PC Monitor: Keep watch on your computer anytime from anywhere on anything
Ever wondered what your PC is getting up to while you're away from it? Or maybe you have a more practical reason -- you're an IT manager -- for needing to know what various PCs are being used for when you're not around.
Either way, one of the most comprehensive and complete tools for monitoring and managing your PCs remotely lies in PC Monitor, a pair of tools that let you monitor and control Windows and Linux PCs over the network or Internet from any web browser or -- if you prefer -- iPhone, Android or Windows Mobile device.
PC Monitor comes in two halves: PC Monitor Manager, which is installed on each Windows or Linux PC you wish to monitor (up to three can be monitored for free, any more requires an annual subscription, with prices starting from €39 for a 10-computer license), and then the corresponding mobile app, which runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Mobile.
The management software is installed as a service, so it runs unobtrusively in the background. When setting up your first PC you'll need to create an account, which is subsequently used on all of your other PCs to link them together. It also allows you to monitor your PCs remotely via a web browser if you don't have a mobile device handy.
Get monitoring
Setup is as simple -- link computer, accept defaults and go -- or as complicated as you like. You can choose exactly what to monitor, from the computer's hardware status, free memory and CPU usage right down to individual processes, services and scheduled tasks. You can even configure these to be controlled remotely alongside more "basic" functions like logging off, restarting, shutting down or putting to sleep.
Once configured, move on to your next PC and repeat. If you've spent hours setting up one PC you'll be glad to know you can export these settings to quickly import them into every other PC you subsequently configure.
The hard work is now practically done, now download the free mobile app on your chosen device -- or log in through your web browser -- and marvel at the range and quality of data you can observe on your PCs as they work. And if you need to step in for any reason, you can do so without leaving your desk (or the pub or Internet cafe, if that's where you happen to find yourself most productive).
PC Monitor Manager 2.0.1 is a freeware download for PCs running Windows (XP or later) and Linux -- a separate 64-bit build is also available. The Windows version requires the .NET Framework 4.0 package. PC Monitor 2.0 is a free companion app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Mobile.