# TrafficMonitor User Guide TrafficMonitor is a lightweight network‑monitoring utility for Windows. It shows your current upload/download speed in a small **floating window** on the desktop, and can also embed itself directly into the Windows **taskbar**. Beyond network speed it can display CPU usage, RAM usage, CPU frequency, GPU and disk utilization, hardware temperatures, and today's total traffic — all customizable through skins, display settings, and a plugin system. This guide covers everything you need as a user: installing, getting the floating window and taskbar display working, customizing what is shown, changing skins, enabling hardware monitoring, reading historical traffic, using plugins, and solving common problems. > [!NOTE] > TrafficMonitor runs on Windows 7, 8/8.1, 10, and 11. It is a native desktop application — there is no web interface, no command line, and no configuration file you normally need to edit by hand. Everything is controlled through the right‑click menu and the **Options** dialog. --- ## 1. Quick Start 1. Download the latest release and unzip it to a folder you can write to (for example `D:\Tools\TrafficMonitor\`). 2. Run `TrafficMonitor.exe`. 3. A small **floating window** showing your network speed appears on the screen. Drag it anywhere you like. 4. **Right‑click** the floating window to open the main menu. 5. To show the monitor inside the taskbar instead, right‑click and choose **Show Taskbar Window**. > [!TIP] > The floating window only shows upload/download speed by default. To add CPU and memory, right‑click it and enable **Show More Info**. To choose exactly which items appear in the taskbar, use **Display Settings** (covered in [Section 5](#5-customizing-what-is-displayed)). > [!IMPORTANT] > If Windows shows an error like *"Cannot find MSVC\*.dll"* or *"mfc\*.dll cannot be found"* when you start the program, you are missing the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime. Install the [latest Visual C++ Redistributable](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170) and try again. --- ## 2. Choosing a Version: Standard vs Lite TrafficMonitor ships in two editions. Pick the one that matches your needs. | Capability | Standard | Lite | | --- | --- | --- | | Internet speed monitoring | ✔ | ✔ | | CPU and RAM usage | ✔ | ✔ | | CPU frequency | ✔ | ✔ | | GPU usage | ✔ | ✔ | | Hard‑disk usage | ✔ | ✔ | | **CPU / GPU / disk / motherboard temperature** | ✔ | ❌ | | Network connection details | ✔ | ✔ | | Plugin system | ✔ | ✔ | | Skins | ✔ | ✔ | | **Requires administrator privileges** | Yes | No | > [!NOTE] > Since version 1.86, the Lite version also monitors GPU and disk usage — the **only** thing it lacks is temperature monitoring. The temperature feature is no longer maintained in the main program and has been moved to a separate **Hardware Monitor plugin**. Unless you specifically need built‑in temperature readout, the **Lite version is recommended** because it does not require administrator rights and is more stable. > [!CAUTION] > The hardware temperature feature relies on low‑level hardware access and, according to user reports, can cause higher CPU/RAM usage or even crashes on some machines. If you do not need temperatures, use the Lite version or simply leave hardware monitoring turned off. See [Section 7](#7-hardware-monitoring-cpu-gpu-disk-temperature) before enabling it. --- ## 3. Installation TrafficMonitor is distributed as a portable ZIP archive — there is no installer. === "Standard install (recommended)" 1. Download the latest `.zip` from the [Releases page](https://github.com/zhongyang219/TrafficMonitor/releases/latest). 2. Extract the whole archive into a folder **you have write permission to**. Good choices: a folder under your user directory, `D:\Tools\`, etc. Avoid `C:\Program Files\` unless you intend to run as administrator. 3. Run `TrafficMonitor.exe`. === "Alternate download (mainland China)" If GitHub is slow or unreachable, download from one of the mirrors: - Gitee project page: - Baidu Netdisk: — access code `ou0m` > [!WARNING] > Do **not** run TrafficMonitor directly from inside a `.zip` viewer or from a temporary/extraction folder. The program stores its settings next to the executable (or in AppData if that location is read‑only). Running from a temp folder means your settings cannot be saved. Always extract to a permanent folder first. > [!TIP] > Keep only **one** copy of TrafficMonitor on your computer. Having multiple copies in different folders is the most common reason settings appear to "reset" — you may be launching a different copy than the one you configured. See [Configuration is lost after restart](#error-configuration-is-lost-after-the-next-start-up). ### First‑run checklist - [ ] Extracted to a writable folder - [ ] `TrafficMonitor.exe` launches and a floating window appears - [ ] (Optional) Visual C++ Redistributable installed if you saw a missing‑DLL error - [ ] Right‑click menu opens when you right‑click the floating window --- ## 4. The Two Display Surfaces TrafficMonitor can show its information in two places. You can use either or both. ```text +---------------------------+ Windows Taskbar | ↑: 12.5 KB/s | +-------------------------------------------+ | ↓: 1.20 MB/s | | [Start] ... ↑ 12K ↓ 1.2M CPU 8% 🕓 | | CPU: 8% MEM: 47% | +-------------------------------------------+ +---------------------------+ Floating (main) window Taskbar window (embedded) ``` ### The floating (main) window This is the window that appears when you start the program. You can: - **Move it** — drag with the left mouse button (unless the position is locked). - **Open the menu** — right‑click anywhere on it. - **Trigger a double‑click action** — double‑click to open a configurable target (Task Manager by default). ### The taskbar window The taskbar window embeds the same information *inside* the Windows taskbar so it does not take up desktop space. Enable it with right‑click → **Show Taskbar Window**. It has its own independent settings (colors, fonts, which items to show, alignment), configured under **Options → Taskbar Window Settings**. > [!NOTE] > The taskbar window and the floating window are configured **separately**. Changing the items shown in one does not change the other. This lets you, for example, show only speed in the taskbar but speed + CPU + RAM in the floating window. --- ## 5. Customizing What Is Displayed TrafficMonitor can display the following built‑in items: | Item | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Upload speed | Current outbound network speed | | Download speed | Current inbound network speed | | Total speed | Combined up + down speed | | CPU usage | CPU utilization percentage | | Memory usage | RAM usage (percent, used, or available) | | GPU usage | Graphics card utilization | | Disk usage | Hard‑disk activity | | CPU frequency | Current CPU clock speed | | Today's traffic | Total traffic used today | | CPU temperature | *(Standard / Hardware Monitor plugin only)* | | GPU temperature | *(Standard / Hardware Monitor plugin only)* | | Disk temperature | *(Standard / Hardware Monitor plugin only)* | | Motherboard temperature | *(Standard / Hardware Monitor plugin only)* | ### Show CPU and memory on the floating window Right‑click the floating window and check **Show More Info**. The window grows to include CPU and memory. ### Choose taskbar items with Display Settings 1. Right‑click the **taskbar window**. 2. Select **Display Settings**. 3. Check the items you want (e.g. *CPU and Memory Usage*) and click OK. > [!TIP] > Temperature items only appear in the Display Settings list when the corresponding hardware monitoring is enabled under **Options → General Settings → Hardware Monitoring**. If you don't see temperature options, enable hardware monitoring first. ### Rename the labels (e.g. change "CPU" or "MEM") The text next to each item is fully customizable: 1. Right‑click the taskbar window → **Options**. 2. Go to **Taskbar Window Settings** → click **Display Text Settings**. 3. **Double‑click** the text on the right side of an item to edit it. 4. Click OK twice. > [!NOTE] > Because the label text is customized and saved per‑skin, it does **not** automatically change when you switch the program language. After switching languages, open **Display Text Settings** and click **Restore default** to reset the labels to the new language. ### Reorder and space items (taskbar) You can drag items into a custom order and adjust spacing under **Options → Taskbar Window Settings** (item spacing, vertical margin, window offsets). Free sorting of both built‑in and plugin items is supported. --- ## 6. Skins Skins change the appearance of the **floating window** (background image, colors, fonts, item layout). ### Change the skin Open the right‑click menu → **Other Functions → Change Skin** (also available from the notification‑area icon menu). Pick a skin from the list and apply it. You can download additional community skins from the [TrafficMonitor skin collection](https://github.com/zhongyang219/TrafficMonitorSkin/blob/master/皮肤下载.md). ### Where skins live Skins are stored in the `skins\` folder next to `TrafficMonitor.exe`. Each skin is a subfolder whose name is the skin's name and contains: | File | Purpose | | --- | --- | | `background.bmp` / `background.png` | Background image (horizontal layout) | | `background_l.bmp` / `background_l.png` | Background image (vertical/left layout) | | `skin.ini` | Skin configuration (colors, fonts, item positions, author) | | `skin.xml` | Newer XML configuration (since v1.80) — **required** for temperature and GPU display | > [!IMPORTANT] > A skin that only has `skin.ini` (no `skin.xml`) cannot display temperature or GPU usage. Since v1.85 you can use **PNG** backgrounds (`background.png` / `background_l.png`) to create skins with transparent backgrounds. ### Automatic light/dark skin switching Since v1.85, TrafficMonitor can switch skins automatically based on the Windows light/dark color mode. Configure which skin to use for each mode in the skin settings. > [!TIP] > Want to build your own skin? See the project's skin‑making tutorial on the [Wiki](https://github.com/zhongyang219/TrafficMonitor/wiki/皮肤制作教程). A `skin.ini` lets you set text colors, fonts, the skin author, and the size and position of each displayed item. --- ## 7. Hardware Monitoring (CPU / GPU / Disk Temperature) CPU usage, memory, GPU usage, disk usage, and CPU frequency work out of the box in both editions. **Temperature** monitoring is special. ### Enabling temperature monitoring (Standard version) Temperature monitoring is **off by default**. To turn it on: 1. Open **Options → General Settings → Hardware Monitoring**. 2. Enable the hardware items you want (CPU, GPU, disk, motherboard). 3. After enabling, temperature items become available under **Display Settings** in the taskbar right‑click menu. > [!CAUTION] > Temperature monitoring uses the third‑party [LibreHardwareMonitor](https://github.com/LibreHardwareMonitor/LibreHardwareMonitor) library and low‑level hardware drivers. On some systems this causes increased CPU/RAM usage or crashes. Enable it only if you understand and accept this risk. If your computer becomes unstable, turn **all** hardware‑monitoring items off first. ### The Hardware Monitor plugin (recommended path) In current versions, the built‑in temperature feature is no longer maintained. To monitor temperatures (and extras like fan speed and power), install the separate **Hardware Monitor plugin** from the [plugin download page](https://github.com/zhongyang219/TrafficMonitorPlugins/blob/main/download/plugin_download_en.md#hardware-monitor-plugin). It exposes everything LibreHardwareMonitor can read. ### Make CPU usage match Task Manager On Windows 10+, TrafficMonitor's CPU percentage may differ slightly from Task Manager. To align them, go to **Options → General Settings → Advanced → CPU usage acquisition method** and select **Use the performance counter**. --- ## 8. Historical Traffic Statistics TrafficMonitor records how much data you use each day so you can review it later. - Open it from the right‑click menu (or set it as your double‑click action). - **Calendar View** shows daily usage on a calendar; color intensity indicates how much traffic was used. - **List View** shows traffic grouped by **day, week, month, quarter, or year**. - You can set whether the week starts on Sunday or Monday. > [!NOTE] > Today's upload and download totals can also be shown directly in the floating or taskbar window via the **Today's Traffic** display item. --- ## 9. Plugins Since v1.82, TrafficMonitor supports plugins (`.dll` files) that add new display items, custom drawing, tooltips, and menu commands. ### Installing a plugin 1. Create a `plugins\` folder next to `TrafficMonitor.exe` (same directory level as the executable). 2. Copy the plugin `.dll` into `plugins\`. 3. Restart TrafficMonitor — plugins load automatically at startup. ### Managing plugins Open the right‑click menu → **More Functions → Plugin Management**. From there you can: - View each plugin's name, author, version, and description. - Enable or disable individual plugins. - Open a plugin's own options dialog (if it provides one). - Run plugin‑specific commands. Download official plugins from the [plugin download page](https://github.com/zhongyang219/TrafficMonitorPlugins/blob/main/download/plugin_download.md). > [!TIP] > Developers can write their own plugins against the documented C++ plugin interface. See the [Plugin Development Guide](https://github.com/zhongyang219/TrafficMonitor/wiki/Plugin-Development-Guide) on the Wiki, and the **Plugin Reference** section of the Admin Guide for the full interface. > [!CAUTION] > Plugins are native DLLs that run inside TrafficMonitor with full access to your session. Only install plugins from sources you trust. If the program crashes on startup after adding a plugin, delete the offending `.dll` from the `plugins\` folder. --- ## 10. Common Tasks ### Run automatically when Windows starts Open **Options → General Settings** and check **Auto run when Windows start**. > [!IMPORTANT] > If you later **move** the TrafficMonitor folder, autostart breaks because it points at the old path. To fix it: open **Options → General Settings**, uncheck **Auto run when Windows start**, then re‑check it (or click **Reset autorun**). See [troubleshooting](#error-auto-run-when-windows-start-does-not-work). ### Embed in the taskbar Right‑click the floating window → **Show Taskbar Window**. To hide the floating window entirely and keep only the taskbar display, also enable **Hide Main Window**. ### Lock the window so you don't move it by accident Right‑click → **Lock Window Position**. ### Make the floating window click‑through (mouse penetrate) Right‑click → **Mouse Penetrate**. The floating window will ignore all mouse clicks. > [!NOTE] > When Mouse Penetrate is on, the floating window can no longer open its menu. Use the **notification‑area (system tray) icon** instead — right‑click it to get the exact same menu. The tray icon automatically reappears whenever mouse penetrate is enabled so you are never locked out. ### Choose which network connection is monitored If your speed reads 0 or you have multiple adapters, use the right‑click menu → **Select Network Connections** to pick the adapter to monitor, or use **Refresh Connection List** after switching networks. ### Change the double‑click action Under **Options**, the main window and taskbar window each have a **double‑click action** you can set to: connection details, history traffic, show more info, options, Task Manager, a specific application, change skin, or nothing. --- ## 11. How It Works (Concepts) A short conceptual overview — you don't need this to use the program, but it explains its behavior. - **Network speed** is measured by reading the byte counters of your selected network adapter at a fixed interval (default 1 second) and computing the difference. You can change the interval in **General Settings** (200 ms – 30 s). - **CPU, GPU, disk usage, and CPU frequency** are read through Windows Performance Counters (PDH) — no special drivers needed. - **Temperatures** require the LibreHardwareMonitor library, which needs administrator rights and the .NET runtime — this is why the Standard version requires admin and the Lite version does not. - **Settings** are saved to `config.ini`; **history** to `history_traffic.dat`. These live either next to the executable (portable mode) or in `%AppData%\Roaming\TrafficMonitor\` if the program folder is read‑only. - **Languages** are loaded from external `.ini` files, so the UI is available in many languages (English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Vietnamese, Simplified/Traditional Chinese). For the full configuration‑file reference, file locations, and architecture, see the **Admin Guide**. --- ## 12. Troubleshooting ### Error: The net speed is always displayed as `0KB` **Cause:** TrafficMonitor is monitoring the wrong network adapter, often after a network change. **Solution:** 1. Right‑click → **Select Network Connections** → **Refresh connection list**. 2. If still 0, open **Select Network Connections** and pick your active adapter explicitly instead of **Auto select**. 3. If it still fails, go to **Options → General Settings → Advanced**, click **Select the connection to monitor**, check only the adapter you want, and click OK twice. **Prevention:** On laptops that switch between Wi‑Fi and Ethernet, leave **Auto select** on, or pin the adapter you use most. ### Error: `Unable to Save Settings` **Cause:** The program cannot write to its own directory. **Solution (easiest):** Move TrafficMonitor to a folder you have write access to. **Solution (use AppData):** 1. Restart TrafficMonitor **as administrator**. 2. **Options → General Settings → Configuration and data files → Save to AppData Directory**. **Solution (manual):** In the program folder, create or edit `global_cfg.ini`: ```ini [config] portable_mode = false ``` Save it and restart. This forces settings into `%AppData%\Roaming\TrafficMonitor\`. **Prevention:** Don't run from `C:\Program Files\` without admin rights, and don't run from temporary folders. ### Error: Configuration is lost after the next start‑up **Cause:** You have **multiple copies** of `TrafficMonitor.exe` and are launching a different one than you configured. Each copy saved its config in its own folder. **Solution:** 1. **Options → General Settings → Configuration and data file → Save to AppData** (so all copies share one config). 2. Delete the extra copies you don't need, then open **General Settings** and click **Reset autorun**. ### Error: `Auto run when Windows start` does not work **Cause and fix depend on the version:** - **Lite / pre‑1.80:** Autostart uses a registry key at `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run`. If it fails, verify the key exists and the path is correct. **Running as administrator disables registry autostart** — remove "run as administrator" if set. - **Standard (temperature) version:** Autostart uses a Windows **Task Scheduler** task. Open Task Scheduler (`Control Panel\System and Security\Administrative Tools`) and confirm the TrafficMonitor task exists with the correct `.exe` path. The most common cause for both is that you **moved the program folder** after enabling autostart. Toggle **Auto run when Windows start** off and on again to refresh the path. > [!NOTE] > Third‑party security software may block autostart. Allow TrafficMonitor in your security software if needed. ### Error: The CPU usage shown is inconsistent with Task Manager **Solution:** **Options → General Settings → Advanced → CPU usage acquisition method → Use the performance counter**. ### Error: The net speed value is not fully displayed (cut off) **Cause:** The chosen font's character width plus the configured number of digits exceeds the reserved space. **Solution:** **Options → Taskbar Window Settings → Number of digits** → choose a larger value. ### Issue: Taskbar window overlaps the Windows 11 Widgets button **Solution:** **Options → Taskbar Window Settings → Settings related to Windows 11**, then check **Avoid overlapping with right Widgets**. > [!NOTE] > This option is grayed out if the Widgets button is not shown on your taskbar. ### Issue: "Taskbar window appears to the left of the taskbar" is grayed out (Windows 11) This option only works when the Windows 11 taskbar is **center‑aligned**. With a left‑aligned taskbar there is no room on the left for the window. ### Issue: Taskbar window overlaps taskbar icons when the taskbar is full (Windows 11) This cannot currently be fixed. Workarounds: avoid filling the taskbar, or set **Settings → Merge taskbar buttons** to **Always** in Windows. ### Issue: Taskbar window not visible with a white Windows 10 taskbar **Solution:** **Options → Taskbar Window Settings → Preset → Light Mode**. Optionally enable **Auto adapt to Windows 10 dark/light theme** so colors switch automatically. ### Issue: Taskbar window disappears when HDR is enabled (Windows 10) **Solution:** Turn off **Background Transparent** in **Taskbar Window Settings**, or (v1.85+) switch to **Direct2D rendering** under **Taskbar Window Settings → Rendering Settings**. ### Error: `MSVC*.dll` or `mfc*.dll` cannot be found **Solution:** Install the [latest Visual C++ Redistributable](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170). ### Issue: The program crashes **Solution (in order):** 1. **Options → General Settings → Hardware Monitoring** — turn **all** items off, restart. Most crashes are hardware‑monitoring related. 2. If crashes continue, **Options → General Settings → Advanced → Plugin Management** — disable all plugins, restart. (If the program won't start at all, delete every `.dll` in the `plugins\` folder.) 3. If it still crashes, use **Contact Author** in the **About** dialog and send the crash details. > [!CAUTION] > The author cannot fix crashes that originate inside the hardware‑monitoring library. If disabling hardware monitoring stops the crash, leave it off or use the Hardware Monitor plugin instead. --- ## 13. FAQ **Q: Which version should I download — Standard or Lite?** Use **Lite** unless you specifically need built‑in temperature monitoring. Lite doesn't require administrator rights, monitors GPU and disk usage (since 1.86), and is more stable. For temperatures, add the Hardware Monitor plugin. **Q: Do I need to install anything?** No installer is required — just unzip and run. You only need the Visual C++ Redistributable if you get a missing‑DLL error. **Q: How do I show CPU and memory in the taskbar?** Right‑click the taskbar window → **Display Settings** → check **CPU and Memory Usage**. **Q: How do I change the "CPU"/"MEM" labels?** **Options → Taskbar Window Settings → Display Text Settings**, double‑click the text to edit it. **Q: Why did my custom labels stay in the old language after I switched languages?** Labels are saved as custom text and don't auto‑translate. Open **Display Text Settings** and click **Restore default**. **Q: My speed shows 0 KB — what's wrong?** You're likely monitoring the wrong adapter. Use **Select Network Connections → Refresh connection list**, then pick your active adapter. **Q: Where are my settings stored?** In `config.ini`, either next to the executable (portable mode) or in `%AppData%\Roaming\TrafficMonitor\`. History is in `history_traffic.dat`. **Q: How do I make the window stop moving when I click it?** Right‑click → **Lock Window Position**. **Q: I set Mouse Penetrate and now I can't open the menu. How do I undo it?** Right‑click the **system‑tray icon** (notification area) → uncheck **Mouse Penetrate**. The tray icon's menu is identical to the window's menu. **Q: Can I run it on multiple monitors?** Yes. The floating window can move freely across monitors, and (since v1.86) the taskbar window can be shown on a secondary monitor via **Taskbar Window Settings**. **Q: How do I see how much data I used this month?** Open **Historical Traffic Statistics** and switch to **List View → Month**. **Q: Does it support languages other than English and Chinese?** Yes — including German, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, Korean, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish, Hebrew, Hungarian, and Vietnamese. Choose under **Options → General Settings**. **Q: How do I update the program?** TrafficMonitor checks for updates at startup (toggle this in General Settings). If GitHub is unreachable, set the update source to **Gitee** in General Settings. **Q: Is it safe to enable temperature monitoring?** It can be — but on some hardware it raises resource usage or causes crashes. Try it; if your system becomes unstable, turn it off. Prefer the Hardware Monitor plugin for temperatures. **Q: How do I add fan speed, power, or other sensors?** Install the **Hardware Monitor plugin**, which exposes every sensor LibreHardwareMonitor can read. **Q: Can I make the taskbar text a specific color per item?** Yes. **Options → Taskbar Window Settings → Specify colors for each item**, then click the color block next to **Text Color**. --- ## 14. Quick Reference ### Right‑click menu (most‑used commands) | Command | What it does | | --- | --- | | Show More Info | Add CPU/memory to the floating window | | Show Taskbar Window | Embed the monitor in the taskbar | | Show Main Window | Show/hide the floating window | | Display Settings | Choose which items the taskbar shows | | Select Network Connections | Pick the adapter to monitor / refresh list | | Lock Window Position | Prevent accidental dragging | | Mouse Penetrate | Make the floating window click‑through | | Always On Top | Keep the floating window above others | | Transparency (100/80/60/40) | Set floating‑window opacity | | Change Skin | Switch the floating‑window skin | | Historical Traffic Statistics | Open daily/weekly/monthly traffic history | | Plugin Management | Enable/disable and configure plugins | | Task Manager | Open Windows Task Manager | | Options | Open the full settings dialog | | About | Version info and Contact Author | ### Key file locations | File | Location | Purpose | | --- | --- | --- | | `config.ini` | Program folder *or* `%AppData%\Roaming\TrafficMonitor\` | All settings | | `history_traffic.dat` | Same as `config.ini` | Daily traffic history | | `global_cfg.ini` | Program folder | `portable_mode` switch | | `skins\` | Program folder | Installed skins | | `plugins\` | Program folder | Installed plugin DLLs | ### Useful links - Latest release: - FAQ / Help: [Help_en-us.md](https://github.com/zhongyang219/TrafficMonitor/blob/master/Help_en-us.md) - Wiki (detailed docs, Chinese): - Skins: - Plugins: --- _Generated June 2026 from zhongyang219/TrafficMonitor at 7901ce0. AI-generated documentation. The library is checked by sampling (three repositories so far); this guide was not individually reviewed. Verify against the project before relying on it. Unofficial; not affiliated with or reviewed by the project._