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've also ruled out malware as a cause. What is the most appropriate next step?
Monitor the system resource usage over time to identify any processes that take up an excessive amount of CPU or memory.
Escalate immediately to a higher-tier support without conducting any further analysis.
Reinstall the operating system to refresh the computer's environment completely.
Add more memory to the computer, as slow performance is often a sign of insufficient RAM.
Remove all non-essential applications to free up system resources.
In this situation, it would be advisable to monitor the computer's resource usage over time to pinpoint the bottleneck. Tools like Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on macOS can provide insights into CPU, memory, and disk usage. Although the processor and memory initially seem adequate, certain applications or processes may still consume excessive resources and cause slowdowns. Monitoring would present a clearer picture of the system's performance issues. If no resolution can be determined through monitoring, the next step would indeed be to escalate the concern to receive more specialized assistance or to consider a hardware upgrade.
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What tools can I use to monitor system resource usage?
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What indicators suggest that a process is consuming excessive CPU or memory?
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How can monitoring help in troubleshooting performance issues?