Windows Performance Toolkit Overview

Applies To: Windows 8, Windows 8.1

The Windows® Performance Toolkit consists of two independent tools: Windows® Performance Recorder (WPR) and Windows® Performance Analyzer (WPA). In addition, support is maintained for the previous command-line tool, Xperf. However, Xperfview is no longer supported. All recordings must be opened and analyzed by using WPA.

Windows Performance Recorder

WPR is a powerful recording tool that creates Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) recordings. You can run WPR from the user interface (UI) or from the command line. WPR provides built-in profiles that you can use to select the events that are to be recorded. Alternatively, you can author custom profiles in XML. WPR can also be invoked and controlled by using the WPRControl application programming interface (API). For more information about the WPRControl API, see WPRControl API Reference.

For basic procedures and a detailed walkthrough, see the WPR Quick Start. For complete documentation of the WPR UI, see WPR Features. For reference of command-line options, see WPR Command-Line Options. For step-by-step procedures, see WPR How-to Topics. For discussion of key scenarios, see WPR Scenarios. For complete reference material, including a recording profile XML reference and a legacy Xperf reference, see WPR Reference.

Windows Performance Analyzer

WPA is a powerful analysis tool that combines a very flexible UI with extensive graphing capabilities and data tables that can be pivoted and that have full text search capabilities. WPA provides an Issues window to explore the root cause of any identified.

For basic procedures and a detailed walkthrough, see the WPA Quick Start Guide. For complete documentation of the WPR UI, see WPA Features. For step-by-step procedures, see WPA How-to topics. For extended discussion of key scenarios, see WPA Scenarios.

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Concepts

Windows Performance Toolkit Technical Reference