How to Use Windows System Tools to Maintain and Repair Your Computer

To the normal Windows User, all they see is just a computer, ready to serve and complete the tasks of said user. Though, what if the computer breaks down, or you need to maintain it? How are you supposed to know whats going on behind the screen?

Lucky for you, Microsoft provides each Windows user with tools to help them monitor and troubleshoot any problems with their PC

The tools that will be covered include

- Performance Monitor

- Event Viewer

- Task Manager

- System Configure

- Registry Editor

Step 1: Using Task Manager

Task manager is one of the few windows utilities that are easy to use while at the same time being incredibly useful. Say there is a program or a process running that you just can't seem to close. You can open windows task manager and use that to end the application. Or if your computer seems to be running incredibly slowly, and you don't think you have anything open, you can check the processes, and close any processes you don't need running right now. Task manager can also provide basic monitoring functionality, monitoring the performance of your CPU, your memory usage and network up-time. Task manager also provides a list of users currently logged on into the machine and if you're on an administrative account, you can log other people out through task manager.

Step 2: Using Event Viewer

Now, when you open up event viewer, you're going to see a lot of error messages. That is to be expected. So naturally, people use this to scam windows users. In one infamous scam, someone phone someone up, asking them to open event viewer, and claiming to be from Microsoft. The user saw a lot of errors and warnings, and then promptly gave the scammer his credit card information. Now, from what I've just said, the Event Viewer doesn't sound incredibly useful. However, if your computer bluescreens, or randomly reboots, you can use it to see if a driver or piece of hardware crashed. You can also look up specific id's online, which provide much more information then you might have immediately. Also handy if you're running a server, as you can use it to enable shutdown tracking, so people will have to provide a reason if they shut down the computer or restart it.

Step 3: Using Performance Monitor

You can use it to view 1000 counters at once, as well as use it to view trends over a long period of time, such as 8 hours, or use it to identify spikes from a more exact sample from over 15 minutes. And, you can save the ways you graphed certain computer parts, and how well they worked, so you can check them multiple times without having to go through setting up the graphs and counters all over.

Step 4: Using System Configuration Utility

If something starts up as soon as you log on, you can go onto system config to change what is enabled and what is disabled upon startup for your logon, as well as others. When you go into the startup tab, you'll see normal start up, diagnostic startup, which is very similar to safe mode, and and then selective startup, which just loads windows with basic drivers, along with other startup items of your choice. It is great for troubleshooting whether or not there is an issue with windows files.

Step 5: Using Registry Editor

Now this is one of the things you can use that is difficult to understand, and it can go very wrong in a multitude of ways if you mess up. But, it can get also very useful if you use it right. Some examples are going into it and changing it so windows update doesn't automatically restart, or doesn't take control of the sleep/shutdown button. Disabling the notification balloon, and restore previous versions of the registry in windows 7.