System Tools

Use the Control Panel to customize features of devices and to configure how a computer looks and behaves. Use the various applets within the Control Panel to perform configuration tasks for specific features or devices.

Whereas the task manager is:Use Task Manager to view the current state      of the system and running applications.

• Use the Control Panel to customize features      of devices and to configure how a computer      looks and behaves. Use the various applets      within the Control Panel to perform configuration      tasks for specific features or devices.      
• Use Accessibility to modify the behavior        of input and display devices to accommodate        users with special needs. Use Fonts to view, remove, or add to all fonts that are currently installed on the computer.
• Use Printers and Faxes to view, configure,        add, or remove printers and fax machines.
• Use Regional and Language settings to configure various settings such as language preference, default currency symbols, and date and time notation.
• Use Scanners and Cameras to view, configure,        add, or remove scanners and cameras.
• Use Sounds and Audio Devices to view and configure the current system sound settings, installed audio devices, and sound cards.

• Use Task Manager to view the current state      of the system and running applications. Task      Manager is made up of the following tabs:      
• Use the Applications tab to view the status   of all current applications running on the        computer. Use this tab to terminate unresponsive applications.
• Use the Processes tab to view the status        of all current processes running on the computer        and the CPU and memory resources they use.        Use this tab to modify the priority of a        process or terminate unwanted processes.
• Use the Performance tab to view system-wide        processor and memory statistics.
• Use the Networking tab to view and monitor the status of the current network connections.

• The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is a framework that provides a common      user interface for performing system administration tasks. Management of a set of related features is done by adding snap-ins to the console.      The  MMC provides the shell for running these snap-ins, while the snap-ins provide      the      details for performing specific management      tasks. Microsoft provides snap-ins      for managing:      
• Local Users and Groups        
• Device Manager        
• Disk Management        
• Print Management            

• To open a blank console, type mmc in the Run box. You can then add snap-ins      to work with the configuration of your system.      The console consists of two or three panes:      
• The tree pane (on the left) organizes objects   in a hierarchy.        
• The results pane (in the middle) shows objects and configuration options.         
• The actions pane (on the right) lists the        actions you can take on objects. (The actions pane is new with Windows Vista.)              
• You can save a console that includes the      snap-ins you use most (saved consoles have      the .msc extension). Microsoft provides a number      of preconfigured consoles that include snap-ins      for common tasks.

• Computer Management is a saved MMC console that includes common snap-ins used to manage your computer. Some common ways to start Computer Management include:      
• On the Start menu, right-click My Computer and select Manage.         
• Double-click the Computer Management icon in Administrative Tools in the Control Panel.

• Use Event Viewer to view logs about programs, system events, and security. Each entry is listed as a warning, error, or information event. Events are added to the following logs:
• The Application log contains a list of all application-related events such as application installations, un-installations, and application errors.
• The System log contains a list of all system-related events such as system modifications, malfunctions, and errors.
• The Security log contains a list of all security-related events such as security modifications and user login events.     
• Additional logs might be added by applications      or services.

• A service is a program that processes requests from      other applications or users. Services      can      start automatically or they might be      constantly      running in the background, waiting      for service      requests. Use the Services snap-in      to view      and manage running services. The service      startup behavior determines how the      service      is started.      
• When set to Automatic, the service is started        automatically by Windows when the system        boots.        
• When set to Manual, the service must be manually        started.        
• When Disabled, the service will not run.

• Performance Monitor displays statistics that tell you about the operation of your      computer.
• A counter identifies a specific statistic, such as % Processor Time or % Disk Free Space.         
• You can add or remove counters to customize the statistics you can see.
• Real-time data are displayed in a graph.        
• Performance Monitor by itself does not save any data. To save statistics over time, use a data collector set.

• Reliability Monitor maintains historical      data that describe the operating system's      stability.      
• Overall system stability is given a stability  index that ranges from 1 to 10 (10 being the most stable). The stability rating is affected by application, hardware, Windows, and other failures.         

Reliability Monitor shows an historical chart    that identifies when software installs/uninstalls and failures have occurred. By clicking on  a day, you can view the changes to the system that have affected its stability.

• Use Msinfo32 to view hardware and configuration      information for your computer. While      much      of this information is available through      other tools, Msinfo32 provides a single      location      for viewing information such as:
• Operating system version        
• Computer manufacturer, processor type, available        memory        
• Installed devices and drivers used
• Running tasks        
• Applications that run at system startup

You can only view, not modify, configuration settings in Msinfo32.

Utility (Msconfig)Use the System Configuration Utility to configure      your system to enable optimal troubleshooting      and diagnosis of technical issues.      Use the      System Configuration Utility to:

• Configure startup preferences        
• Configure system components        
• View and customize Windows setup components        
• Customize Bootup configuration        
• Turn services on or off        
• Enable and disable startup utilities and        programs

• Dxdiag is a tool that shows information related  to DirectX operation. DirectX is a      set of  programming interfaces for multimedia      (video      and audio). Dxdiag displays information      such      as:      
• Operating system version        
• Processor and memory information        
• DirectX version        
• Settings and drivers used by display devices        
• Audio drivers        
• Input devices (mouse, keyboard, USB)

• Use the Command Prompt to execute command-line commands. To open a command prompt,    
• On Windows 2000/XP, click Start, then Run.... Type cmd in the Run box and press Enter.        
• On Windows Vista/7, click Start and type cmd in the search box.

• Regedit.exe and Regedt32.exe are tools for modifying entries in the Windows registry. The registry is a database that holds hardware, software, and user  configuration settings.      
• Whenever a change is made to preferences, software, hardware, and user-settings, those changes are stored and reflected in the registry.
• The preferred method of modifying the registry        is to use the applications or management        tools that write to the registry.        For example,        many Control Panel applets make changes        to        registry settings.         
• There will be some advanced settings that        can only be made by directly editing        the        registry.         
• For Windows 2000, use Regedt32.exe for full functionality. For Windows XP/Vista/7,         Regedt32.exe simply launches Regedit.exe.

Regedit

• In the control panel, open administrative tool, then double-click the computer management icon
• on the start menu, right-click my computer and select manage.

Mcconfig

• Provide a common user interface for performing system administration tasks
• Provide a shell for running snap-ins

View information related to DirectX operation

Processes

View and manage software that are running in the background.

Event viewer

Performance monitor

Msinfo32

Control panel applet

Control Panel