Overview of Performance Monitoring

Investigating Zero Values

If data for selected counters is consistently reported as zeroes, this might indicate a problem with the counters or the way you are using the performance tools, rather than just the absence of any nonzero data. Following are descriptions of the possible causes and solutions to problems that result in missing or zero counter values.

The process being monitored has stopped and, as a result, there is no data for the process in the performance tools. If you stopped the process manually, restart it to see the process in System Monitor. Otherwise, check Event Viewer for concurrent entries. You might find an error associated with this process.
The counter DLL was disabled after you selected the corresponding counters in a log or display. The performance tools will not detect that the counter was removed or disabled, but will report the counter data as zeroes.
You are attempting to monitor a computer that you don't have permission to access. This might occur if you are using a saved console that specifies a particular computer name. This causes System Monitor to report data as zeroes. It also causes System Monitor to start up slowly. For more information see "Security Issues" later in this chapter.