How to detect what's slowing down Windows on your PC: Check now.

When you notice that your Windows 11 computer is running slower or displaying errors that make it difficult to use, the first thing many people consider is installing additional software, sometimes paid or with a subscription. This isn't always necessary: Windows includes built-in tools that can diagnose and fix common problems without resorting to external software or additional costs.

Unless there's malware or process overload that requires extensive maintenance, these system utilities are very useful. Some require configuration steps, changing parameters, or running commands in the Command Prompt; however, they're simple to follow if you follow this practical guide and optimize your PC's performance, stability, and health.

Device performance and health ⚙️

Device Health and Performance is a native utility you can open from the Start Menu to check overall system health and performance. The tool scans key resources and displays warnings when it detects battery, disk, application, or service issues, helping you prioritize maintenance and repair actions on your PC.

The interface uses status icons: green indicates success, and yellow warns of potential issues that should be reviewed. When you select any affected area, the system typically offers instructions or direct links to the necessary options to apply changes, adjust parameters, or run Windows-recommended fixes.

• ⚡️ Quick Scan: Check system status and resources in seconds.
• 🔧 Recommended actions: Shortcuts to fix battery, disk, and app problems.
• 📈 Continuous monitoring: Detect trends before they affect performance.

Resource Monitor 🚀

Resource Monitor offers a more detailed view than Task Manager; it displays CPU, disk, network, and memory activity with lists and graphs that help you identify resource-consuming processes. It's ideal for diagnosing bottlenecks, checking disk or network usage, and locating services or applications that cause temporary or sustained slowdowns.

From here you can end problematic processes, view active network connections, and analyze disk reads. The level of detail makes it easy to find secondary processes hidden by Task Manager; frequent use helps maintain stable performance and detect anomalies before they affect the user experience.

• 📊 CPU: Identify processes with high consumption and unexpected peaks.
• 💾 Disk: Detects heavy I/O that is slowing down the system.
• 🧠 Memory: Locate RAM leaks and processes that are accumulating usage.
• 🌐 Grid: Monitors connections that consume bandwidth.

Windows Memory Diagnostics 🧠

He Windows Memory Diagnostic This is the recommended tool for checking RAM for errors that cause blue screens, reboots, or slowness in basic operations. It can be run with the "mdsched.exe" command from Run (Windows+R) or by searching for the utility in the Start menu. It can be used to identify physical or logical errors in memory.

When you launch it, your computer typically restarts to run the scan. After it completes, review the results in Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System; search for MemoryDiagnostics-Results with Ctrl+F to see the findings. You can select Advanced Options and Extended Test (F1) to increase detection coverage.

• ✅ Quick command: Run “mdsched.exe” from Run (Windows+R).
• ⏱️ Process: The computer restarts and performs a full RAM scan.
• 🔎 Results: Check MemoryDiagnostics-Results in the Event Viewer.

HWiNFO — advanced monitoring 📈

HWiNFO is not exclusive to Windows, but it stands out for offering very comprehensive hardware information: real-time sensors, temperatures, voltages, CPU usage, and many technical details that not all apps display. It's available for free and is ideal when native tools aren't enough and you need advanced monitoring for diagnostics or performance tuning.

Among its advantages are the color-coded alert system (green/yellow) and the ability to monitor long-term trends. It is especially useful for users looking to identify thermal problems, performance drops due to temperature, or abnormal values in critical components and obtain data for precise action.

• 🔎 Real-time monitoring: Temperatures, voltages and performance per component.
• 🚨 Alerts: Status alerts that help prevent failures due to temperature or load.
• 📈 Historical record: Save data to analyze trends and make decisions.

As these tools show, you don't need to be an expert to detect slowness or errors. By periodically reviewing your performance and following the steps described, you can keep your system optimized, improve response times, and extend its lifespan.