Computer Hardware:
• Tools, Static & Cleaning
• Form Factor
• PC Case & Fans
• Motherboard
• Processor (CPU)
• Power Supply Unit
• RAM
• Hard Drive
• Solid State Drive
• Optical Drive
• Floppy Disk Drive
• Graphics Card
• Sound Card
• Network Card
• Computer Monitor
• Keyboard & Mouse
• Laptop / Netbook
• Building a Computer
• Overclocking
Operating System & Backup:
• Operating System
• Drivers
• Windows Tools
• User Accounts
• Backup
• Windows 10
Internet & Network:
• Internet
• Wi-fi or Cable
• Improve Broadband Speed
• Network Computers
Computer Peripherals:
• Printer
• Scanner
• External Hard Drive
• USB Flash Drive
Computer Security:
• Anti-virus
• Anti-Spyware
• Phishing
• Firewall
Common PC Problems:
• Slow Computer
• Hardware Failure
• Software Failure
• Printing Problems
Miscellaneous:
• Windows Shortcuts
• Glossary of Terms
• HTML Colour Picker
• Number Base Converter
• Tools, Static & Cleaning
• Form Factor
• PC Case & Fans
• Motherboard
• Processor (CPU)
• Power Supply Unit
• RAM
• Hard Drive
• Solid State Drive
• Optical Drive
• Floppy Disk Drive
• Graphics Card
• Sound Card
• Network Card
• Computer Monitor
• Keyboard & Mouse
• Laptop / Netbook
• Building a Computer
• Overclocking
Operating System & Backup:
• Operating System
• Drivers
• Windows Tools
• User Accounts
• Backup
• Windows 10
Internet & Network:
• Internet
• Wi-fi or Cable
• Improve Broadband Speed
• Network Computers
Computer Peripherals:
• Printer
• Scanner
• External Hard Drive
• USB Flash Drive
Computer Security:
• Anti-virus
• Anti-Spyware
• Phishing
• Firewall
Common PC Problems:
• Slow Computer
• Hardware Failure
• Software Failure
• Printing Problems
Miscellaneous:
• Windows Shortcuts
• Glossary of Terms
• HTML Colour Picker
• Number Base Converter
Event Viewer:
'Event Viewer' maintains logs about program, security, and system events on your computer. You can use Event Viewer to view and manage the event logs, gather information about hardware and software problems, and monitor Windows security events.
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You can get to 'Event Viewer' by clicking 'Start', and typing 'eventvwr.msc'. into the search box, and pressing 'Enter' on the keyboard.
First you will see the 'Overview and Summary' page which includes 'Summary of Administrative Events'. It displays how many events happened in the last few hours or in the last 7 days.
The events include the following:
'Error' - This is a critical error and is the most concerning.
'Warning' - This is a problem that Windows encountered unexpectedly.
'Information - Normal Windows operation information.
Clicking on 'Windows Logs' you will see the following:
Application - Includes events about programs running on your computer.
Security - Includes events about people logging on and off etc.
Setup - Includes events about updating Microsoft Windows.
System - Includes events about System services, hardware, and drivers.
The Event Viewer will show you any problems, along with the date and time it happened. It labels them as an 'Error', 'Warning', or just 'Information', and clicking on them will give you information on the problem.
Sometimes the information is difficult to understand, but by looking at the 'Event ID' number, then typing 'Event Error' followed by the ID number into a search engine, will help you find out what it means along with other information.
When using the 'Event Viewer' it is a good idea to see if there is a frequent recurring error which you can research and try to fix. Using a search engine will help you to understand the problem, and you may see that others have had the same problem as you, and have found a solution.
If your computer has a problem such as freezing or switching off unexpectedly or has some kind of glitch then the 'Event Viewer' can be a useful tool for troubleshooting.
Performance Monitor:
'Performance Monitor' monitors the performance of your computer in real time. This will show you how your computer is managing its resources and how it copes with running any software.
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You can get to 'Performance Monitor' by clicking 'Start', and typing 'perfmon.msc'. into the search box, and pressing 'Enter' on the keyboard. Click on 'Performance Monitor'.
Run some programs and then open 'Performance Monitor' which is set up by default to monitor 'Processor Time' (which shows how hard your processor is working) on a real time graph.
If you click on the green cross at the top of the screen then you can add many other options called 'Counter Sets' and add them to the graph. Many of these 'Counter Sets' are quite technical but you can find more information about them here.
You can also change the graph type from 'Line' to a 'Histogram bar', or you can select 'Report' to view the data.
Rather than viewing the data in real time, you can also use 'Data Collector Sets' to build a log over a longer period of time. Information on building a 'Data Collector Set' can be found here.
