5.2 Windows Management with Control Panel
5.2.1 System applet
One of the most useful tools in the Windows Control Panel is the System Properties Applet. This tool can be accessed from within the control panel by double clicking the system icon. The system properties window includes a series of tabs across the top. The default tab is the General tab which lists information relating to the system. This information includes operating system version, licensing information, and system specifics such as processor type and the amount of memory.

The next tab is the Device Manager tab. Device Manager provides the user with a list of all of the hardware within the system and allows the user to view which system resources are being used. It can also be used to update device drivers, disable or enable devices, and change resource settings.

The third tab from the left is the Hardware Profiles tab. Hardware profiles allow the user to have different hardware configurations for the same operating system. Most users will not need to set up hardware profiles. An exception to this might be a laptop user who may have one profile for the system when it is docked and one when it is not docked.

Finally, the fourth tab is the Performance tab. This tab displays information about the performance statistics of the current system and allows access to the virtual memory and file system settings.