Thread Properties dialog box
Use this dialog box find out more about a specific thread. To display this dialog box, move the focus to a Threads view window, or open Messages view and expand a message. Select any thread node in the tree, then choose Properties from the View menu.
General tab, Thread Properties
Use this dialog box to find out more about a specific thread. The Thread Properties dialog box contains one pane, the General tab. The following settings are available:
| Entry | Description |
|---|---|
| Module Name | The name of the module. |
| Thread ID | The unique ID of this thread. Note that thread ID numbers are reused; they identify a thread only for the lifetime of that thread. |
| Process ID | The unique ID of this process. Process ID numbers are reused, so they identify a process only for the lifetime of that process. The Process object type is created when a program is run. All the threads in a process share the same address space and have access to the same data. Choose this value to view the properties of the process ID. |
| Thread State | The current state of the thread. A Running thread is using a processor; a Standby thread is about to use one. A Ready thread is waiting to use a processor because one isn't free. A thread in Transition is waiting for a resource to execute, such as waiting for its execution stack to be paged in from disk. A Waiting thread doesn't need the processor because it's waiting for a peripheral operation to complete or a resource to become free. |
| Wait Reason | This is applicable only when the thread is in the Wait state. Event Pairs are used to communicate with protected subsystems. |
| CPU Time | Total CPU time spent on this process and its threads. Equal to User Time + Privileged Time. |
| User Time | The total elapsed time that this thread has spent executing code in User Mode. Applications execute in User Mode, as do subsystems like the window manager and the graphics engine. |
| Privileged Time | The total elapsed time that this thread has spent executing code in Privileged Mode. When a Windows system service is called, the service often run in Privileged Mode to gain access to system-private data. Such data is protected from access by threads executing in User Mode. Calls to the system might be explicit, or they might be implicit, such as when a page fault or an interrupt occurs. |
| Elapsed Time | The total elapsed time (in seconds) this thread has been running. |
| Current Priority | The current dynamic priority of this thread. Threads within a process can raise and lower their own base priority relative to the base priority of the process. |
| Base Priority | The current base priority of this thread. |
| Start Address | Starting virtual address for this thread. |
| User PC | The user program counter for the thread. |
| Context Switches | The number of switches from one thread to another. Thread switches can occur either inside a single process or across processes. A thread switch might be caused by one thread asking another for information, or by a thread being preempted when a higher priority thread becomes ready to run. |
Related sections
- Search for a thread in Threads view: Explains how to find a specific thread in Threads view.
- Thread Search dialog box: Used to find the node for a specific thread in Threads view.
- Spy++ reference: Includes sections describing each Spy++ menu and dialog box.
- Threads view: Displays a tree view of active threads.
- Using Spy++: Introduces the Spy++ tool and explains how it can be used.