Windows 11 brings a modern experience and enhanced features, but keeping your system performing at its best requires consistent monitoring. Whether you want to track resource usage, troubleshoot issues, or prevent performance bottlenecks, using advanced system monitoring tools and techniques is key. This article uncovers 15 powerful strategies to leverage system monitoring tools on Windows 11, with actionable advice for intermediate Windows users.
Why Should You Monitor Your Windows 11 System?
Monitoring is more than just watching CPU usage. It helps you:
– Detect resource hogs and abnormal behavior
– Prevent crashes and slowdowns
– Optimize startup and background processes
– Improve security by catching unauthorized changes
– Plan hardware upgrades based on real data
What Are The Essential Built-in Tools?
1. Task Manager for Quick Diagnosis
Start with Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). Use the Performance tab to view real-time CPU, Memory, Disk, and Network usage. Right-click columns to add extra data like GPU Engine.
Practical tip: On the Processes tab, sort by “Power usage” to spot apps draining your battery or overheating your laptop.
2. Resource Monitor for Deep Dives
Type “Resource Monitor” in the Start menu for a granular look at what’s using your CPU, Disk, Network, and Memory. Expand each section to see which processes are most demanding.
Practical tip: Use the Disk tab to identify which files are being accessed most—helpful for discovering what’s slowing down your system.
3. Performance Monitor for Custom Data
Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) lets you create custom dashboards. Add counters for disk queue length, memory paging, or network throughput.
Example: Log disk I/O activity over time to identify slowdowns during backups or large file transfers.
How Can Third-Party Tools Enhance Monitoring?
4. Glary Utilities for Comprehensive Monitoring
Glary Utilities isn’t just for cleanup. Its system monitoring tools let you review startup programs, disk usage, and active processes in one interface. Use the “Process Manager” to monitor running applications and kill any resource hogs on the spot.
Bonus: Schedule its “Disk Analysis” and “Startup Manager” to run regularly, helping you spot issues before they escalate.
5. Process Explorer for Detailed Process Insights
Download Process Explorer from Microsoft’s Sysinternals suite. It offers granular information about each process, parent-child relationships, and even what files and registry keys a program is using at any moment.
Practical tip: Use the “Find Handle or DLL” feature to see which process is locking a file you can’t delete.
6. HWMonitor for Hardware Health
HWMonitor provides real-time temperature, voltage, and fan speed readouts. Overheating can cause intermittent slowdowns or crashes, so keep an eye on these statistics, especially during gaming or heavy workloads.
7. CrystalDiskInfo for Drive Monitoring
This tool displays SMART data for your hard drives and SSDs. If you notice high reallocated sector counts or failing attributes, back up your data and replace the drive.
8. Wireshark for Advanced Network Monitoring
Wireshark lets you capture and analyze network packets in detail. Use this for troubleshooting network slowdowns, packet loss, or suspicious activity.
What Strategies Improve Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance?
9. Set Up Performance Alerts
In Performance Monitor, configure “Data Collector Sets” to log system metrics and trigger alerts when thresholds are exceeded. For example, get notified if CPU usage exceeds 90% for more than 5 minutes.
10. Use Event Viewer for System and Application Logs
Open Event Viewer to investigate errors, warnings, and information logs. Filter logs by time, severity, or source to quickly pinpoint recurring issues.
11. Monitor Startup Programs
Too many startup programs can slow boot times. Use Glary Utilities’ “Startup Manager” or Task Manager’s “Startup” tab to review and disable unnecessary entries.
12. Analyze Scheduled Tasks
Open Task Scheduler to review what tasks are running in the background. Look for scripts or software updaters launching too often, which can impact performance.
13. Track Windows Updates and Driver Changes
Windows Update History and Device Manager help you correlate performance changes with recent updates. Roll back problematic updates or drivers if necessary.
What Advanced Techniques Help with Troubleshooting?
14. Enable Boot Logging and System Diagnostics
If you suspect startup problems, enable boot logging (msconfig > Boot > Boot log). You can also run “Windows Memory Diagnostic” to check for RAM issues.
15. Scripted Monitoring with PowerShell
PowerShell can automate checks for disk space, network status, and running processes. Example command:
Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending | Select-Object -First 10
This lists your top 10 CPU-consuming processes.
How Do You Integrate and Automate System Monitoring?
Combine built-in tools, Glary Utilities, and third-party solutions by scheduling regular scans, performance logging, and alerts. Use Windows Task Scheduler or Glary Utilities’ built-in automation to keep your system healthy without manual intervention.
Final Thoughts
Monitoring your Windows 11 system doesn’t require enterprise-level tools. With a mix of built-in utilities, advanced third-party software like Glary Utilities, and a few smart strategies, you can keep your system running at peak performance, spot issues early, and reduce downtime. Regular monitoring is the foundation of a responsive, stable, and secure Windows 11 experience.