[Sussex] Diagnostic boot disk

[Steve Dobson]

Ronan

On Sat, Jul 02, 2005 at 10:37:54PM +0100, Ronan Chilvers wrote:
> Does anyone know of a useful and simple diagnostic utility / set of
> utilities that runs off a boot disk that can be used for a quick and
> user friendly diagnosis of common hardware faults.  I need it to be
> useable by relatively non-skilled users.  Just needs to do a RAM check,
> simple HDD check, simple FDD check (although a floppy boot disk kinda
> does that already!!), CDROM check, video card check and keyboard /
> mouse check.  (When I say check, I mean a simple yes/no, works/doesn't
> work check).  I could probably cobble together a pile of scripts but it
> would be fab if there was something already out there (likely to be
> waaayyyyy better than my cobblings!!)
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions?

To be honest the sort of simple checks you're asking for are mostly
done by the BIOS before the system boots.  If the BIOS finds fault
with the memory or video card then is make a sound (you better hope
the speaker works).

The problem with a general purpose diagonistic utility set is how
far do they go?  For example my laptop's DVD is broken.  It identifies
it self to the BIOS and on the PCI bus, but I don't think it is 
correct.  Anyway while drivers are loaded if to try and use the thing
it locks up that part of the system.  The reset of the laptop is just
fine, but the CD IO thread is blocked (I assume waiting for an interrupt
that is never going to happen, or something like that).

There are some many different devices (even in the small list you gave)
and so many ways in which hardware can fail that putting together a 
testing utility disk is a mammoth task.  And given that all you appear
to be asking for is "is the device okay" then why not just use a live
CD and if the device works with that it must be okay.  

BTW - I have just burnt 28 copies of Knoppix 3.9 for the BCF tomorrow.
Stop by and buy one.  :-)

Steve D

-- 
Make it right before you make it faster.
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