Advanced Tools For Use By The Normal User

By Author: Gregg Housh
Total Articles: 18
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With the release of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system, a lot of the performance issues present in past installments of this computer mainstay have been addressed, showing a quantifiable improvement in areas that were once headaches for even the most capable machines. Still, regardless of what would seem to be Microsoft's welcome reaction to the chorus of complaints about XP and Vista, the onset of problems is to be expected for even the most recent release. No operating system is immune from the kind of error that results from any number of issues: viruses, adware, negligence, for example.

Despite how it's currently running, tomorrow could usher in a set of unanticipated problems, which is to be expected with even new machines. Windows 7 ( Vista, too ) has a robust set of tools - all included inside one easily accessed menu - that the annoyed user can utilize when attempting to diagnose the source of an issue.

Accessing these tools is as simple as entering a command in the search box that's found in the Start menu. Once you have entered "performance info" you will be greeted by a window from where ...
... you can select "Advanced tools."

After those tools are available, it becomes clear that you have at your disposal an impressive collection of diagnostic options that may - at the very least - help you towards determining what lies at the source of your hurting system :

* Clear all Windows Experience Index scores and re-rate system
* View performance details in Event log
* Open Performance Monitor
* Open Resource Monitor
* Open Task Manager
* View Advanced system details in System Information
* Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows
* Open Disk Defragmenter
* Generate a system health report

One of the most educational tools you can use is Open Resource Monitor. Like Task Manager, Resource Monitor provides an outline of your system's resources, permitting you to control the available resources ( RAM, storage, bandwidth ) your system has to work with. Unlike Task Manager, which is a little vague in its detail, Resource Monitor works at the micro level - meaning, you are given a degree of specificity that illuminates how an individual process or application figures into the allocation of resources.

Another helpful aid is the "Generate a system health report" option. Similar to having a physical at the physician's office, this will assess your system's health, generating an analysis that may enlighten you on what areas you should address when experiencing issues with your computer's performance. Taking just a few moments, the system research will return a statement that details every critical aspect of your system. Using this diagnostic analysis, you will be left with a clearer picture of how your computer is faring. For instance, if there is a driver that's hindering your capability to hear sound, this report will highlight that conflict.

These are just the tools that are fairly self-explanatory in their use and interpretation. The more complicated tools - like View performance details in Event log - are as beneficial, but they require a level of expertise that your average user might be without.

For even the most accomplished technician, the poor performance of a system will remain a problem that never permanently subsides. If you have questions on the utilization of these tools, or want to know how to resolve any problems they unearth, Geek Choice is always on hand to offer you that help. If you've got a slow computer Geek Choice, a nationwide computer repair company, can help you properly configure it for the best possible performance. You can pick up the phone at any time and call us at 1-800-GEEK HELP (433-5435).
Gregg Housh is Technician Manager at Geek Choice. At Geek Choice we fix computer problems such as: Slow computer, Virus Removal, Spyware Removal, Computer startup problems, Printer not printing, Not connecting to the Internet, Scanner not working, or the "blue screen of death".