Windows System Assessment Tool: Difference between revisions

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{{redirect|Windows Experience|the version of Microsoft Windows|Windows XP}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2015}}

{{Infobox software

| name = WinSAT

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The '''Windows System Assessment Tool''' ('''WinSAT''') is a module of [[Microsoft Windows Vista]], [[Windows 7]], [[Windows 8]], [[Windows 8.1]], [[Windows 10]], and [[Windows 11]] that is available in the [[Control Panel (Windows)|Control Panel]] under ''Performance Information and Tools'' (except in [[Windows 8.1]], [[Windows 10]], and [[Windows 11]]). It measures various performance characteristics and capabilities of the hardware it is running on and reports them as a '''Windows Experience Index''' ('''WEI)''') score. The WEI includes five subscores: processor, memory, 2D graphics, 3D graphics, and disk; the basescore is equal to the lowest of the subscores and is not an average of the subscores.<ref name="Softpedia">{{cite web |title=Windows 7 WEI Scores 6.0 through 7.9 Explained|date=December 13, 2010 |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-7-WEI-Scores-6-0-through-7-9-Explained-172277.shtml |publisher=Softpedia |access-date=June 3, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Microsoft_Perfect_Score">{{cite web |title=Earning the top Windows Experience Index score |url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows7/achieving-a-perfect-windows-experience-index-score-in-windows-7 |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=June 3, 2011}}</ref> WinSAT reports WEI scores on a scale from 1.0 to 5.9 for Windows Vista,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2006/09/22/windows-experience-index-an-in-depth-look.aspx |title=Vista Team Blog : Windows Experience Index: An In-Depth Look |access-date=November 22, 2006 |archive-date=November 10, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061110165619/http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2006/09/22/windows-experience-index-an-in-depth-look.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> 7.9 for Windows 7,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.pcworld.com/article/239713/how_to_max_out_your_windows_performance_for_1000.html |title = How to Max Out Your Windows Performance for $1000 | author = Marco Chiappetta |publisher = [[PC World]] | date = September 8, 2011 | access-date=May 17, 2014}}</ref> and 9.9 for Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/hh825488.aspx |title = WinSAT Comprehensive | date = October 20, 2013 | publisher = MSDN | access-date=May 17, 2014}}</ref>

The WEI enables users to match their computer hardware performance with the performance requirements of software. For example, the [[Windows Aero|Aero]] [[graphical user interface]] will not automatically be enabled unless the system has a WEI score of 3 or higher.<ref>{{cite web |title=Full screen previews have got disabled. How do I re-enable them? |url=http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-desktop/full-screen-previews-have-got-disabled-how-do-i-re/d44193c0-7e51-4a2f-8ec0-4ac115c710c0 |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=June 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What Is the Windows Experience Index |url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/What-is-the-Windows-Experience-Index |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=June 3, 2011}}</ref>

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The WEI can also be used to show which part of a system would be expected to provide the greatest increase in performance when upgraded. For example, a computer with the lowest subscore being its memory, would benefit more from a [[RAM]] upgrade than adding a faster hard drive (or any other component).<ref name="Microsoft_Perfect_Score"/>

Detailed raw performance information, like actual disk bandwidth, can be obtained by invoking <code>winsat</code> from the command line. This also allows only specific tests to be re-run.<ref>[http://windowsitpro.com/systems-management/winsat-command-line-utility Winsat Command-Line Utility]</ref> Obtaining the WEI score from the command line is done invoking <code>winsat formal</code>, which also updates the value stored in <code>%systemroot%\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore</code>.<ref>[http://windowsitpro.com/systems-management/how-can-i-run-windows-system-assessment-tool-winsat-update-directly-command-line How can I run the Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT) update directly from a command line?]</ref> (The XML files stored there can be easily hacked to report fake performance values.<ref>[http://www.howtogeek.com/71500/stupid-geek-tricks-hacking-the-windows-experience-index/ Stupid Geek Tricks: Hacking the Windows Experience Index]</ref>) The WEI is also available to applications through an [[API]], so they can configure themselves as a function of hardware performance, taking advantage of its capabilities without becoming unacceptably slow.<ref>{{cite web |title=Windows Experience Index: Overview |date=July 10, 2009 |url=https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc507870.aspx |publisher=Microsoft TechNet |access-date=September 24, 2011}}</ref>

The Windows Experience Index score is not displayed in [[Windows 8.1]] and onwards because the [[graphical user interface]] for WinSAT was removed in these versions of Windows, although the [[command line]] winsat tool still exists and operates correctly along with a final score when launching the command "shell:games".<ref name="WEI killed">{{cite web| url=http://www.cnet.com/how-to/find-your-windows-experience-index-scores-in-windows-8-1/| title=Find your Windows Experience Index scores in Windows 8.1 | author = Ed Rhee |