SilverLeaf
Well-Known Member
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Testing hardware and performing hardware diagnostics is something that we all frequently do. I'm sure everyone has their own procedures and checklists, but I just wanted to share my experience using Parted Magic for this task. This is by no means an exhaustive procedure, but I find that it provides a good foundation for testing and diagnosis, especially for smaller shops, or those operating with limited resources.
I'm sure many of you also use Parted Magic on a regular basis. This has become my tool of choice for many tasks. I find it incredibly well suited for so many things (hardware testing and diagnosis, data recovery, cloning / imaging, disk partitioning,....). When combined with PXE (see this excellent thread for more info), Pmagic becomes even better! Never fear though, if you don't currently have a PXE server, you can always boot from a CD or USB device, its just going to be a little slower to load into memory.
I just wanted to give a quick overview to some of the features included with Pmagic, and how they can be used for hardware diagnostics and testing.
After I check in a computer from a customer, the first thing I do is give it a good cleaning, inside and out, followed by a thorough visual inspection (fan operation, capacitors bulging, cables secure, etc). Next, its on to the bench and Parted Magic.
Boot Pmagic via you preferred method, and you'll be presented with this desktop:
Usually, the first thing I do is plug in a thumb drive and mount it (use the disk icon in the taskbar), so that I can store any reports or screenshots during the process.
Next, I'll generate a list of all of the current hardware (the linux kernel is very good at recognizing most hardware). In the “Start Menu” go to System Tools > LSHW, and refresh the list after it opens. Browse the hardware if you like, then click Save, and save the information to your flash drive as a text file (or alternate format if you prefer). Here's a sample of what you get: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9IE7KXr0pJyQ1V4NE1ZbVkxOTQ/edit
Close application when finished.
Then I start a graphical temperature monitor (System Tools > Psensor) as I will be watching temps during the remaining procedures.
I then fire up GSmartControl (the Disk Health icon on the Desktop) to check the hard disk. After selecting the appropriate drive, I look for red or pink shaded tabs indicating potential issues and perform the standard short and extended self tests.
Next, I test LAN and WiFi functionality. Plug in a network cable and test for functionality with a web browser. Unplug the cable and then click on the Network Icon in the tray at the bottom right of the screen (probably has a red "X" if you unplugged the network cable), and connect to a wireless network.
Then to Multimedia > Test Audio
Finally, it's stress test time. Pmagic includes a program called System Stability Tester (System Tools > System Stability Tester). SST uses various algorithms to calculate pi up to 128 million digits. From the tool's website:
Generally, I select options that will get the machine “breathing hard” for several minutes. You'll get a feel for this (# of digits, turns, and threads) after a while. I usually select the number of threads to match the number of cpu cores.
Here is where the previously mentioned temp monitor comes in. Temperatures will rise quickly. I keep an eye on them for any obvious problems, but what I'm really interested in is how fast the temps go down after the stress test. This is true especially for laptops, where it might be more difficult to determine how well the cooling system is working.
After a little cool down time, I restart and PXE boot into Memtest86+ to finish up.
Anyway, hopefully someone will find this information helpful, or at least become interested enough to further explore Parted Magic and its many other functions. It's a great tool, and I couldn't do without it.
Note: the included screenshots are from a customers HP Pavilion G7 that just underwent a fan replacement.
I'm sure many of you also use Parted Magic on a regular basis. This has become my tool of choice for many tasks. I find it incredibly well suited for so many things (hardware testing and diagnosis, data recovery, cloning / imaging, disk partitioning,....). When combined with PXE (see this excellent thread for more info), Pmagic becomes even better! Never fear though, if you don't currently have a PXE server, you can always boot from a CD or USB device, its just going to be a little slower to load into memory.
I just wanted to give a quick overview to some of the features included with Pmagic, and how they can be used for hardware diagnostics and testing.
After I check in a computer from a customer, the first thing I do is give it a good cleaning, inside and out, followed by a thorough visual inspection (fan operation, capacitors bulging, cables secure, etc). Next, its on to the bench and Parted Magic.
Boot Pmagic via you preferred method, and you'll be presented with this desktop:
Usually, the first thing I do is plug in a thumb drive and mount it (use the disk icon in the taskbar), so that I can store any reports or screenshots during the process.
Next, I'll generate a list of all of the current hardware (the linux kernel is very good at recognizing most hardware). In the “Start Menu” go to System Tools > LSHW, and refresh the list after it opens. Browse the hardware if you like, then click Save, and save the information to your flash drive as a text file (or alternate format if you prefer). Here's a sample of what you get: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9IE7KXr0pJyQ1V4NE1ZbVkxOTQ/edit
Close application when finished.
Then I start a graphical temperature monitor (System Tools > Psensor) as I will be watching temps during the remaining procedures.
I then fire up GSmartControl (the Disk Health icon on the Desktop) to check the hard disk. After selecting the appropriate drive, I look for red or pink shaded tabs indicating potential issues and perform the standard short and extended self tests.
Next, I test LAN and WiFi functionality. Plug in a network cable and test for functionality with a web browser. Unplug the cable and then click on the Network Icon in the tray at the bottom right of the screen (probably has a red "X" if you unplugged the network cable), and connect to a wireless network.
Then to Multimedia > Test Audio
Finally, it's stress test time. Pmagic includes a program called System Stability Tester (System Tools > System Stability Tester). SST uses various algorithms to calculate pi up to 128 million digits. From the tool's website:
Generally, I select options that will get the machine “breathing hard” for several minutes. You'll get a feel for this (# of digits, turns, and threads) after a while. I usually select the number of threads to match the number of cpu cores.
Here is where the previously mentioned temp monitor comes in. Temperatures will rise quickly. I keep an eye on them for any obvious problems, but what I'm really interested in is how fast the temps go down after the stress test. This is true especially for laptops, where it might be more difficult to determine how well the cooling system is working.
After a little cool down time, I restart and PXE boot into Memtest86+ to finish up.
Anyway, hopefully someone will find this information helpful, or at least become interested enough to further explore Parted Magic and its many other functions. It's a great tool, and I couldn't do without it.
Note: the included screenshots are from a customers HP Pavilion G7 that just underwent a fan replacement.
Last edited:
I have a doctor's appointment scheduled for this Friday, I swear 
