Task Manager

Task Manager provides information about hardware resource usage and performance as it relates to the system's individual apps and processes, including services. The information includes usage details about the system's CPU, memory, disk, network and, in some cases, graphics processing unit resources.

Professionals can use Task Manager to quickly identify system bottlenecks that might be responsible for performance or stability problems before they deploy more comprehensive or intrusive troubleshooting tools. Task Manager can help them spot unusual or unexpected behavior that could indicate malware or other unauthorized software.

Task Manager also lets administrators terminate applications and processes, adjust processing priorities and set processor affinity for best computer performance. In addition, they can view information about the users currently logged onto a system, as well as disconnect any of those users when troubleshooting logon or connectivity issues.

How to use Task Manager

Windows includes a variety of methods for launching Task Manager, including the following:

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
• Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then click Task Manager on the Windows Security screen
• Right-click the Windows taskbar and then click Task Manager
• Right-click the Start button and then click Task Manager
• Type task manager in the Window search box and then click the Task Manager app in the results.

Here the processes tab is active, which is automatically set as the default tab. However, a user can set a different tab as the default. Once a user has expanded the interface, the expanded view persists whenever they relaunch Task Manager, unless they return to the compact view before closing Task Manager. To return to the compact view, the user can click the fewer details option at the bottom of the window.

Each tab in the expanded view shows different information about the system's applications, Windows processes and background processes. However, the tabs can vary depending on the OS. The user interface includes the following seven tabs:

1. Processes: This tab lists all live processes currently running on the system and the resources they're using. By default, the processes are grouped into three categories: apps, background processes and windows processes. Users can also display the processes as a single list. In either case, they can also carry out operations such as ending tasks, going to file locations, opening properties, running debuggers or viewing processes on the details tab.
2. Performance: This tab monitors hardware resources in real time, using visualizations to display performance data about each resource. To view information about a specific resource, the user must select the resource in the left sidebar. The sidebar usually includes CPU and memory resources, one or more disk resources and one or more network resources such as ethernet or Wi-Fi. In some cases, the sidebar also includes a GPU resource. From the performance tab, users can also launch Resource Monitor.
3. App history: This tab displays the CPU and network resources that individual processes use. The information is specific to the current user account and system accounts. By default, the tab displays only Universal Windows Platform apps, but a user can instead choose to display information about all processes. The data listed on this tab is for a specific range of time, starting on the date listed at the top of the tab. Users can delete the usage history and restart the data collection process.
4. Startup: This tab lists the processes that automatically load when the computer boots up. Users can either enable or disable a startup process.
5. Users: This tab lists resource utilization information for each user currently connected to the computer. The tab also lists utilization information about the processes associated with each user. This tab is similar to the processes tab, except that the data is grouped by individual user rather than process type. On this tab, a user can end a process, open its properties, go to its file location or carry out other operations. The user can also disconnect any of the listed users from the system.
6. Details: This tab displays all current processes, similar to the processes tab. However, the details tab lets users display a lot more information about each process, such as session ID, CPU time, memory working set, base priority, handles, threads and I/O reads and writes.
7. Services: This tab, which is a pared-down version of the Services utility, lists all actively running services. Users can start, stop or restart services. They can also launch the Services utility.

Computer Management

Computer management refers to the process of overseeing and optimizing a computer system's various aspects, including hardware, software, network configurations, and user accounts, to ensure health, performance, and security

How to Access Computer Management

You can access the Computer Management console in several ways in Windows: 

• Right-click the Start button (or press Windows + X) and select Computer Management from the power user menu.
• Right-click on "This PC" (or "My Computer" on older versions) in File Explorer and select Manage.
• Search for "Computer Management" in the Start menu and click the result.
• Open the Run dialog (press Windows + R), type compmgmt.msc, and press Enter.

Key Components and Functions

The console is organized into three main sections: System Tools, Storage, and Services and Applications. 

Each section contains several tools for managing different aspects of the computer. The System Tools section includes tools like Event Viewer for viewing logs, Task Scheduler for automating tasks, Device Manager for managing hardware, Performance Monitor for tracking system performance, Shared Folders for managing network shares, and Local Users and Groups for managing user accounts and permissions. The Storage section contains Disk Management for managing disk drives and partitions. The Services and Applications section includes Services for managing background services and WMI Control for configuring Windows Management Instrumentation

Control Panel / Settings

The control panel, as the name suggests is a crucial tool for controlling various settings and features of the Windows operating system. It provides a user-friendly interface for maintaining the system's performance, security, and usability.

A Control panel is a centralized interface that allows users to manage various functions of computer software, hardware, etc. These functions include adding and removing software and hardware, system updates, security updates, network and internet, user accounts, clock, language, date and time, display, Programs and features, Windows Defender, etc. It can modify the uses of default apps and settings of mouse, keyboard, sound, etc.

Function

 A centralized location for viewing and manipulating system settings, often with more in-depth or legacy options.

Key Features

• Manage hardware and software installation and uninstallation.
  • Access advanced network configurations, user accounts, and system security settings.
  • View and troubleshoot hardware through tools like Device Manager.
  • Manage system performance, backup and restoration, and network connections

Device Manager

Device Manager is a Windows utility that allows users to view, configure, and manage all hardware connected to a computer from a single, centralized location. It is crucial for troubleshooting and maintaining hardware by providing a list of devices, their drivers, and their status, along with options to update, disable, enable, or uninstall drivers and devices. 

• Centralized hardware control: It's the primary tool for interacting with the hardware recognized by your Windows operating system, including things like your hard disk drives, keyboards, and USB devices.
• Driver management: Device Manager is where you can manage the device drivers, the software that allows the operating system and hardware to communicate. You can view detailed driver information, update it, or roll back to a previous version.
• Hardware troubleshooting: It helps diagnose and resolve conflicts between hardware devices and provides a way to troubleshoot issues by checking device status. 

How to Use

• Open Device Manager:
  • Press the Windows key + X and select "Device Manager" from the menu.
  • Search for "Device Manager" in the Start menu.

• View device information:
  • When you open Device Manager, you will see a list of categories for different hardware types.
  • Expanding a category shows the specific devices. You can right-click a device and select "Properties" to see its status, driver information, and other details.

Managing devices and drivers

• Update Driver: Right-click a device and choose "Update driver" to find a new driver online or from a local file.
  • Disable or Enable: Right-click a device and select "Disable device" or "Enable device" to temporarily turn it off or on.
  • Uninstall Device: Right-click a device and select "Uninstall device" to remove the device and its driver from the system.
  • Scan for hardware changes: This feature can find and install new hardware you have connected since the last scan. 

Key functions and benefits

• Status monitoring: You can see if a device is working correctly, has a problem, or is disabled.
• Configuration: You can change hardware settings and troubleshoot conflicts directly within the utility.
• Driver control: Easily update, rollback, or uninstall drivers to solve problems or apply updates. 

Disk Management

Disk management refers to the process of organizing, optimizing, and managing data on storage devices like HDDs and SSDs, which is handled by the operating system's Disk Management utility. In Windows, this built-in tool allows you to perform tasks such as creating and formatting partitions, extending or shrinking volumes, and assigning drive letters. It is essential for setting up new drives and managing the existing storage on a computer. 

How to open Disk Management

• Via Start Menu: Right-click the Start button and select "Disk Management" from the menu.
• Via Run command: Press the Windows key + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
• Via Search: Search for "Disk Management" in the Windows search bar and select the app.
• Via Computer Management: Open Computer Management and navigate to Disk Management in the console tree. 

Key Functions

• Manage partitions: Create new partitions, format existing ones, and change their size by shrinking or extending them.
• Set up new drives: Initialize and format new hard drives, preparing them for use by the system.
• Change drive properties: Assign or change drive letters and rename drives for better organization.
• View disk information: See the status, capacity, and free space of your drives and their partitions.
• Advanced operations: Convert between different disk types (basic/dynamic) and partition styles (MBR/GPT). 

Event Viewer

Event Viewer is a built-in Windows tool that lets you view logs of system, security, and application events to help with troubleshooting and security monitoring. It records details about significant events like errors, warnings, and informational messages, such as when a program starts, a system component fails, or a security event occurs. It is a powerful diagnostic tool for IT professionals and can also be used by general users to identify issues, although it can be confusing to the untrained eye.  

How to access

• Using the Run dialog: Press the Windows + R keys, type eventvwr.msc or eventvwr and press Enter.
• Using the Start menu: Click the Start button and type "Event Viewer" to find and open it. 

Event Viewer is a built-in Windows tool that lets you view logs of system, security, and application events to help with troubleshooting and security monitoring. It records details about significant events like errors, warnings, and informational messages, such as when a program starts, a system component fails, or a security event occurs. It is a powerful diagnostic tool for IT professionals and can also be used by general users to identify issues, although it can be confusing to the untrained eye.  

What it does

• Logs events: It provides a comprehensive, organized record of events happening on your system in chronological order. 
• Troubleshoots problems: 

You can use it to diagnose and fix issues like slow performance, application crashes, and unexpected shutdowns. 

• Monitors security: 

It helps in monitoring system security by logging events like security access and changes. 

• Provides detailed information: 

Each log entry includes the application name, event type (like error, warning, or informational), the time, and specific details about the event. 

Services

Windows services are background applications that run without user interaction, managing tasks for the operating system and other programs. They start automatically when the computer boots or when triggered by a specific event, and can be managed (started, stopped, paused) through the services console or command-line tools like Get-Service in PowerShell

Purpose

• Run in the background: 

They execute tasks without a user interface or the need for a user to be logged in. 

• Manage core functions: 

They handle a wide variety of tasks, such as network connections, printing (Print Spooler), security (Microsoft Defender Antivirus), and data backup. 

• Provide long-running functionality: 

Services are ideal for applications that need to run continuously, like a web server or database server. 

How to manage services

• Services console: 

Open the Services management console by searching for "Services" in the Start Menu. Here you can see a list of all services, their status, and their "Startup Type" (Automatic, Manual, Disabled, etc.). 

• Start, stop, or restart:

Right-click a service in the console to perform actions like starting it, stopping it, or restarting it. Restarting is often used to fix a hung service, such as the Print Spooler when print jobs are stuck. 

• PowerShell: 

Use the Get-Service cmdlet to see service information or Start-Service, Stop-Service, and Restart-Service to manage them. 

• Registry Editor: 

For more advanced configuration, you can navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services in the Registry Editor to modify service settings, but this should be done with caution. 

Task Scheduler

Task Scheduler is a tool for automatically running programs, scripts, or tasks at specific times or in response to certain events. It is built into Windows and other operating systems to automate repetitive actions like backups, system maintenance, or sending emails. Users define a "task" with a specific "trigger" (like a daily schedule) and an "action" (like running an application)

How to access it

1. Click the Start button
2. Type "Task Scheduler".
3. Click on the "Task Scheduler" application when it appears in the search results to open the utility. 

How it works

• Tasks:

A task is the action you want to automate. This could be running a program, sending an email, or displaying a message box. 

• Triggers:

A trigger is the condition that starts the task. Common triggers include a specific time, a daily/weekly schedule, or a system event like when a user logs on or the computer starts. 

• Actions:

When a trigger is met, the associated action is performed. For example, a task scheduled to run daily at 3 AM might be set to trigger an automatic backup script. 

What you can do with it

• Schedule a backup to run every night.
• Automatically run a program or script at startup.
• Send an email notification.
• Perform system maintenance tasks on a schedule.
• Run an application at custom intervals, like every 15 minutes. 

CMD

CMD stands for Command Prompt, a command-line interface (CLI) application in Windows operating systems that allows users to execute text-based commands. It provides an alternative way to interact with the computer instead of using the graphical user interface (GUI). 

How to open CMD

You can open the Command Prompt in Windows using several methods:

• Run dialog: Press the Windows key + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
• Start Menu search: Click the Start menu and type cmd. Then, select the "Command Prompt" application from the search results.
• Run as administrator: For administrative tasks, search for "cmd" in the Start menu, right-click "Command Prompt," and select "Run as administrator". 

Key functions of CMD

• Automate tasks: You can run batch files (scripts) to execute a series of commands automatically.
• Perform administrative functions: CMD is used for advanced functions like managing disks and partitions, viewing system information, and configuring network settings.
• Troubleshoot Windows issues: It can be used to diagnose and fix problems, such as checking for disk errors, repairing system files, or testing network connectivity. 

Common CMD commands

A vast number of commands are available for use in the Command Prompt. Some of the most frequently used ones include: 

• dir: Lists files and subdirectories within the current directory.
• cd or chdir: Changes the current directory.
• cls: Clears the command prompt screen.
• copy: Copies one or more files to another location.
• del: Deletes one or more files.
• mkdir: Creates a new directory.
• ping: Tests the network connection to another system.
• ipconfig: Displays IP configuration information for network adapters.
• help: Provides information about other commands.