688
Microsoft’s Audit Process Creation policy generates a Security log event when a process starts. Event 4688, “A new process has been created,” includes the new process name, creator process ID, and creator process name. To enable it, use this Group Policy path:
- Open Computer Configuration → Policies → Windows Settings → Security Settings → Advanced Audit Policy Configuration → Detailed Tracking.
- Enable Audit Process Creation.
- To record command-line text, also enable Include command line in process creation events under Administrative Templates → System → Audit Process Creation.
- Check that basic audit policy settings are not overriding the advanced audit policy settings.
- Review the Security log for Event 4688 and confirm the fields you need are populated.
The Process Command Line field is empty by default. Enabling the additional policy records command-line arguments, which may contain passwords or other private data. Microsoft warns that anyone who can read the Security log may then be able to see that information, so limit log access accordingly.
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Event 4688 provides process IDs and creator details that can help reconstruct a process tree when correlated with other events. A process ID alone is not a durable identifier: Windows can reuse IDs, so use a richer correlation method when you need to follow processes over time.
Add Sysmon for richer process context
Sysmon is a Windows service and driver that remains resident across reboots and writes system-activity events to Windows Event Log. Its Process Create event, Event ID 1, includes the full command line, image hash, parent-process context, and ProcessGUID. The GUID helps distinguish process instances when Windows reuses process IDs.
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In current Microsoft documentation, Sysmon is an optional Windows feature and is disabled until enabled. The documented flow uses the Sysmon optional feature and sysmon -i. To inspect its events, open Event Viewer → Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → Sysmon → Operational.
Sysmon can record more than process starts, including process termination, image loads, network connections, registry activity, WMI events, DNS queries, and process tampering. These events are configurable, so select filters that match your monitoring goal rather than collecting everything indiscriminately. Excess events increase review and retention demands. Selected events can be forwarded to a central collector or SIEM.
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Record program execution on Linux with auditd
The Linux Audit System observes configured system-call activity and serializes matching events into audit records. Records can contain the event time, subject identity, object, and success or failure result. Auditd does not automatically mean every command is logged: the events available depend on which rules are loaded.
- Decide which user identities and executable paths are in scope.
- Configure execution-related rules, loading them directly with
auditctlor defining rules under/etc/audit/rules.d/for compilation byaugenrules. - Check that the audit daemon,
auditd, is writing records. The standard log location is/var/log/audit/audit.log, unless the system has been configured differently. - Use
ausearchoraureportto review records and verify that the events you intended to capture appear. - Normalize UID/GID and syscall information for analysis, and send the audit stream to protected central storage if the monitoring need warrants it.
Rule design determines both coverage and volume. A narrow set of identities or paths can be easier to analyze; broad rules may create substantially more records. Validate the rules against the activity you actually need to detect rather than treating an installed audit daemon as proof of complete command history.
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Monitor execution on macOS with Endpoint Security
Apple’s Endpoint Security framework provides a process-execution interface for modern security software. Its es_process_t process structure exposes executable information, PID, UID and GID, parent and responsible audit tokens, start time, and code-signing properties. Apple says process-execution values are delivered after the kernel’s exec completes but before the process begins executing code.
The es_event_exec_t event identifies a process execution and provides accessors for the target process’s arguments, environment variables, file descriptors, working directory, and executable metadata. A security product can use this context to build execution monitoring and process lineage. This is a developer interface requiring an appropriate security-system-extension architecture; it is not an equivalent to opening a built-in event log and viewing a ready-made history.
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Arguments and environment variables can expose secrets. Any product or workflow that collects them should restrict access and protect stored records.
Make the record useful and safe
- Define the question first. Decide whether you need only the program and user, or also command lines, parent relationships, hashes, network activity, or other context.
- Test coverage. Start representative applications and commands, then confirm the expected events and fields appear. A configured policy or rule is not proof that the records are being retained.
- Protect sensitive fields. Command lines and environment data can contain credentials or personal information. Limit who can read logs and secure any central collection.
- Plan for event volume. Richer telemetry and broad filters produce more data to review and retain. Tune filters to the systems and activity in scope.
- Correlate carefully. Parent IDs can help build process trees; Sysmon’s ProcessGUID helps track process instances when IDs are reused. Preserve timestamps and identity data when combining records.
For a simple Windows process-start record, Event 4688 is the natural starting point. Use Sysmon when its added detail is needed. On Linux, the audit rules define what you can see; on macOS, Endpoint Security supports monitoring through compatible security software.
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