Quickest way to test hardware?

[Xander]

If tufftest will do disk and memory with no need for user interaction in between then I'm well up for that. Does it?

I've only run it from a CD so not looked into scripting but, yes, it does work without interaction.

You have configuration options where you can turn off tests. So far, it seems to lock up during "floppy tests" when there is no floppy drive. A single key in the config turns them off, though and then you hit F9 and leave it alone while it runs all the other tests.

Not bad, overall, for $2.06 CDN.

 

[tarik]

what do people use for diagnosing dead laptops? pcs we dont have a problem with but really looking for something better for diagnosing things down at board level for the laptops.

 

[fixitdaz]

you would use this or this# and this for board level testing

 

[tarik]

No USB solutions yet then

 

[fixitdaz]

No USB solutions yet then

Pmsl



text fill...............................................

 

[tarik]

It's just such a chew on ripping the laptop apart and then testing each individual component and sometimes it's difficult.

 

[ATTech]

No USB solutions yet then

What more would you be testing on a laptop that you couldn't use desktop hardware testing software for? Are you referring to the equivalent of a POST card tester, but for laptops? The only time I've found a POST card to be useful is discerning between a POST/Graphics issue, which is useful in a desktop due to exchangeable or expandable graphics cards, but not too useful in Laptops.

 

[tarik]

in essence yes a post test card like the ones i use on a dektop. Its not so bad with popular models where i can swap parts but sometimes a laptop comes in and you dont know whether its the backlight, the inverter, the dc jack, the graphics chip, the motherboard, the charging board etc.

 

[ATTech]

backlight, the inverter

Unless manufacturers started adding circuitry onto the backlight and added an extra pin to the connector, there would be no way to test the backlight. An extra pin and specific circuitry would be needed as well, to test the inverter.

the dc jack

No way for software to test this. All the computer would be able to do is report if it is plugged in or not, which it typically does in the form of an LED. There isn't any way to logically implement this.

the graphics chip, the motherboard

Really, this is the only feasbile thing that a post card could test for, but so many laptops have embedded graphics, that the utility of a POST card is questionable.

the charging board etc.

Again, no real way to test this without additional circuitry. Even then, the only thing that the computer would report would be whether or not it's receiving power to the board, not whether the power is actually getting to the board.

 

[allanc]

I've only run it from a CD so not looked into scripting but, yes, it does work without interaction.

You have configuration options where you can turn off tests. So far, it seems to lock up during "floppy tests" when there is no floppy drive. A single key in the config turns them off, though and then you hit F9 and leave it alone while it runs all the other tests.

Not bad, overall, for $2.06 CDN.

I purchased this a couple of weeks ago and it 'hung' on 1 of the two PCs that I tried it on.
During the testing of the first block of memory in the extended memory test, 'testing' was continually flashing.
After an hour or more, I tried to cancel the program which was unresponsive just like their technical support Email.

 

[Xander]

I just dusted off my TuffTest CD. The test locked up during what I think was supposed to have been a Floppy test. The system doesn't have one. Out of curiousity, I went to their site to find they not only haven't updated their copyrights in two years but also haven't updated the software. I wrote them asking about that but I'm thinking it's abandoned.

 

[DCGPX]

It is abandoned in my opinion as well, I have Tufftest and still use it but its never been updated since 3.53. Has its uses though, I do like it for media testing

 

[easytechnician]

Take a look at Hirens, it has some great testing utilities on an xp-mini bootable iso....I really like Sardu as well so I can put multiple medias in one convenient place....

 

[JustInspired]

Take a look at Hirens, it has some great testing utilities on an xp-mini bootable iso....I really like Sardu as well so I can put multiple medias in one convenient place....

ooh! Careful, you'll get some flak for saying the'H' word.

 

[easytechnician]

ooh! Careful, you'll get some flak for saying the'H' word.

Okay I missed it and now intrigued...what about the H word?

 

[cprompt]

Okay I missed it and now intrigued...what about the H word?

I believe you'll find that although Hiren's has lots of great stuff (I have not actually ever used it - just read about it here), it contains some software that violates the license terms of the programs. Hence, it's one of those things that on the one hand has great value, but on the other hand some of those programs are not necessarily legal for us to use......

 

[easytechnician]

I believe you'll find that although Hiren's has lots of great stuff (I have not actually ever used it - just read about it here), it contains some software that violates the license terms of the programs. Hence, it's one of those things that on the one hand has great value, but on the other hand some of those programs are not necessarily legal for us to use......

Researched it and noticed, while there are only 5 programs on it that I use and all are in fact freeware, I am not sure why but I had never considered the Mini-XP environment to be unlicensed or against terms...so will be rectifying the situation for future procedures

 

[BillMoney]

for hard drive i prefer the manufacturers diag tool. Memtest for memory, prime 95 to torture test combined with online stopwatch

 

[smashedbotatos]

It is abandoned in my opinion as well, I have Tufftest and still use it but its never been updated since 3.53. Has its uses though, I do like it for media testing

I like tuftest for hard drive scanning too.

 

[16k_zx81]

what do people use for diagnosing dead laptops? pcs we dont have a problem with but really looking for something better for diagnosing things down at board level for the laptops.

I just do it manually but know of people that use this sort of thing for board level diagnostics http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCI-Analyze...herboard_Diagnostic_Cards&hash=item20bd369fb9

can plug into Laptop Mini PCI / Mini PCI-E / LPC

gives a readout of what it sees