Windows – Resource and Performance Monitor error

command lineperfmonwindows 8.1

When I try to issue this rather simple command in cmd.exe, I run into this strange error.

INPUT:
C:\Windows\system32>perfmon.exe /report

OUTPUT:
An error occured while attempting to generate the report.
The operator or administrator has refused the request.

I assure you that the cmd.exe instance is running with elevated administrator permissions. OS is Windows 8.1 with Update 1 (version 6.3.9600), 64-bit.

What is the cause for this? What follows is the expected behavior.

"Collects performance data for 60 seconds and then generates and
displays a system diagnostics report."

Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ff723776.aspx

I followed a tip from the at the TechNet URL above. Apparently, this tip is from "Microsoft Press book Windows 7 Resource Kit by Mitch Tulloch, Tony Northrup, Jerry Honeycutt, Ed Wilson, and the Windows 7 team". Could it be that it is simply not supported in Windows 8, or this particular option has undergone some profound changes since Windows 7? The Resource and Performance Monitor is still part of Windows 8.

Best Answer

You're not the only one. Others report experiencing this problem as well. I just ran that same command on a Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit machine and I too got the same error.

However, as noted in the linked forum post, the performance report is still generated, despite the error (I confirmed this on my machine). After waiting the 60 seconds it takes to generate, you can access it by doing the following:

  1. Run perfmon.exe
  2. Navigate to Reports > System > System Diagnostics

There you'll find the complete report.

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