Start a system monitor at login and keep it in the tray
Tick "Start Pulse when I sign in" and Pulse by Zaweba starts in the tray each time you log in, recording history even when its window is closed.
In Pulse by Zaweba, open Settings and tick "Start Pulse when I sign in". From then on Pulse starts in the tray each time you log in to Windows, with no window in the way. Closing the main window keeps it running in the tray, still recording its history and watching for alerts.
A monitor that has to be opened by hand only knows about the moments you remember to open it. Starting it at sign-in means its record is complete, which is what makes its history worth having.
Turning on start at sign-in
Open Pulse and go to Settings, from the View menu or with Ctrl+5. Tick "Start Pulse when I sign in". Next time you log in, Pulse appears only as an icon in the notification area. Only one copy runs per Windows session, so you can't end up with duplicates.
If the icon is hidden in the overflow area behind the small arrow, drag it onto the taskbar. By default the icon draws a live graph of recent CPU use, with a live tooltip, so it is worth having in view. That graph can be switched off in Settings > Start-up and display if you prefer the plain logo.
Living in the tray
Closing the window doesn't quit Pulse. The window is really closed, not hidden, so it stays light while Pulse keeps sampling in the background. Esc closes it too. On the test PC Pulse used about 0.1 per cent CPU and 70 MB in the background.
The tray menu is the way back in. It has Open Pulse, Temperatures, History, Mini meter, Settings, Send feedback, About and Exit. Exit is the only option that stops Pulse completely; use it if you really want it gone until next time.
What carries on while you aren't looking
Everything important. Pulse records a minute of history at a time, for 30 days by default, covering the PC's CPU, memory, GPU, network and disk, each busy app's use and each sensor's peaks. Alerts keep watching for hot temperatures, a drive whose health declines, high memory and an app using too much data in a day, and each appears as a Windows notification when it fires.
So when you wonder what the PC was doing last night, the History page (Ctrl+3) has the answer, because Pulse was there.
Keeping an eye on things while you work
If you'd like more on screen than the tray graph, turn on the mini meter from the tray menu, File > Mini meter or Settings. It's a small always-on-top window showing CPU, RAM, GPU and network, each with a tiny graph. Drag it anywhere and its position is remembered. Double-click to open Pulse; right-click to open Pulse or close the meter.
A note on the sensor helper
If you use Pulse's optional sensor helper for CPU temperatures, fans and SATA drive health, Windows asks for administrator approval each time Pulse starts it. Pulse by Zaweba itself always starts as a normal user, so the tray icon and history never wait on a prompt.
