Tech Tip: Track your NT system with Performance Monitor

by Guest Contributor | Jul 26, 2004 5:50:00 PM

Tags: Guest Contributor, Windows NT Newsletter

Takeaway: Learn how to track your NT system with Performance Monitor.

While Microsoft designed Windows NT systems with the ability to manage performance, there are some factors that you should keep track of. With that purpose in mind, NT includes Performance Monitor, a graphical tool for examining your system.

To access Performance Monitor, go to the Start menu, and select Programs | Administrative Tools | Performance Monitor. The utility defaults to a Chart mode. You can access Alert, Log, and Report modes by selecting them from the View menu.

To activate Performance Monitor, you need to add a counter. Click the Plus button on the toolbar, or go to Edit | Add To Chart. Performance Monitor will display a dialog box where you can select the computer on the LAN that you want to monitor.

In this dialog box, you can also choose from a lengthy list of objects to monitor, including cache, NetBEUI, processor, server, and telephony. Other options in this dialog box let you control factors such as instances, counters, colors, and more. You can even set up Performance Monitor to issue alerts when specific events occur.

To find out more about Performance Monitor, go to the Help menu, and select Contents.