Reliability Monitor (in Vista)

When you're having problems with a computer, or would like to investigate performance issues, consider using the Windows Vista Reliability Monitor...

From the Run line, execute "perfmon.msc". Under Monitoring Tools, click "Reliability Monitor".

Note: it collects 24 hours of data before it calculates the System Stability Index, or generates the System Stability Report.

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Windows Vista Performance and Reliability Monitoring Step-by-Step Guide

(To summarize...)

The Reliability and Performance Monitor is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that combines: Performance Logs and Alerts, Server Performance Advisor, and a System Monitor.

It measures how quickly a computer completes application and system tasks. Overall system performance might be limited by the access speed of the physical hard disks, the amount of memory available to all running processes, the top speed of the processor, or the maximum throughput of the network interfaces.

It:
records failures (including memory, hard disk, application, and operating system failures)...
key events (including the installation of new applications and operating system updates)...
displays a timeline of changes in both the system and reliability...
and can identify how to get the system back to optimal reliability when it does not behave as expected.

The Resource View screen provides a real-time graphical overview of CPU, disk, network, and memory usage. You can identify which processes are using which resources...

To start Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor
1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and click Manage.
2. In the Microsoft Management Console navigation tree, click Reliability and Performance.