The Big Picture: The Monthly Bill
The Processes and Performance tabs show right now. They are like a speedometer: once you slow down, the number is gone. But sometimes you ask a different question: "Which app has used the most of my PC this month?"
That is what the App history tab is for. Think of the electricity bill that lists total units used since the last reading. App history is the same kind of bill, for apps. It keeps adding up, and you can read the total any time.
3.1 CPU Time and Network Usage per App over Time
What it is: A table of apps, with running totals of how much CPU and network each one has used since a start date. The date is shown above the table: "Resource usage since 12/09/2025 for current user account" (the exact words may look different on your version).
Resource usage since 01/09/2026 for current user account.
Delete usage history
┌──────────────────────┬──────────────┬───────────┬──────────────────┬──────────────┐
│ Name │ CPU time │ Network │ Metered network │ Tile updates │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────┼───────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┤
│ Mail and Calendar │ 0:12:40 │ 215 MB │ 0 MB │ 0 MB │
│ Microsoft Edge │ 1:05:11 │ 3,840 MB │ 0 MB │ 0 MB │
│ Weather │ 0:00:35 │ 12 MB │ 0 MB │ 1.2 MB │
└──────────────────────┴──────────────┴───────────┴──────────────────┴──────────────┘
Mock-up. Real names, numbers and columns will differ on your PC.
The columns:
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Name | The app |
| CPU time | The total time the processor spent working for this app (hours:minutes:seconds). It is not a percentage |
| Network | Total data sent and received over any connection |
| Metered network | Data used while connected to a metered connection (one where you pay per amount, like a mobile hotspot). You set this in Windows network settings |
| Tile updates | Data used to refresh the live tiles on the Start menu (older Windows 10 feature) |
| Non-metered network | Optional column: the rest of the network use (not on a metered link) |
| Downloads / Uploads | Optional columns, on some versions |
Right-click the column header to add the optional columns.
CPU time vs CPU %: This is the important difference.
| CPU % (Processes tab) | CPU time (App history) | |
|---|---|---|
| Measures | How busy right now | Total work done so far |
| Unit | Percent | Time (h:mm:ss) |
| Goes | Up and down | Only up (until you reset it) |
An app can show 0% now but a large CPU time, because it worked hard earlier. A big CPU time with low network use points to an app that computes a lot. A big network use with low CPU suggests an app that downloads or streams.
The catch: only some apps are listed. By default, App history lists only Store apps (also called UWP apps, Universal Windows Platform apps) like Mail, Weather and the Store itself. Classic programs, like an old-style .exe installed with a setup wizard, are not shown. To see them too, open the Options menu (Windows 10) and choose Show history for all processes. The list then includes every process that ran, even ones that have ended. (In Windows 11 the options are in the settings area at the bottom of the left menu. It may look different on your version.)
Where the data comes from: Windows keeps these counters in a small database and adds to them while the app runs. The totals belong to the current user account. Another user on the same PC has their own history.
Reset the totals: Click Delete usage history to start counting again from today. Nothing else is deleted: only the counters.
Hidden limitation: Because it is per-account and the list is limited, App history is not a perfect audit tool. It is meant as a quick way to spot an app that eats data on a limited plan or battery over time. For exact, detailed history, professionals use other tools (like Performance Monitor), which this course meets later.
Windows tip: On a laptop with a mobile data plan, switch your connection to Metered in Settings → Network & internet. App history will then fill the Metered network column, and you can see which apps used your precious data.
Summary
| Topic | Remember this |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Running totals since a date, not a live view |
| CPU time | Total processor time used (hh:mm:ss), not a percentage |
| Network | Total data used; Metered network counts only metered links |
| Default list | Store (UWP) apps only; turn on "Show history for all processes" for the rest |
| Reset | Delete usage history restarts the counters for this account |