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Getting Started with PC_Workman

Welcome! This guide covers installation and basic usage.

Choose Your Path

Path 1: "I just want to use it"

→ Go to Quick Install (Windows .exe)

Path 2: "I want to set up from source"

→ Go to Developer Setup

Path 3: "I want to understand how it works"

→ Go to Using PC_Workman

Quick Install (Windows .exe)

Easiest option. No Python required.

Step 1: Download

  1. Go to GitHub Releases
  2. Find latest release
  3. Download PC_Workman.exe
  4. Wait for download (~100MB)

Step 2: Run

  1. Find downloaded file (usually in Downloads folder)
  2. Double-click PC_Workman.exe
  3. If Windows asks "Allow this app to make changes?" → Click Yes
  4. PC_Workman opens → Done!

Step 3: First Use

  1. Main dashboard appears with empty charts
  2. Wait 5-10 seconds for initial data collection
  3. CPU/RAM/GPU bars populate
  4. Start exploring tabs

That's it. No setup required.

Developer Setup (From Source)

Use this if you want to:

  • Modify the code
  • Contribute features
  • Run latest development version
  • Use custom configurations

Prerequisites

Check if you have Python:

python --version

Should show: Python 3.9 or higher

Don't have Python?

  1. Go to python.org/downloads
  2. Download "Python 3.12" (latest)
  3. IMPORTANT: During installation, check "Add Python to PATH"
  4. Click Install
  5. Restart computer

Installation Steps

1. Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/HuckleR2003/PC_Workman_HCK.git
cd PC_Workman_HCK

(Don't have Git? Install it)

2. Create Virtual Environment (Recommended)

python -m venv venv
.\venv\Scripts\activate

You'll see (venv) in terminal = success

3. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Wait 2-3 minutes for completion.

4. Run Application

python startup.py

Window opens → Running!

Using PC_Workman

Main Dashboard (Default View)

Top Section:

  • CPU usage bar (blue)
  • RAM usage bar (yellow)
  • System status indicator
  • Current load classification

Process Lists:

  • User Processes (left) - Apps you use
  • System Processes (right) - Windows background tasks

Charts:

  • Real-time performance graphs
  • Mode selector: NOW, 1H, 4H

Tabs Explained

Dashboard

Real-time overview. Start here. Shows current metrics and top processes.

Your PC

Hardware health monitoring:

  • CPU details (model, cores, speed)
  • RAM information (total, available)
  • GPU status (if available)
  • System temperature and load

Fan Control

Manual fan curve configuration (advanced users):

  1. Click "Custom Curve"
  2. Drag points to set temperatures
  3. System prevents dangerous settings
  4. Save to apply

For beginners: Keep default settings.

Network

Internet usage breakdown:

  • See which apps use bandwidth
  • Monitor data usage
  • Identify resource-heavy applications

Gaming

Game-specific analytics:

  1. Click "Track This Game"
  2. PC_Workman records performance while you play
  3. View FPS data, thermal impact, bottleneck detection
  4. Compare games performance

🎓 Understanding the Metrics

CPU (Blue)

  • 0-30% Normal
  • 30-60% Moderate load
  • 60-85% Heavy load
  • 85%+ Critical

What to do:

  • If consistently high: Close unnecessary apps
  • Click process to identify culprit
  • Check for background tasks

RAM (Yellow)

  • Similar classifications as CPU
  • Shows used vs. available memory
  • Includes cached data (often shows as higher than needed)

What to do:

  • If near 90%: Consider upgrading or closing apps
  • Check Optimize tab for quick fixes
  • Restart if very high after reboots

Temperature

  • Green (<60°C) Ideal
  • Yellow (60-80°C) Normal
  • Orange (80-90°C) Warm
  • Red (>90°C) Hot - investigate

Normal ranges:

  • Idle: 35-50°C
  • Gaming: 70-85°C
  • If above 95°C: Check fans, thermal paste

Configuration

Enable Gaming Analytics

1. Go to Gaming tab
2. Click "Track This Game"
3. Launch your game
4. PC_Workman records data automatically

Optimize Windows

1. Go to Optimization tab
2. Click "Quick Optimize"
3. Or manually select specific optimizations
4. All changes are reversible

Custom Settings

Edit settings/config.json for advanced configuration:

  • Update intervals
  • Data retention periods
  • UI preferences
  • Alert thresholds

Troubleshooting

"PC_Workman won't start"

Try:

  1. Close any open instances
  2. Restart PC_Workman
  3. If still fails: Delete data/cache/ folder
  4. Run again

"Temperatures showing 0°C"

Normal. Real hardware sensors need admin access. v1.5.1 adds proper hardware sensor support.

"GPU not showing data"

Check:

  • GPU drivers updated? (NVIDIA/AMD)
  • Restart PC_Workman
  • Some laptops don't expose GPU data
  • Integrated graphics may need special drivers

"High CPU/RAM with no clear process"

This can happen with:

  • System processes (legitimate Windows tasks)
  • Short-duration spikes (missed by monitoring)
  • Background Windows updates
  • Try restarting if excessive

".exe won't run"

Try:

  1. Run as Administrator (right-click → Run as administrator)
  2. Disable antivirus temporarily (some flag new .exe files)
  3. Check Windows Defender quarantine
  4. Use source installation instead

Common Tasks

Task: Check what's using CPU right now

  1. Look at "User Processes" list on dashboard
  2. Click any process to see details
  3. Identify and close if unnecessary

Task: Monitor while gaming

  1. Start game
  2. Alt+Tab to PC_Workman (stays running)
  3. Watch FPS, temperature, CPU/GPU usage
  4. Click "Gaming" tab for game-specific stats

Task: Find internet hog

  1. Go to Network tab
  2. See apps sorted by bandwidth
  3. Large numbers = heavy usage
  4. Can identify streaming/downloading apps

Task: Optimize startup

  1. Go to Optimize tab
  2. Click "Startup Programs"
  3. Uncheck apps you don't need
  4. Restart PC to apply

Task: Check thermal trends

  1. Go to Your PC tab
  2. Look at "Temperature History" chart
  3. See if temps rising over time
  4. If rising: Fans need cleaning, thermal paste drying

Data Storage

Where Your Data Lives

data/
├── logs/
│   ├── raw_usage.csv          (per-second raw data)
│   ├── minute_avg.csv         (minute averages)
│   ├── hourly_usage.csv       (hourly summary)
│   ├── daily_usage.csv        (daily summary)
│   ├── weekly_usage.csv       (weekly summary)
│   └── monthly_usage.csv      (monthly summary)
└── cache/
    ├── runtime_cache.json     (current session)
    └── process_patterns.json  (identified patterns)

Data Retention

  • Raw data: Last 7 days
  • Minute averages: Last 30 days
  • Monthly summaries: Forever

You can:

  • Delete logs anytime
  • PC_Workman will start fresh
  • Archived data can be backed up

🔐 Privacy Check

PC_Workman collects:

  • CPU/GPU/RAM usage
  • Process names
  • Temperatures
  • Network usage

PC_Workman does NOT:

  • Send anything to cloud
  • Track user behavior
  • Collect personal data
  • Show ads or telemetry
  • Require account creation

Everything stays on your computer. Period.

Next Steps

  1. Explore tabs - Get familiar with interface
  2. Check processes - See what's actually running
  3. Enable gaming - If you game, track performance
  4. Customize - Adjust settings in config.json
  5. Update regularly - New releases add features

Need Help?

Learn More

Happy monitoring! 💙