How to sustain your data collector set through a reboot!

This is a special post, from the Microsoft Premier Field Engineers (PFE) Vital Signs Instructors alias…something we felt should be shared.

EDIT 2016: Note that Clint Huffman made a post to do this in logman in a black box recorder stype. I recommend following that too if you need the functionality: Clint's world, party time, excellent

If you had noticed, it’s difficult to sustain a data collector set in Perfmon for 2008 R2 through a reboot, so it automatically starts after the reboot.  Well, here is how to make it work properly.

1. Define a User Defined Data Collector Set in Perfmon. You don’t have to define any schedule for it.

2. Go to Start -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Task Scheduler

3. Browse to Task Scheduler Library -> Microsoft -> Windows –> PLA

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4. Enable Hidden Tasks (View ->  Show Hidden Tasks)

5. You should see all your User Defined Data Collector Sets in here.

6. Open your set, go to Triggers and set up “At Startup“ trigger

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Hope this helps you with your performance data collection needs!

Special shout out to Martin Vokurek in Prague for developing the details on this!