You can think of Windows 98's System Monitor as your PC's dashboard. Like the one in your car, it gives you an instant status report on your machine, and it will let you know when trouble is brewing under your PC's hood.

The System Monitor's real-time graphs provide a snapshot of key performance statistics (see FIGURE 1). You can watch your system adjust its memory, CPU, and other settings in real time, which is great for optimising or troubleshooting a PC.

You'll find System Monitor under StartòProgramsòAccessoriesòSystem Tools. If you don't see it there, install it from the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel. Simply select the Windows Setup tab and click System Tools.

Once System Monitor is running, you need to determine the best way to display your chosen statistics. To add a statistic to the System Monitor screen, open the Edit menu, select Add Item, and pick a statistic from one of the seven categories shown.

Before adding items to view, however, you'll want to set up the System Monitor display. Keep System Monitor's statistics visible while you work so you get to know what's normal for your PC and your work habits. The easiest way to do that is to run System Monitor in a small, easy-to-read window that is unlikely to interfere with other computing tasks (see FIGURE 2).

To get your System Monitor window to look like the one shown in Figure 2, open the System Monitor's View menu and check the Numeric Charts setting. Line and bar charts are colourful and fun to look at, but a numeric chart is more precise and easier to read. Also check the Always on Top and Hide Title Bar settings.

Finally, resize the System Monitor window as desired, and place it on the edge of your screen where it's out of the way. You can make it quite small if you're willing to forgo identification labels and to use colour to identify each statistic's box.

- Kirk Steers