Operating systems come with a variety of diagnostic tools to check the status of your Windows computer or tablet.
Here are two to spot specific system issues that you can’t spot on your PC.
Diagnostic test for Windows 10 and 11
This test is easy to find by following these steps.
On Windows 11, go to the Start screen Start > Settings > System (in the left column) > Troubleshoot > Other utilities…
For Windows 10, go to Start Menu » Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > More troubleshooters.
From there, it’s a matter of choosing the right tool based on what you’re looking for in the section on the right.
For example, there are tools for managing memory or power and battery, printer problems or internet connection.
One of the frequently encountered problems concerns the lack of disk space. Go to this link to find out how to check the current disk space on your PC, clean up the hard drive, uninstall unnecessary applications or archive or delete unnecessary files.
The Windows memory diagnostic tool
If you’re having trouble with slow, freezing programs, then this is the memory diagnostic tool to go for.
To do this, open a Windows window and type “Windows Memory Diagnostic”. You can easily find the application on the right side with its memory strip icon.
As in this screenshot, Windows offers two verification options; on immediate reboot or on next reboot.
After a few minutes of verification, your Windows PC or tablet will restart. To get the result of this memory test, open a Windows window and type “Event Viewer”.
To check what an application has been doing, select “Windows Logs” on the left, “Application” in the middle, and one of the offered actions on the right.
Finally, the last suggestion, the task manager gives a good overview of the applications cataloged in real time by CPU, memory, storage and network, to name just the four most important. This is a good place to quickly find out if an application or process is too greedy.