Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 include a “Reliability Monitor” feature that will present a system stability rating from 1 to 10, and also help diagnose problematic apps/processes. However, the Reliability Monitor is tucked away and not easy to locate… unless you know how.
How To Access Reliability Monitor
- In Windows 10: open a Run command (Windows + R keys), type in perfmon /rel and hit Enter
- In Windows 11: The above Run command will work fine, or alternatively, open the Start menu and type Reliability, then click View reliability history in the results
Here is a screenshot of my Reliability Monitor in Windows 10 (click the image to enlarge):
As you can see from the image, the blue line across the top shows that my system rated a solid 10 out of 10 until it ran into an issue with PatchMyPC. Full disclosure, the issue with PatchMyPC was of my own doing, as each time, I hadn’t initially noticed an application listed for updating that I didn’t want updated. I know, I’m a slow learner sometimes.
Use Reliability Monitor For Troubleshooting
- When you click on an entry marked with an X inside a red circle, pertinent details will then be listed in the bottom half of the window
- Click on any day to view details of events for that particular day, including updates, installations, and any issues encountered
- If your system started playing up (say) a week ago, scroll back to that date and check details for any new software installs, driver updates, or system changes
- Windows updates can cause instability issues. Reliability Monitor shows precisely when updates were installed, helping pinpoint a potential culprit
- Combine Reliability Monitor with Event Viewer for deeper diagnostics
BOTTOM LINE:
Reliability Monitor is an excellent yet often overlooked tool for checking system stability and helping diagnose stability issues.
—
