May 6th, 2008

Fixing Windows Vista, Part 3: Top Troubleshooting Tools

Posted by Ed Bott @ 11:19 pm

Categories: Tips, Windows Vista

Tags: Performance, PC, Driver, Microsoft Windows Vista, CPU, Tool, Dialog Box, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Performance Management, Microsoft Windows

Gather hidden system details

As I mentioned on the previous page, the WEI rating is marginally useful. If your graphic adapter has earned a score of 1.0, for example, you know that the system is using the built-in SVGA driver and you need to go find a driver written for your system’s graphics hardware.

But beyond those gross findings, the WEI numbers aren’t worth staring at for more than a few seconds. But the detailed system information is far more interesting and useful. To display the full listing, go back to the Performance Information and Tools page and click the View and print details link just below the index numbers:

Clicking that link leads to a page that shows details about the major subsystems in your PC:

• Processor shows the make and clock speed of your CPU
• System displays the manufacturer and model of your PC, the amount of installed RAM, how many processor cores are present, and whether the system is capable of running a 64-bit operating system
• Storage lists all available hard disks and media drivers, along with the amount of free space available on each one
• Graphics provides details about your graphics adapter, how the GPU and system memory are being used, the current system resolution, and which display driver is currently in use
• Network lists the name and model number of all available wired and wireless network adapters

In the example shown in the screenshot gallery, I’ve highlighted some of the more interesting details:

Armed with this information, you can search the PC manufacturer’s website for the latest BIOS; BIOS updates released in the past year or so can have a huge impact on performance and reliability. You can also track down up-to-date drivers for graphics adapters and network cards, both of which are likely to have a significant positive effect on performance.

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