Overview of Windows 8.1 Administrative Tools

          In Windows 8.1 contains many administrative tools that you can use to configure and manage a Windows 8.1 computer. The Administrative Tools item in the Control Panel provides access to the key tools you can use to manage Windows 8.1.
The following tools are included in the
Administrative Tools item in the Control Panel:

• Component Services. Use to configure Microsoft Component Services (COM+) and Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) applications. In most cases, you do not use this tool unless a vendor directs you to do so to resolve an application issue.
• Computer Management. Contains a number of commonly used tools in a single console: Task Scheduler, Event Viewer, Shared Folders, Local Users and Groups, Performance, Device Manager, Disk Management, Services, and WMI Control.
• Defragment and optimize your drives. Use to defragment hard disks to increase overall disk performance. Normally, you do not need to run this tool because defragmentation is scheduled once per week by default.
• Disk Cleanup. Use to scan your hard disks for temporary files and other files that can be removed without impacting the performance of Windows 8.1 or your apps. You can use this tool to free up disk space quickly without removing data or apps
• Event Viewer. Use to view and search event logs to diagnose and troubleshoot app, service, and operating system issues.
• iSCSI Initiator. Use to connect Windows 8.1 to an Internet SCSI (iSCSI) target and use the iSCSI target as storage.
• Local Security Policy. Use to configure local security settings in Windows 8.1. In most cases, you will use Group Policy to configure computers that run Windows 8.1 instead of the local security settings.
• ODBC Data Sources (32-bit). Use to configure Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) connection to data sources for 32-bit apps.
• ODBC Data Sources (64-bit). Use to configure ODBC connections to data sources for 64-bit apps.
• Performance Monitor. Use to view real-time performance data, and to record and view historical performance and configuration data.
• Print Management. Use to configure local printers and remote print servers in a single console.
• Resource Monitor. Use to view real-time CPU, memory, hard disk, and network resource utilization.
• Services. Use to configure the startup type for services and the credentials that are used by services.
• System Configuration. Use to control the startup process for Windows 8.1 by disabling programs or services that run at startup. You also can set some boot options, such as the default operating system on a multiboot system.
• System Information. Use to view information about the hardware and software configuration of a computer that runs Windows 8.1. The information that is displayed includes drivers, startup programs, and hardware resources.
• Task Scheduler. Use to create scheduled tasks. You also can review the scheduled tasks created during the installation of Windows 8.1.
• Windows Firewall with Advanced Security. Use to create and manage rules for Windows Firewall.
• Windows Memory Diagnostic. Use to identify problems with physical memory.
• Windows PowerShell (x86). Use to open a command prompt in the Windows PowerShell command-line interface (CLI) that you can use to manage Windows 8.1.
• Windows PowerShell ISE. Use to simplify the development of Windows PowerShell scripts. This tool provides color-coded error checking as you enter Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE) commands. Windows PowerShell ISE also provides a list of available parameters for cmdlets.