Monitoring CPU usage is crucial for maintaining the performance and stability of a Windows system. By tracking the CPU usage, system administrators and engineers can identify potential bottlenecks, resource-intensive processes, and optimize system performance. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on monitoring CPU usage specifically for the Windows environment.

Examples:

1. Using Task Manager:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.


• Go to the "Processes" or "Details" tab.


• Sort the processes by CPU usage to identify the most resource-intensive ones.

2. Using Performance Monitor:

• Press Win + R and type "perfmon" to open Performance Monitor.


• Expand "Monitoring Tools" and click on "Performance Monitor."


• Click on the green plus icon to add a counter.


• Select "Processor" from the drop-down menu and choose the desired counters (e.g., "% Processor Time").


• Click "Add" and then "OK" to start monitoring the CPU usage.

3. Using PowerShell:

• Open PowerShell as an administrator.


• Run the command: Get-WmiObject Win32_PerfFormattedData_PerfOS_Processor | Select-Object -Property Name, PercentProcessorTime | Sort-Object -Property PercentProcessorTime -Descending


• This command retrieves the CPU usage percentage for each processor core.