This tab displays real-time usage of active network connections. For example, if there is significant activity on one processor core, while the other is flatlined, you may have a defective CPU.

You can already see the overall processor and memory usage on the dashboard bar at the bottom of the Task Manager however, by reviewing the usage graphs on this tab you can identify whether there is an issue with a specific core or cores within the processor. The Performance tab displays a real-time graph depicting processor usage (split to show the separate cores available for dual- or quad-core processors), and a real-time graph of the memory in use along with various details such as the amount of time the PC has been up and running, and the amount of virtual memory available to Windows. Here is a brief summary of the last three tabs:įigure 4: The Performance tab displays real-time usage of processor and memory resources. We will dive into detail on the use of Applications, Processes, and Services, but the other three won’t be covered comprehensively in this article because they are not as directly related to troubleshooting and resolving issues. Across the top of the main window in the Task Manager console are a number of different tabs: Applications, Processes, Services, Performance, Networking, and Users (Figure 3).

Task manager windows 7