Performance Monitor Analysis: A Step-By-Step Guide To Success

how to analyze performance monitor

Performance Monitor is a built-in Windows tool that helps users track and analyse their system's performance in real-time. It provides insights into various aspects of a computer's operation, including CPU usage, memory consumption, disk activity, and network traffic. With its customisable monitoring options and graphical representations, Performance Monitor is a valuable tool for both casual users and system administrators to keep their system running smoothly.

Characteristics Values
Purpose Diagnose and troubleshoot system issues, monitor resource usage, and identify performance issues
Data Collection Collects reliable performance data, including processor, memory, hard drive, and network usage
Customisation Allows customisation of data display, including graph type and counter view
Alerts Can be set up to notify when performance metrics exceed a specified threshold
Logs Can create log files to store performance data over time for historical analysis
Reports Generates reports to display performance data in a readable format, helping to identify bottlenecks and anomalies
Data Collector Sets Allows creation of custom data collector sets to specify counters, thresholds, and actions for alerts
Comparison Can compare performance data from multiple log files to identify trends and baselines

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How to open Performance Monitor

There are several ways to open the Performance Monitor on Windows.

Firstly, you can use the Windows search function. Press the Windows key and start typing "Performance Monitor" or "perfmon". Click on the appropriate search result to open the Performance Monitor.

Secondly, you can use the Run command. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box, then type "perfmon" and click OK or press Enter.

Thirdly, you can open it from the Command Prompt. Right-click the bottom-left corner of your screen to open the Quick Access Menu, then select Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt window, type "perfmon.exe" and press Enter.

Fourthly, you can open it from Windows PowerShell. Click the Start button, search for "PowerShell", and open it. Then, type "perfmon.msc" and press Enter.

Finally, you can open the Performance Monitor from Administrative Tools. Click the Start button, search for "Administrative Tools", and open it. Find and double-click on "Performance Monitor" in the list of tools.

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How to add new counters

To add new counters to the Performance Monitor, follow these steps:

  • Open the Performance Monitor.
  • Click the green plus button above the Performance Monitor graph.
  • Select your computer from the drop-down menu.
  • Select and expand the category of the item you want to monitor.
  • Select the specific counters you want to monitor.
  • If applicable, select the instances you want to monitor. For example, if you are monitoring the "Network Adapter" category, you can choose to monitor one or multiple network adapters at the same time.
  • Click the "Add" button.
  • Click "OK" to confirm and add the new counters.

You can now monitor the performance of your selected applications and hardware.

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How to customize the counter view

Once you have added all the desired counters, you can customize the counter view in the following ways:

Windows 2008 and higher

  • Double-click on any counter below the graph.
  • To select multiple counters, press Ctrl and select the counters. Then right-click and select Properties from the list.
  • In the Performance Monitor Properties window, switch to the 'Data' tab.
  • Here, you can select the color, scale, width, and style of the counter.
  • Click on Apply followed by OK.

Windows 2003 and XP

  • On your local machine or server, open Performance Monitor (Start | Run | perfmon).
  • Add the counters you want to monitor.
  • Once you have the counters added, right-click again in the graphing area and select 'Save As...' and save it as a .html file.
  • Start up Performance Monitor again, and you should see that you only have the '% Processor Time' counter.
  • Open the .html file you just saved in a text editor.
  • Highlight everything (Ctrl + A) and then copy it (Ctrl + C).
  • Switch back to Performance Monitor, click in the graph area and paste (Ctrl + V). You can also click on the paste icon in the toolbar. The counters will immediately show up.

Other ways to customize the counter view

  • Change the graph type: Click on the 'Change graph type' in the toolbar and select one of the available views, including Line, Histogram bar, and Report.
  • Remove and highlight counter: You can remove or highlight a counter using the options in the toolbar.
  • Freeze the display: You can freeze the display to analyze the current data on the screen.
  • Save settings: Right-click on the graph and select 'Save settings as...' to save the counters and configuration for later use.

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How to create a data collector set

To create a data collector set, you can follow these general steps:

  • Open Performance Monitor: On your computer, open the Start menu and search for "Performance Monitor" or "perfmon". You can also access it through the Administrative Tools menu, depending on your Windows version.
  • Navigate to Data Collector Sets: In the Performance Monitor window, locate and expand the "Data Collector Sets" node

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How to use reports to analyse collected data

Performance Monitor is a tool integrated into Windows operating systems that allows users to measure system and application performance by collecting performance data. The data collected can be viewed in Performance Monitor under the Reports menu on the left-hand side. This data can be viewed in a few different formats, including Line, Histogram bar, and Report.

To generate a report, you must first create a data collector set. This can be done by expanding Data Collector Sets and right-clicking on "User Defined", then selecting New Data Collector Set. Name the data collector set, choose Create manually, and select Performance counter. Next, add the counters and instances you want to report on, and set the report format and sample interval. Finally, specify the location and name for the report file, set the duration and schedule for the data collector set, and click "Finish".

Once the data collector set is created, you can start it by right-clicking and selecting "Start". To view the report, open Performance Monitor and click on "Reports". Expand "User Defined" and select the data collector set you want to view. Double-click on the report file to open it and view its data in a table or chart format.

Reports generated by Performance Monitor can be used to identify bottlenecks, anomalies, and opportunities for improvement in system performance.

Frequently asked questions

Performance Monitor is a tool integrated into Windows operating systems that allows users to track and analyze system performance. It provides insights into CPU usage, memory consumption, disk activity, network traffic, and more. With customizable monitoring options and graphical representations, it helps identify performance bottlenecks and optimize system efficiency.

There are several ways to open the Performance Monitor, depending on your Windows version:

- Use the search function by typing "Performance Monitor" in the search field or Start menu.

- Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command, then type "perfmon" and click OK.

- Use the Windows key + X shortcut to open the Power User menu, select "Computer Management," and click on "Performance."

Common metrics include CPU usage, memory usage, disk I/O, network bandwidth, and application-specific metrics. These indicators provide a comprehensive view of system health and help identify performance issues.

Focus on finding trends, anomalies, and correlations between different performance metrics. Compare current data with historical data to identify changes over time. Consider the context of your system's workload and specific performance goals for a comprehensive understanding of the data.

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