Diagnosing slow and unresponsive PCs
Use Task Manager, Resource Monitor and Performance Monitor to find what's actually slowing a PC down.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 45 minutes
- Contents
- 3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 1 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Identify whether CPU, memory, disk, network or heat is the bottleneck.
- Read Task Manager and Resource Monitor figures correctly, including memory pressure and disk activity.
- Reduce startup load and fix the cause rather than the symptom.
Course outline
- 1.Diagnosing slow and unresponsive PCsVideo · 5 min
- 2.Finding the bottleneckLesson · 8 min
- 3.Startup load and background workLesson · 8 min
- 4.Logging performance over time with Performance MonitorLesson · 10 min
- 5.Diagnosing slow and unresponsive PCs: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 20 questions
- 6.Diagnosing slow and unresponsive PCs: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 7."It's been slow since the update"Scenario
- 8.Final exam5 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- Microsoft Support: Tips to improve PC performance in Windows
- Microsoft Learn: Windows Performance Monitor overview
- Microsoft Learn: Resource Monitor
- Vendor thermal and power management guides for your laptop models
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