How to collect information about your computer to troubleshoot performance issues (330138)

SUMMARY

This article describes how to gather information about your Microsoft Windows 2000-based computer to troubleshoot performance issues when you work with a Microsoft Product Support Services support professional. When you contact a Microsoft support professional for help, you may be asked to provide information that is collected from several tools.

back to the top

Overview

You can use the System Monitor tool and the Performance Logs and Alerts tool that are included in Windows 2000 to monitor resource usage on the local computer or the remote computer. With Performance Logs and Alerts, you can collect the performance data from a local or remote computer, and use this data to help you to troubleshoot and identify the cause of a performance issue.

back to the top

Prepare your computer for collecting performance data

To prepare your computer for collecting performance data, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the screen saver. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
   2. Double-click Display, and then click the Screen Saver tab.
   3. Under Screen Saver, click None, and then click OK.
2. Disable all services. To disable a service, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
   2. In the list of services, double-click the service that you want to disable.
   3. Click the General tab.
   4. In the Startup type box, click Disabled, and then click OK.
3. To troubleshoot hard-disk-related issues, turn on Diskperf. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, and then click Run.
   2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
   3. At the command prompt, type the following line, and then press ENTER:

      diskperf -y

      Note Do not use the diskperf -ye command unless you are instructed to do so.
4. Install Network Monitor Tools (if it is not already installed on the computer). To install Network Monitor Tools, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
   2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs, and then click Add/Remove Windows Components.
   3. In the Components list, click Management and Monitoring Tools (but do not click to clear the click box if the check box is selected), and then click Details.
   4. Click to select the Network Monitor Tools check box, and then click OK.
   5. Click Next. When you are prompted, insert the Windows 2000 CD-ROM into the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then click OK.
   6. Click Finish.

back to the top

Create a performance log

The following procedure describes how to create a counter log to collect performance data for the computer that is experiencing the issue from a remote computer. You must have administrative credentials to the computer that you are collecting data from, and you must run the Performance Logs and Alerts tool by using an account that has sufficient permissions to access the computer.

To create a counter log to monitor performance, follow these steps:

1. On the remote computer, click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Performance.
2. Expand Performance Logs and Alerts, right-click Counter Logs, and then click New Log Settings.
3. In the New Log Settings box, type a name for the log, and then click OK.
4. Click the General tab, and then click Add.
5. In the Select Counters dialog box, click Select counters from computer, and then click the computer whose performance you want to monitor.
6. Add counters for each of the following performance objects to the performance log:

   Cache
   Logical Disk
   Memory
   NBT Connection
   Network Interface
   Objects
   Paging File
   PhysicalDisk
   Process
   Processor
   Redirector
   Server
   Server Work Queues
   System
   Thread
   

   To do this, in the Performance object box, click the first performance object in this list (that is, click Cache), click All counters, click All instances, and then click Add. Perform this step for each performance object in this list.
7. Click Close.
8. Under Sample data every, type 160 in the Interval box, click seconds in the Units box, and then click OK.
   
   Note Collecting approximately 500 to 1000 data samples is a good starting point for troubleshooting a performance issue. Use the following formula to determine the sample interval for the performance log:

   sampling rate = total time between occurrences of the issue / 750
   
   Note The number 750 is an arbitrary number. It is the midpoint between 500 to 1000 data samples.

   The following are calculations that you can use for the sampling rate for days (in seconds) and the sampling rate for hours (in seconds):
   • Sampling rate for days (in seconds) = (number of days x 24 hours x 60 minutes x 60 seconds / 750) = number of days x 115
   • Sampling rate for hours (in seconds) = (number of hours x 60 minutes x 60 seconds / 750) = number of hours x 5
   For example, if the issue occurs every six to eight days, generate a performance log with a sampling rate of 805 seconds (7 days x 115). Determine whether you want to sample data more or less frequently. If you want smaller performance logs, increase the time interval in the performance log. If you want more data logged, decrease the time interval in the performance log.
9. Click the Log Files tab.
10. In the Log file type box, click Binary Circular File. Under Log file size, click Limit of, and then type 256000.
    
    Note Set the size of the log file so that sufficient data can be collected to view changes in performance that may occur.
11. Click OK.
    
    The log is listed in the right pane of the Performance window. A green icon next to the name of the log indicates that the log is running.
12. Repeat steps 2 through 11 to create another performance log. Configure this log to sample data every five seconds.
    
    Note Performance logs that use short sample periods, such as five-second intervals, are used to troubleshoot and investigate event-related issues. An event-related issue is an issue that is caused by a particular action.
13. Run the logs until the problem occurs, or run the logs for the period of time that the Microsoft support professional who is helping you to troubleshoot this issue instructs you to use.
    
    Do not log off the computer where you are running Performance Logs and Alerts. You can minimize the Performance window while the log is running. To stop the log, right-click the log that is in the right pane of the Performance window, and then click Stop.

back to the top

Prepare the computer to generate a memory dump file

You may also have to generate a memory dump file (Memory.dmp) to help you to troubleshoot and to identify the cause of a performance issue. To prepare the computer for a memory dump file, follow these steps.

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

1. Configure the computer to generate a complete memory dump file. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
   2. Double-click System, and then click the Advanced tab.
   3. Under Startup and Recovery, click Settings.
   4. Under Write Debugging Information, click Complete Memory Dump, and then click OK.
2. Edit the registry to configure the memory dump file. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, and then click Run.
   2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
   3. Locate and then click the following registry key:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control|Session Manager

   4. In the right pane, double-click GlobalFlag.
   5. Make a note of the value that appears in the Value data box, so that you can restore the GlobalFlag registry value to this value after the computer generates the memory dump file.
   6. Under Base, click Hexadecimal.
   7. In the Value data box, type 400, and then click OK.
   8. Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.

back to the top

Compress the performance log and the memory dump file

Use a file compression tool to zip the performance log and Memory.dmp file to a single file. Contact the Microsoft support professional who is working with you for additional information about how to send the zipped file to him or her.

back to the top

Additional information

Following is a list of questions that may help you to troubleshoot the performance issue that you are experiencing.

• When did this issue first start occurring? Were any changes made to the computer?
• Under what conditions does this issue occur?
• How frequently does this issue occur?
• Does this issue occur at a particular time of day, or does it occur when certain operations are performed?
• Can you reproduce the issue?
• If the computer stops responding (hangs), can you determine whether the issue is a network connectivity issue?
• When you press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, does the Windows Security dialog box appear on the screen?
• Can you turn on and turn off the CAPS LOCK key to switch to and from typing capital letters? Can you turn on and turn off the NUM LOCK key on the numeric keypad?
• Can you move the pointer to a different area of the screen?
• Do you use a switch box to connect two or more computers to a single pointing device, keyboard, or monitor?
• Can you connect to shared folders on the network?
• Can you ping the computer that is experiencing the issue from another computer on the network?
• When the issue occurs, are any errors logged to the event logs in Event Viewer?
• If this is a terminal server, does the issue occur in a Terminal Services session or on the terminal server?

back to the top