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SystemExplorer VS Process Explorer

Compare SystemExplorer VS Process Explorer and see what are their differences

SystemExplorer logo SystemExplorer

Homepage of System Explorer. Freeware Tool for displaying and managing system internals

Process Explorer logo Process Explorer

The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'lโ€ฆ
  • SystemExplorer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-11
  • Process Explorer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-21

SystemExplorer features and specs

  • Detailed System Information
    SystemExplorer provides in-depth information about system performance, processes, services, and network connections, giving users comprehensive insight into their system's operations.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The interface is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.
  • Free to Use
    SystemExplorer is available for free, offering robust functionality without any licensing fees or subscription costs.
  • Portable Version
    A portable version of SystemExplorer is available, allowing users to run the application without installation, ideal for use on multiple devices or for quick troubleshooting.
  • Lightweight
    The software is lightweight and doesn't consume many system resources, making it suitable for older or low-performance systems.

Possible disadvantages of SystemExplorer

  • Limited Support
    SystemExplorer does not provide extensive user support or detailed documentation, which may be a drawback for users needing help or having specific technical issues.
  • No Mac or Linux Versions
    The software is only available for Windows, meaning users of other operating systems cannot benefit from its features.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    Some users have reported occasional stability issues and crashes, which can hamper the reliability of the tool during critical tasks.
  • Updates and Development
    The pace of updates and new feature developments may not be as rapid or frequent as some other maintenance tools, potentially making it lag behind in addressing emerging security or compatibility issues.
  • Complexity for Casual Users
    Despite its user-friendly interface, the detailed and extensive information provided might be overwhelming for casual users who do not need such depth in system monitoring.

Process Explorer features and specs

  • Detailed System Information
    Process Explorer provides in-depth information about system processes, including detailed CPU and memory usage stats.
  • Hierarchical View
    It shows processes in a tree structure, making it easy to understand parent-child relationships between processes.
  • Advanced Diagnostic Capabilities
    The tool offers advanced features like DLL and handle viewing, allowing detailed investigation of system issues.
  • Real-Time Monitoring
    It allows real-time monitoring of system performance, including CPU, GPU, and I/O activity, which is critical for diagnosing performance bottlenecks.
  • Integration with VirusTotal
    Process Explorer can integrate with VirusTotal to check the safety of running processes, adding an extra layer of security.
  • Free to Use
    Process Explorer is part of the Sysinternals suite, which is freely available for use, making it accessible for both individual users and organizations.

Possible disadvantages of Process Explorer

  • Complexity
    The extensive features and detailed information can be overwhelming for novice users who may find the interface complex to navigate.
  • Resource Intensive
    While generally lightweight, the comprehensive monitoring features can consume a noticeable amount of system resources, which might affect performance on older or less powerful systems.
  • Windows Only
    Process Explorer is designed specifically for Windows operating systems, limiting its use for those who work in cross-platform environments.
  • No Built-In Reporting
    The tool does not offer built-in reporting capabilities, requiring users to manually capture and document information.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its advanced features and detailed information, new users might face a steep learning curve before being able to fully utilize all its capabilities.
  • Limited Documentation
    While there are some resources available, the documentation can be sparse, making it difficult for users to find solutions to specific problems.

Analysis of SystemExplorer

Overall verdict

  • System Explorer is a reliable and effective tool for system monitoring. Its extensive features and ease of use make it a good choice for users looking for a free, powerful, and flexible system management tool.

Why this product is good

  • System Explorer is generally considered good because it offers comprehensive tools for monitoring system activity and managing system resources. It provides detailed information about system processes, performance tracking, and has a user-friendly interface. Moreover, it includes features like a security scan, system snapshots, and detailed reports which are helpful for both inexperienced and advanced users.

Recommended for

    System Explorer is recommended for users who need detailed insights into their system's processes and performance, such as IT professionals, system administrators, and power users who want to keep their system optimized and secure. It's also suitable for less experienced users who are looking to diagnose system issues with the help of an easy-to-understand interface.

Analysis of Process Explorer

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Process Explorer is generally regarded as a good and reliable tool by both system administrators and other IT professionals. It is frequently recommended for its depth of features, ease of use, and the detailed process information it provides.

Why this product is good

  • Process Explorer is considered a valuable tool because it offers comprehensive insights into system processes, threads, and resource usage. It provides detailed information about which files and directories individual processes have open, the DLLs they have loaded, and more. Its ability to offer real-time data and powerful searching capabilities makes it invaluable for troubleshooting and performance monitoring.

Recommended for

  • System administrators
  • IT professionals
  • Software developers
  • Anyone interested in detailed system diagnostics
  • Users troubleshooting application issues

SystemExplorer videos

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Process Explorer videos

Sysinternals Process Explorer Review + download link and method

More videos:

  • Review - Scan for Malware Using Process Explorer and Virus Total
  • Review - What Is?: Process Explorer?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SystemExplorer and Process Explorer)
Command Line Tools
14 14%
86% 86
Monitoring Tools
13 13%
87% 87
Performance Monitoring
19 19%
81% 81
Tool
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Process Explorer seems to be a lot more popular than SystemExplorer. While we know about 289 links to Process Explorer, we've tracked only 5 mentions of SystemExplorer. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SystemExplorer mentions (5)

  • Lag spikes
    After you launch the game open the Task manager and right click MW5.exe and set the priority to high. It will only be set this way until you close the game, so you have to do it every time you open it. The easiest way is to use an app like System Explorer that will do it for you when you open the game. There is another way to do it with reg edits but I don't know how to do that. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Audio crackling when I change buffer size
    To make it permanent, you may use free software System Explorer which allow you to save these settings. Https://systemexplorer.net/. Source: over 4 years ago
  • my cpu is running at 70% but when i go into the task manager it jumps back down to 3-5%
    Download System Explorer from: http://systemexplorer.net/. When you install it make sure you uncheck "run at startup". Source: about 5 years ago
  • TIP: Find what process the plot is using with Process Explorer!
    Even easier: just use this http://systemexplorer.net/. Source: about 5 years ago
  • AWESOME WINDOWS TOOLS
    System Explorer - An enhanced task manager with support for monitoring and modifying system processes, start-up programs, system services, drivers, shell extensions, and more. - Source: dev.to / about 5 years ago

Process Explorer mentions (289)

  • Stats โ€“ macOS system monitor in your menu bar
    Unclear what you mean by programmable, but https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer is the bee's knees and you can set an option to have it take over taskmon.exe, launch on login, and put as many of the widgets in the taskbar as you fancy. I love it I've heard about running them directly from SMB but have never been the kind of person to try out such a stunt... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What tools do you recommend for working on Windows?
    Always put all your portable programs in the "A:\MyPC\Programs\" folder. Always put all your documents in the "A:\MyPC\Documents\" folder. Put driver files and runtime libraries in the "A:\MyPC\Install\" folder. For all three, feel free to create subfolders as needed, either per topic, per group, or however your brain envisions data trees. You can find plenty of portable windows software in the links provided... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Hidden dependencies in Linux binaries.
    On windows, this is Dependency Walker versus ProcExp. Similar eye-goggling results. https://www.dependencywalker.com/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Windows Explorer and Desktop Window Manager high RAM usage
    If you run Process Explorer (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer) and enable process tree view, you can see what processes are running under explorer.exe. That should give you a better idea of what's consuming that memory if you're genuinely concerned about this. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Roblox doesn't launch for months on PC
    If you have any suspicious processes running onto your computer, close them IMMEDIATELY. I suggest using Process Explorer, as it has a Virustotal which submits all Executables to virustotal under 70+ antiviruses. If any of the processes have 3+ detections, Close them down as anticheats will detect it and stop you from running Roblox. Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing SystemExplorer and Process Explorer, you can also consider the following products

htop - htop - an interactive process viewer for Unix. This is htop, an interactive process viewer for Unix systems. It is a text-mode application (for console or X terminals) and requires ncurses. Latest release: htop 2.

Process Monitor - Monitor file system, Registry, process, thread and DLL activity in real-time.

glances system monitoring - Glances is a cross-platform system monitoring tool written in Python. Written in Python, Glances will run on almost any plaftorm : GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OS X and Windows.

Process Hacker - Process Hacker is a feature-packed tool for manipulating processes and services on your computer.

Autoruns - See what programs are configured to startup automatically when your system boots and you login.

Process Lasso - Process Lasso is NOT yet another task manager.