Troubleshooting High CPU Utilization on a Windows Laptop

Resolve High CPU Utilization | Tools for Troubleshooting | CompTIA A+ Exam 220-1102

Question

A user's Windows laptop has become consistently slower over time.

The technician checks the CPU utilization and sees that it varies between 95% and 100%

After the technician closes some running applications, the CPU utilization drops to approximately 20%, and the laptop runs much faster.

The next day the same user calls again with the same problem.

Which of the following is a tool the technician can use to resolve the issue?

Answers

Explanations

Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer

A. B. C. D.

A.

The most appropriate tool that the technician can use to resolve the issue described in the scenario is Task Manager (Option A).

Task Manager is a built-in Windows utility that provides real-time information about the processes and applications running on a system, including their CPU and memory usage. In this scenario, the technician has already identified that high CPU utilization is the root cause of the laptop's slow performance. By using Task Manager, the technician can identify the processes and applications that are consuming the most CPU resources and either close them or adjust their settings to reduce their impact on the system.

MSTSC (Option B) is the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client, which is used to remotely connect to and control other Windows computers over a network. This tool is not relevant to the issue described in the scenario.

MSConfig (Option C) is a Windows utility that allows users to manage the system's startup processes and services. While MSConfig can be used to optimize system performance by disabling unnecessary startup items, it is not the most appropriate tool for addressing the issue described in the scenario, which is related to high CPU utilization.

PerfMon (Option D) is short for Performance Monitor, which is a Windows utility that allows users to monitor and analyze system performance metrics such as CPU usage, memory usage, and disk activity. While PerfMon can be useful in diagnosing system performance issues, it is a more advanced tool that may not be necessary for addressing the issue described in the scenario, which can be resolved using Task Manager.