How to Open Resource Monitor in Windows

Resource Monitor is a built-in Windows tool that shows real-time data about your CPU, memory, disk, and network usage. It helps you identify which processes are slowing down your PC or using too many resources. This guide walks you through every method to open it, from the quickest shortcut to the command line, so you can start diagnosing performance issues right away.

What You’ll Need

A PC running Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, or 11 (all editions include Resource Monitor).
Administrator privileges are not required to view Resource Monitor, but some details (like per-process network activity) may be limited without them.
No additional downloads or third-party tools are needed.

Step-by-Step

Use the Start Menu (Windows 10 and 11): Click the Start button (or press the Windows key on your keyboard). Type Resource Monitor into the search box. When the app appears in the results, click it or press Enter.
Use the Run dialog (all Windows versions): Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type resmon and press Enter. This is the fastest method if you like keyboard shortcuts.
Open it from Task Manager (Windows 8, 8.1, 10, 11): Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. If you see the compact view, click More details at the bottom. Go to the Performance tab. At the bottom of the window, click Open Resource Monitor.
Use the Command Prompt or PowerShell: Open Command Prompt or PowerShell (you can type cmd or powershell in the Start menu search and press Enter). Type resmon and press Enter. The tool will launch immediately.
Navigate via Control Panel (all versions): Open Control Panel (search for it in the Start menu). Click System and Security (if you’re in Category view), then under Administrative Tools click View resource usage in Resource Monitor. If you’re in Icon view, look for Administrative Tools and double-click Resource Monitor.
Use the Windows Admin Tools menu (Windows 10/11): Open the Start menu, scroll to the Windows Administrative Tools folder (Windows 10) or Windows Tools (Windows 11), and click Resource Monitor.

Common Mistakes

Typing the wrong name: Some people type “Resource Monitor” into the Run dialog. The Run dialog only accepts executable names like resmon or perfmon. Use the Start menu search if you want to type the full name.
Confusing it with Task Manager: Task Manager and Resource Monitor are different tools. Task Manager shows basic process info; Resource Monitor provides deeper per-process and per-service details. They are not interchangeable.
Closing it immediately: Resource Monitor only collects data while it’s open. If you close it, you lose the history. Keep it open while you’re troubleshooting.
Ignoring the “Stop Monitoring” button: If you click the green monitor icon at the top, it pauses data collection. Many users think the tool is broken when it’s just paused.

Tips

Pin it to your taskbar: Once Resource Monitor is open, right-click its icon in the taskbar and select Pin to taskbar for one-click access next time.
Use the Overview tab first: The Overview tab shows the four main resource groups (CPU, Disk, Network, Memory) with expandable sections. Click any column header to sort by that metric.
Filter by process: In any tab, check the box next to a process to filter the graphs below to only show that process’s activity. This is invaluable for isolating a resource hog.
Use the Memory tab to see the standby list: The Memory tab shows a bar chart at the bottom with colors for hardware reserved, in use, modified, standby, and free. A large standby list is normal; it’s cached data, not wasted memory.
Monitor disk activity: The Disk tab shows processes with active disk I/O. If a process has a high Total (B/sec) but low Read/Write, it might be causing disk queue buildup.
Check network connections: The Network tab lists all active TCP connections. You can see which processes are connecting to which addresses, which helps identify suspicious network activity.

Troubleshooting

Resource Monitor won’t open. If nothing happens when you type resmon in Run, try opening it from the Start menu. If that fails, restart Windows Explorer: open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find Windows Explorer in the Processes tab, right-click it, and choose Restart. Then try again.

“Windows cannot find resmon” error. This usually means the file is missing or corrupted. Run a system file check: open Command Prompt as administrator and type sfc /scannow, then press Enter. Wait for the scan to complete and restart your PC.

Resource Monitor opens but shows no data. Make sure you haven’t accidentally paused monitoring (the green monitor icon at the top). Also, try closing and reopening the tool. If it persists, check if your antivirus is blocking it; add it to the exclusions list.

You get a permission error. While Resource Monitor usually works without admin rights, some details are hidden. Right-click the shortcut and choose Run as administrator to see full information, especially for system processes.

Resource Monitor is not in the Start menu search. This can happen if Windows Search is disabled or indexing is off. Use the Run dialog method (resmon) instead, or navigate via Control Panel as described in Step 5.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Resource Monitor the same as Performance Monitor?
A: No. Resource Monitor (resmon) is a simplified, real-time monitoring tool. Performance Monitor (perfmon) is a more advanced tool that allows you to create custom data collector sets and view historical logs. Resource Monitor is easier for quick checks.

Q: Do I need administrator rights to open Resource Monitor?
A: No, you can open it as a standard user. However, without admin rights, you may not see network activity for all processes or some system-level details. Right-click and choose “Run as administrator” for the full picture.

Q: How do I read the CPU tab graphs?
A: The CPU tab shows total CPU usage as a percentage, plus per-core graphs. The green area represents the “Idle” process, so if the graph is mostly green, your CPU is mostly idle. The blue area is actual usage.

Q: Can Resource Monitor tell me which program is using all my RAM?
A: Yes. Go to the Memory tab and look at the “Processes” list. Sort by the “Working Set” column to see which processes are using the most physical memory. The “Private” column shows memory that can’t be shared with other processes.

Q: Why does Resource Monitor show high disk usage but Task Manager doesn’t?
A: Resource Monitor provides more granular disk I/O data, including read/write speeds and queue lengths. It also includes system processes that Task Manager may hide. If you see high disk activity, check the “Disk Activity” section to identify the specific process.

Q: Can I use Resource Monitor to close a process?
A: No, Resource Monitor is for monitoring only. To end a process, you need to use Task Manager or the command line. However, you can right-click a process in Resource Monitor and select “End Process”? Actually, no. You must use Task Manager for that. Resource Monitor only shows you what’s happening.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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