Audit privilege use

This security setting determines whether to audit each instance of a user exercising a user right. 

If you define this policy setting, you can specify whether to audit successes, audit failures, or not audit this type of event at all. Success audits generate an audit entry when the exercise of a user right succeeds. Failure audits generate an audit entry when the exercise of a user right fails. 

To set this value to No auditing, in the Properties dialog box for this policy setting, select the Define these policy settings check box and clear the Success and Failure check boxes. 

Audits are not generated for use of the following user rights, even if success audits or failure audits are specified for Audit privilege use. Enabling auditing of these user rights tend to generate many events in the security log which may impede your computer's performance. To audit the following user rights, enable the FullPrivilegeAuditing registry key. 

  • Bypass traverse checking 
  • Debug programs 
  • Create a token object 
  • Replace process level token 
  • Generate security audits 
  • Back up files and directories 
  • Restore files and directories 

Caution 
Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer.

Policy path: 

Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Local Policies\Audit Policy

Default: 

No auditing.

Supported on: 

At least Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003

Registry settings: 

Audit Policy security settings are not registry keys.

Reboot required: 

No

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