A user reports that their computer is consistently performing slowly, especially when multiple applications are opened. After conducting a one-time initial assessment, you determine the computer has an adequate processor and sufficient memory. Upon checking the startup programs, you find nothing out of the ordinary that could cause the issue. You have also ruled out malware as a cause. What is the most appropriate next step?
Escalate immediately to higher-tier support without conducting any further analysis.
Add more memory to the computer, as slow performance is often a sign of insufficient RAM.
Monitor the system's resource usage over time to identify processes that consume excessive CPU or memory.
Reinstall the operating system to refresh the computer's environment completely.
Because your initial checks did not reveal a clear cause, the next troubleshooting step is to gather more data. Using a utility such as Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS) to watch CPU, memory, and disk usage over time allows you to identify any process that intermittently consumes excessive resources. This action continues the "test the theory" phase of the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology. If monitoring still does not reveal the cause, you can then decide whether to escalate or consider hardware upgrades.
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What tools can I use to monitor system resource usage?
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What is the 'test the theory' phase in troubleshooting?
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Why is monitoring over time better than a one-time check?