Start Windows 11 troubleshooting with the affected action, exact error and scope: one account, one device or several systems.
- For slowness, compare CPU, memory, storage and startup activity with the event timeline. Get-Process CPU is accumulated processor time, not an instantaneous percentage.
- For update or component problems, distinguish a scan from a repair; DISM RestoreHealth changes the component store.
- For profiles, BitLocker and drivers, preserve recovery information and user data before a change.
Command examples
Adapt placeholders, permissions and target systems before using an example. These examples are documentation; no command runs from this page.
Get-ComputerInfo | Select WindowsProductName,WindowsVersion,OsBuildNumber(Get-Date) - (gcim Win32_OperatingSystem).LastBootUpTimeGet-Process | Sort CPU -Descending | Select -First 15DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthGet-WinEvent -LogName System -MaxEvents 100 | ? LevelDisplayName -eq 'Error'Get-WinEvent -LogName Application -MaxEvents 100 | ? LevelDisplayName -eq 'Error'Read Windows event logs
Select the log and time window that match the incident. The LevelDisplayName field in the existing examples is localized; a numeric event level is preferable when comparing different Windows languages.
Collect the starting state
Record Windows version, uptime, resource use, network configuration and the original error before trying a repair.
Measure before cleaning
Use repeatable CPU, memory, disk and application measurements to identify a cause instead of applying several optimizations at once.
Check BitLocker recovery
Confirm recovery-key availability and current protection state before firmware, boot or recovery work.
Use the stop code and dump
Preserve the exact stop code, event timing and available dump before attributing a crash to a driver or component.
Distinguish DISM and SFC
DISM checks or repairs the component store. After a successful repair, SFC can verify protected system files. Read the result before repeating either operation.
Preserve profile data
Identify local files, archives and application settings before replacing or recreating a user profile.
Use supported drivers
Match the driver to the device model and supported operating-system version, and retain a recovery option before changing it.