Have you performed PC health checks, and should you do them? We discuss the built-in tools in Windows 10 to keep your PC in tip-top health

Is your PC sick?

Has your PC been slowing down lately?  Does it feel like somethings not working as it was? Our instincts are good for PC problems, and so if you suspect something is wrong, there is no harm in taking a look under the bonnet.  If there are any red flags or warnings, you can alert your IT department or support manager, and they will be able to assist you quicker.

Win 10 built-in tools for PC health checks

Windows 10 has some pretty nifty PC tools built-in, and as they are installed already, you can have a quick look:

Windows Security

Click start-> settings->security and updates -> windows security-> open windows security.

Here you will find this window:

Windows Security

Any problems will show up on this screen as you can see this PC has got all green ticks. Clicking on each of these categories will give you further information.

Windows Performance monitor

Click start ->all apps->windows administrative tools-> Performance monitor

performance monitor for PC health check

Clicking on system diagnostics and then the action tab -> start, will initiate a 60-second test. The results will be displayed in reports-> system-> system diagnostics. You can repeat this for performance test too. Any warnings can then be relayed to your IT support Manager

Windows resources monitor

Click start ->all apps->windows administrative tools->resource monitor

windows resources monitor

 

This monitor can be left running in the background to alert you to any overloading of resources.

Windows Memory Diagnostic

Click start ->all apps->windows administrative tools->windows memory diagnostics

Windows Memory Diagnostics

This tool will restart your PC and then perform tests on your RAM modules. It will report any faults and even tell you which module to replace!

Windows reliability monitor

They hid this one in the control panel, so click start-> all apps->windows system-> control panel-> under System & Security -> Security & Maintenance -> Maintenance -> View reliability history

This monitor will alert you to program start failures and other issues; you can choose to see weeks and days individually, pinpointing when a problem started.

Notable programs for PC health checks

There are a few useful apps out there and here is a couple that might be worth installing alongside your virus checker.

Malwarebytes

You can download Malwarebytes here. The free version is fine for home users; however, businesses should look at its reasonable pricing. Your virus checker will capture most bugs, but Malwarebytes grabs and squashes viruses and malware and then cleans up after itself too.

CCleaner

CCleaner has been around for a long time and has proven to be a nifty tool at cleaning your PC. It tackles unwanted files and cookies from all your browsers, along with a PC health check. Again the free version is ok for home users, but businesses should look to purchasing this app. Grab your latest version here

Other useful blogs to keep your PC healthy

We talked about cleaning your PC here

Backing up files before running a cleaner tool is advised, there is a blog here

 

If you’d like to discuss more assistance with your PC, drop us an email or give us a call!