System Change Tracker: Track System Changes

To access:

From the Individual Tools pane, click Perform Diagnostics and then click Start next to Track System Changes.

What it does:

The Track System Changes wizard allows you to view a report of the changes between two system states. This can help you track changes after performing system-modifying actions such as installations.

Tip: Take a snapshot of your system when your PC is healthy. Then if your computer starts to experience problems, you can view a comparison between the healthy state and the current state.

Why use it:

When you install software and run other system-changing operations, files are added, registry entries are modified, and other core Windows configuration files are updated. For troubleshooting, it can be useful to track and quantify these changes.

Instructions:

The wizard has several screens to guide you through the process. Click a screen name below for more information:

If you are creating a snapshot, the below two screens run the process:

If you are running a comparison, the below two screens run the process:

Related topics:

Navigating within Wizards