CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202)Software TroubleshootingMedium
A desktop that previously ran smoothly now takes several minutes to open applications, and the hard drive activity light stays constantly lit even when idle. Which of the following tools should the technician use FIRST to identify which process is consuming excessive disk resources?
- AEvent Viewer
- BSystem Configuration (msconfig)
- CResource Monitor
- DDisk Cleanup
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Resource Monitor
Resource Monitor provides detailed real-time information about which specific processes are using disk, CPU, memory, and network resources, making it the best tool to pinpoint the cause of constant disk activity.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Event Viewer logs system events and errors but does not show live resource consumption per process.
- B. msconfig manages startup items and services but does not display current resource usage.
- D. Disk Cleanup removes unnecessary files but does not diagnose active resource consumption.
Resource Monitor
A Windows utility that displays real-time details about CPU, memory, disk, and network usage broken down by individual process.
- Accessible via resmon.exe or through Task Manager's Performance tab link.
- Useful for identifying runaway or malicious processes.
- Shows disk queue length and per-process I/O activity.
Memory trick: 'Resource Monitor Reveals the Real Resource Hog'