Monitoring and analyzing your system in Windows 11 is essential for keeping your PC running smoothly, identifying issues early, and ensuring optimal performance. Below are ten ways to troubleshoot system monitoring and analysis tasks, explained in clear steps, with sections for both beginners and advanced users.
1. How do I check system performance using Task Manager?
For beginners:
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click the Performance tab to view CPU, Memory, Disk, and Network usage in real time.
3. Look for any component running at or near 100% for extended periods, as this indicates a performance bottleneck.
For advanced users:
Click “Open Resource Monitor” at the bottom to dive deeper into individual processes, such as which applications are consuming the most disk I/O or network activity.
2. How can I identify startup program issues?
For beginners:
1. Open Task Manager and go to the Startup tab.
2. Review the list of programs that launch at startup.
3. Right-click and disable non-essential items to speed up boot time.
For advanced users:
Use Glary Utilities’ Startup Manager to not only disable but also delay startup programs. This ensures critical system processes load first, reducing conflicts and improving boot performance.
3. How do I monitor system health with Windows Security?
For beginners:
1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security.
2. Select Device performance & health to check for storage capacity, driver issues, and updates.
For advanced users:
Schedule regular scans and check Reliability Monitor alongside this. Reliability Monitor provides a timeline of system events, making it easier to pinpoint recurring errors tied to security or driver failures.
4. How can I use Reliability Monitor for troubleshooting?
For beginners:
1. Type “Reliability Monitor” in the Start menu search bar and open “View reliability history.”
2. Look for red X marks indicating critical events like application crashes.
For advanced users:
Click “View technical details” for each error to identify faulty drivers or services. Combine this information with Event Viewer logs for a comprehensive analysis of system stability.
5. What is the best way to analyze system logs?
For beginners:
Open Event Viewer by typing it in the Start menu. Start with Windows Logs > System to spot warnings or errors.
For advanced users:
Create custom views in Event Viewer to filter specific event IDs. This is particularly useful when tracking down recurring hardware warnings or service failures.
6. How can I manage disk space effectively?
For beginners:
1. Open Settings > System > Storage.
2. Enable Storage Sense to automatically remove temporary files.
For advanced users:
Use Glary Utilities’ Disk Cleaner module to safely clear junk files, browser caches, and leftover installer data. Unlike Storage Sense, Glary Utilities provides detailed previews of what you’re deleting, giving you more control.
7. How do I track resource-heavy applications over time?
For beginners:
Monitor the Performance tab in Task Manager to see which applications consume the most resources.
For advanced users:
Install the Performance Monitor tool by typing “perfmon” in the Start menu. Create custom counters to track specific processes, such as monitoring memory leaks in an application over several hours or days.
8. How can I troubleshoot driver-related performance issues?
For beginners:
Open Device Manager (right-click Start > Device Manager). Look for devices with a yellow triangle icon that indicates a problem.
For advanced users:
Use Glary Utilities’ Driver Backup feature to create a safe copy of current drivers before updating. Then, download updates directly from the hardware manufacturer to ensure compatibility and stability.
9. How do I check for overheating or hardware stress?
For beginners:
If you notice the fan running loudly or the system shutting down, overheating may be the cause.
For advanced users:
Use Performance Monitor to add temperature and thermal throttling counters where supported. Alternatively, Glary Utilities’ system information tool can provide a quick overview of hardware status, helping you spot overheating risks early.
10. How can I automate monitoring and cleanup tasks?
For beginners:
Schedule Storage Sense in Windows 11 to run automatically in the background for basic cleanup.
For advanced users:
Glary Utilities allows you to schedule one-click maintenance. This includes registry cleaning, disk cleanup, broken shortcut fixes, startup optimization, and spyware removal in a single automated sweep.
Conclusion
Windows 11 provides powerful built-in tools for monitoring and analyzing system performance, from Task Manager to Reliability Monitor. Beginners can start by using the simpler built-in features, while advanced users can dig deeper with Performance Monitor, Event Viewer, and Glary Utilities’ all-in-one optimization suite. By combining native tools with Glary Utilities, you gain both detailed insights and automated maintenance for a faster, more stable PC.