Lesson 9 - Chapter 1: Common Windows Performance Problems Flashcards
Sluggish performance can be as simple as ____ or as complex as ____ or _____
Sluggish performance can be as simple as a one-time software glitch, or as complex and difficult to find as a bad Registry edit made by an app’s setup or a malware attack
What’s a runaway process?
When a bug in an app is claiming more of the CPU and RAM resources than it should
For sluggish performance, what should be your first stop?
Task Manager
How do you troubleshoot an app that is taking up the most percentages of resources in Task Manager > Processes? (2)
- Close the app normally
- End task if you can’t close the app normally
What do you do if the system is so slow that Task Manager won’t open so you can troubleshoot and kill a process (2)
- Use the ‘tasklist’ command to find filenames/process IDs
- Use the ‘taskkill” command to end processes by filename/ID
What should be the very first thing you do when it comes to troubleshooting ANY problem?
Reboot!
Rebooting often fixes the problem
So you fix the sluggish performance issues by rebooting or ending the process. How do we find out what caused it in the first place? (3 steps)
Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application (Filter results: Critical, Warning, and Error)
If filtering through the Application logs under Windows Logs in Event Viewer doesn’t help, what can we do next?
Repeat the process for each of the other logs under Windows Logs (Security, Setup, System, Forwarded Events)
What is a “bad update”?
when a system can’t perform at its best because of it
(slowdown, hardware malfunction, crashes)
How does an update become bad? (3)
Might have, Might have, Might be
- Might have gotten corrupted during the download
- Might have a bug in its programming that pops up in certain conditions
- Might be a good update but incompatible with your hardware/software
How do you roll back to the latest Windows update? (4 steps)
- Settings
- Update & Security
- Windows Update (default tab) > View Update History
- Uninstall Updates
How do you roll back a driver update for a certain device? (3 steps)
- Device Manager
- Double-click the device to open the Properties box
- Driver tab > Roll back Driver
What is a swap file also known as?
Paging file
What is virtual memory?
Hard disk space is used by virtual memory to temporarily store paging files as it swaps it in/out of physical memory
(makes Windows believe it has more memory than it does)
What’s a perk to using virtual memory?
Windows can run more apps at once than it otherwise could (even though it’s slower access speed bc it’s the hard disk)
(and no out-of-memory errors!)
How do you change the paging file size/virtual memory configuration? (2 options)
- Under System Properties (from advanced settings in About)
- Search for Performance from the Start Menu > Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows
The default, automatic paging file size is…?
1.5x the amount of physical RAM installed
Why should you evaluate startup apps?
When too much loads at startup, there isn’t enough memory left to run apps on demand
What does System Restore do?
it returns the system to earlier versions of key system files (like the Registry)
Why is it likely not the case that a system needs more hardware resources?
if hardware were the problem, it would have been a problem from the beginning with the system (lack of RAM doesn’t pop up randomly)
[BUT it can depend on if they start running RAM intensive programs]
How do you evaluate the system’s upgradeable resources? (RAM, storage)
- What’s running slow? (OS, particular app?)
- Look at software system requirements, are you near the minimum?
(Upgrading may help if near the minimum)
There’s a direct connection between system temperature and….?
performance
Some PCS (mainly laptops) have a feature that monitors the CPU’s temp to do what if it gets too hot?
slows down the CPU
(broken, dirty fans may cause system slowdowns)
What are 7 troubleshooting steps you can take when dealing with Sluggish Performance?
- Reboot
- Find the cause in Event Viewer
- Roll Back Updates (Bad Updates)
- Increase Virtual Memory
- Evaluate Startup Apps
- System Restore
- Add Hardware Resources
The most common service that stops running and causes a Windows malfunction is the…
print spooler service (but happens to others too)
Why would a service not start automatically on bootup?
the file is damaged or missing
How do you restart a service without rebooting? (3 steps)
- Computer Management
- Services and Applications
- Services
Each user account on Windows has an associated…?
profile
What settings does a profile record? (3)
Desktop preferences, shortcuts, other icons
What issue can a corrupted profile cause?
prevent a user from logging in and getting access
What type of software can sometimes corrupt a profile?
anti-malware
What else can corrupt a profile besides software?
Upgrading Windows versions
How do corrupted profiles manifest as?
very slow profile load times (but only that specific profile, not other accounts)
What 2 options do you have to rebuild a profile?
- Make several direct Registry edits
- Create a new user account and copy old profile settings over
What command opens the Registry Editor in an elevated command prompt?
regedit
What do you do first before editing the Registry?
Boot into Safe Mode (then open command prompt Admin)
Before replacing a user profile by copying it, what’s the first step?
Boot into Safe Mode
(then activate the hidden local admin account in Command Prompt to create and copy contents of old profile to a new one)
Where do you go to uninstall a Windows update?
Settings
Where do you go to disable an app that loads at startup?
Task Manager > Startup tab
Where do you go to roll back a driver update to solve a problem with a piece of hardware?
Device Manager
Where do you go to investigate which app caused a system crash?
Event Viewer
Where do you go to shut down a process that is using too much system resources?
Task Manager > Performance tab
Where do you go to restart a service?
Computer Management > Services and Applications > Services
Where do you go to check the size of the paging file?
Performance Options dialog box in System Properties
