Windows XP Performance Monitor Logs

The Windows XP performance Monitor allows to store the collected information to a Log-file
for later viewing and evaluation :
Select in the left tree-window under "Performance Logs and Alters" the item : "Counter Logs" :

to define your selected, right-click on the right-windows
and select "New Log Settings...",
and enter a name for your definition.

	tab : General It shows you the location and name of the log-file Add now the Objects (with all counters) or just specific counters to the list

	Once the counters are defined, you can define the Interval to select and store the information. Note : if you select a lot of counter and a short interval, then the log-file can grow very large, if you select information for hours.
	tab : Logfiles you can select the format the the log-file and the method to name the file. Via the button "Configure" you can define the location of the Log-file and limit its size :
	tab : schedule Define to start and stop the Logging manually or an a predefined time

If you decided to start the Logging manually :

high-light the settings and select in the toolbar to Start logging.
The system will indicate an active Logging by displaying it in green :

to stop logging, select in the Toolbar to Stop-button.

On my system, Windows XP refused to stop the logging this way :

I had to use in "Administrative Tools" the "services" :

I selected the Service for "Performance Logs and Alters" and used the tool-bar button to stop it:

I had collected information only for a few minutes,
but because I had selected all counters for some
objects, it created a fairly large file already.

To display and evaluate such a log-file :
Display System Monitor and click in the Toolbar on the "Disk" icon to "View Log Data" :

	This displays the Properties with the tab: Source Select as Data Source : Log-Files and use the button "Add" to locate the Log-file.

	You can still customize the display, but when selecting to add additional counters to be displayed, the selection list will ONLY include the counters, for which data has been collected in the Log-file, for the Objects and counters defined for the logging.
	Once a log-file is displayed, then the tab: Source of the Property page also displays the Time Range: - information on start and stop of logging

You can move the Time- Range slide bars (at both ends) to narrow the display,
a vertical line will be displayed in the chart, allowing you to get an exact time on when
certain events were logged :

Since the Log-files can become very large, you can define the start of logging to be triggered
by an alert.