Are you curious about how your Windows computer is performing behind the scenes? Even if you’re new to computers, Windows provides powerful built-in system monitoring tools that can help you track performance, troubleshoot issues, and keep your PC running smoothly. This guide will walk you through essential tools and simple steps for monitoring your system, with practical examples designed for beginners.
Why Should You Monitor Your Windows System?
Monitoring your Windows system helps you:
– Identify programs that slow down your PC
– Detect overheating or hardware issues early
– Monitor resource usage to prevent crashes
– Troubleshoot why your computer feels sluggish
Which Built-in Tools Can You Use?
Windows includes several tools designed to help you keep an eye on how your system is performing. Here’s an introduction to the most useful ones:
1. Task Manager
2. Resource Monitor
3. Performance Monitor
4. Reliability Monitor
Let’s look at each, step by step.
How to Use Task Manager for Basic Monitoring?
Task Manager is your first stop for quick system checks:
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard, or right-click the taskbar and choose ‘Task Manager’.
2. If you see a simple window, click “More details” at the bottom.
What Can You Do with Task Manager?
– Click the “Processes” tab to see which apps and background processes are using your CPU, memory, disk, and network.
– In the “Performance” tab, view live graphs for CPU, memory (RAM), disk, and network usage.
– If your PC feels slow, check which programs are using the most resources—right-click a process and choose “End Task” to close it (be careful not to end system tasks).
Beginner Example:
If a browser tab freezes, open Task Manager, find the browser (like Chrome or Edge) under “Processes,” right-click it, and select “End Task” to close it safely.
How to Get More Details with Resource Monitor?
Resource Monitor gives you a deeper look at how Windows uses resources:
1. Type “Resource Monitor” in the Start menu search and open it.
2. You’ll see tabs for CPU, Memory, Disk, and Network.
What’s Different Here?
– You can see which specific programs or services are using each part of your system.
– Click the “CPU” tab to watch which processes are consuming the most processing power.
Beginner Example:
If your hard drive light is constantly on, go to the “Disk” tab to see which program is reading or writing the most data.
How Does Performance Monitor Help Track Long-Term Changes?
For a broader view over time, Performance Monitor records and displays data about your system:
1. Type “Performance Monitor” in the Start menu and launch it.
2. In the left pane, expand “Monitoring Tools” and click on “Performance Monitor”.
What Can You Track?
– Click the green plus (+) icon to add counters for things like CPU usage, disk activity, or memory usage.
– Watch live graphs or save the data for troubleshooting later.
Beginner Example:
To see if your system memory is running low over time, add a “Memory” counter and watch for spikes or high usage.
How Can Reliability Monitor Help You Find Problems?
Reliability Monitor is an easy way to see if Windows has experienced errors or crashes:
1. Open the Start menu, type “Reliability Monitor,” and select “View reliability history.”
2. A graph shows days with issues marked by red Xs.
3. Click on a day to see what happened and read descriptions of any application or Windows failures.
Beginner Example:
If your PC crashes, open Reliability Monitor after rebooting to quickly spot which application or driver caused the issue.
How Can Glary Utilities Make System Monitoring Easier?
While Windows built-in tools are powerful, Glary Utilities offers a user-friendly way for beginners to go even further. With its “System Information” tool, you can view detailed reports about your computer’s hardware and running processes in one place. Glary Utilities also includes tools for monitoring startup programs, optimizing system performance, and cleaning up unnecessary files with just a few clicks—perfect for keeping your PC in shape without digging through multiple menus.
Summary: What’s the Best Way to Start?
As a beginner, start with Task Manager and Reliability Monitor for quick checks. As you get more confident, explore Resource Monitor for deeper insights. And if you want a simple all-in-one solution to monitor, optimize, and maintain your system, try Glary Utilities for its clear interface and extra features. With these tools, you’ll quickly build confidence in managing and understanding your Windows PC’s performance.