I need to set up some sort of a script on my Vista machine, so that whenever a file is added to a particular folder, it automatically triggers a background process that operates on the file. (The background process is just a command-line utility that takes the file name as an argument, along with some other predefined options.)
I'd like to do this using native Windows features, if possible, for performance and maintenance reasons. I've looked into using Task Scheduler, but after perusing the trigger system for a while, I haven't been able to make much sense of it, and I'm not even sure if it's capable of doing what I need.
I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!
Best Answer
At work we use Powershell to monitor folders.
It can be used since Windows Vista (.NET and PowerShell is preinstalled) without any additional tools.
This script monitors a certain folder and writes a logfile. You can replace the action and do whatever you want e.g call an external tool
Example log file
StartMonitoring.ps1
How to use
$watcher.Path = "D:\source"
$watcher.Filter = "*.*"
$watcher.IncludeSubdirectories = $true
StartMonitoring.ps1
To stop monitoring, it's enough to close your PowerShell window
Further reading