Note: the instructions here will work for Windows 10 as well as Windows 11.
Before You Use WPM, Consider Task Manager
WPM is an excellent tool, but for many users, it may be overkill when it comes to how much information it provides. In Windows 11, as well as Windows 10, the Task Manager also has surprisingly good performance summaries for all of the major components of your computer. You’ll also find a shortcut to the Resource Monitor at the bottom of the Task Manager Performance tab. This is the same monitor that you open from within Windows Performance Monitor, so if that’s what you’re interested in, there’s no reason to get there through WPM.
What Does the Windows Performance Monitor Do?
While Windows Performance Monitor gives you access to real-time performance monitoring, its real value comes from its ability to log performance over time and keep a record of various important events. You can even use WPM to monitor the performance of a remote computer!
1. Start Up Windows Performance Monitor
Opening the Windows Performance Monitor is straightforward.
2. Quick Tour of the Performance Monitor
When you first open the Performance Monitor, you’ll see a brief overview of the tool. You’ll also see a system summary showing you the current status of your memory, disk drives, and CPU. The left sidebar is where all the action happens. Currently, “Performance” is selected, which is where you’ll see the summary. If you expand “Monitoring Tools,” you’ll see a live view of the “counters” that are currently being monitored. By default, there will be only a single counter: your CPU. Under “Data Collector Sets” you’ll find a number of folders. “User Defined” will be empty until you create custom measurement sets to add there. “System” contains two very useful pre-made measurement sets. “System diagnostics” is a collection of measurements that will give you an overview of how the various parts of your computer are working. “System Performance” has a collection of measurements designed to check how well your computer is performing. “Event Trace Sessions” is filled with various log generators that keep record of key systems and what they are doing. You’ll notice under “status” that all of these are running. “Startup Event Trace Sessions” is self-explanatory. These loggers track events that happen at startup. You’ll notice that some are disabled, which is normal. Finally, we have the “Reports” folder. Here you’ll find predefined reports, but you can also create your own custom reports that go in the “User Defined” folder.
3. Adding Counters to the Performance Monitor
If you go to “Monitoring Tools -> Performance Monitor,” you can easily add additional counters to the output.
4. Custom Data Collector Sets
If you’re just looking to do some basic diagnostics or general performance measurements, the pre-made data collector sets are probably all you need. However, you may need to monitor or log a very specific set of counters and will have to create a custom data collector set.
5. Running Collector Sets and Getting Reports
Now that you’ve created a collector set, you need to run it. If you used a pre-made system collector set, it will work the same way, but the reports are found under “System” instead.
6. Real-Time Monitoring
Creating a performance monitor log is useful when trying to cross-reference performance issues with certain events, but it’s not a suitable way to keep an eye on things in real-time. You can either use the Performance Monitor Window in WPM or open Resource Monitor under the WPM summary. Both of these give you a real-time view of what’s going on with your computer, but Resource Monitor is preconfigured with common performance counters, while Performance Monitor needs you to add counters manually. Image credit: Pexels All screenshots by Sydney Butler.
