PLAYING
DOCTOR WITH
PC Diag
If the Swiss Army developed a tool for diagnosing and treating
common PC maladies, we think it would look a lot like PC
Diag. Comprising more than 400 diagnostic tests and utilities,
the software fits on a single floppy disk, with room left
over for voluminous help files, tutorials, and log files.
While you'll still need a decent trauma kit and replacement
parts to get a seriously ill PC up and running, PC Diag
can shave hours of time that might otherwise be spent tediously
examining every component in search of the culprit.
PC Diag operates from any pure DOS environment (such
as Safe Mode command prompt; not that DOS-window fakery),
and tests can be executed in a batch run or individually,
subsystem by subsystem.
Even candystripers will be able to pop is the disk and test
hard drives, floppy drives, I/O ports, CPU, and memory for
an instantaneous, Star Trek-like diagnoses - all while receiving
a basic education on how PC's work (for example, one help
file explains how to interpret Hex dumps from crashed programs).
seasoned professionals can trade up to more sophisticated
PC Diag versions that perform remote diagnostics, back
up the Master Boot Record, and place the systems under heavy
stress for burn-in testing. One of our favorite features
backs up CMOS settings, so a battery swap won't force you
to re-tweak your BIOS.
Young'uns may find the DOS-based interface a bit jarring
to work with, but hey, it's still easier and less awkward
than administering a barium enema. - LOGAN DECKER, MaximumPC
Magazine |