System monitoring is an essential task for maintaining optimal performance and ensuring the reliability of a Windows environment. Windows provides several built-in tools that allow users to monitor system performance, resource usage, and other critical metrics. This article will guide you through using these tools effectively.

Examples:

1. Task Manager:

   • Description: Task Manager is a built-in utility that provides information about the programs and processes running on your computer. It also displays performance metrics such as CPU, memory, disk, and network usage.
   • How to Access:
     • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager directly.
     • Alternatively, right-click on the taskbar and select "Task Manager."
   • Usage:
     • Click on the "Performance" tab to view real-time graphs and statistics for CPU, memory, disk, and network usage.
     • Use the "Processes" tab to identify which applications or processes are consuming the most resources.

2. Performance Monitor:

   • Description: Performance Monitor is a more advanced tool that provides detailed information about various system metrics over time.
   • How to Access:
     • Open the Run dialog by pressing Win + R, type perfmon, and press Enter.
   • Usage:
     • In the Performance Monitor window, you can add counters to monitor specific metrics. Click on "Performance Monitor" in the left pane, then click the green "+" button to add counters.
     • Select the metrics you want to monitor, such as Processor Time, Memory Usage, or Disk I/O, and click "Add."

3. Resource Monitor:

   • Description: Resource Monitor provides detailed information about the CPU, memory, disk, and network usage of your system.
   • How to Access:
     • Open Task Manager, go to the "Performance" tab, and click "Open Resource Monitor" at the bottom.
   • Usage:
     • Use the tabs for CPU, Memory, Disk, and Network to view detailed information about each resource.
     • You can see which processes are using specific resources and identify potential bottlenecks.

4. Command Line Tools:

   • Description: Windows provides command-line tools like tasklist, systeminfo, and typeperf for monitoring system performance.
   • Examples:
     • Use tasklist to display a list of currently running processes:

       tasklist

     • Use systeminfo to display detailed system configuration information:

       systeminfo

     • Use typeperf to collect performance data at the command line:

       typeperf "\Processor(_Total)\% Processor Time" -sc 5

5. PowerShell Scripts:

   • Description: PowerShell can be used to automate system monitoring tasks and gather detailed performance data.
   • Example Script:

     Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

     • This script lists the top 5 processes consuming the most CPU resources.