DOS Based PC Diagnostics Software

[jep]

Can you guys help me out? I'm looking for a DOS based diagnostics Software. Which I will use to test my PC. Help Please!!!

[Sylvander]

Tuff-Test Lite = http://www.tufftest.com/free.htm
is the free version of this.
It's a little tricky to make the self booting floppy disk, but worth the effort.
Just start your PC with the floppy in the drive and sit back and watch the tests being completed.
The free version does shortened versions of the tests [only part of the HDD is tested].
You can buy the full version if you like it.

What make of PC do you have?
The Hewlett Packard website gave me a free downloadable Diagnostic Utility that makes a bootable CD or floppy [made both, floppy is best].
I guess it only tests their own hardware.

[Sylvander]

http://www.eurosoft-uk.com/pc_check.htm
My older PC came supplied with "Eurosoft PC-Check".
Serious diagnostic utility this.
I've a nasty suspicion the price will confirm that.

[Paleo Pete]

Will the computer boot to a CD?

Ultimate Boot CD (http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/) has several seperate applications that will test different hardware, and everything I've run from my copy so far works great.

I haven't downloaded or had occasion to use the Emergency Boot CD (http://ebcd.pcministry.com/) yet, but it soounds pretty good, has a good reputation with some of the folks here but it's usefulness in this case depends on what "a lot of other tools" at the bottom of the list means...

Have used Tuff Test before, it does a nice job, and for just the hard drive the best way to go is the manufacturer's diagnostic software, usually available from their website (if you don't already have it on the UBCD). I would use that software for hard drive diagnostics anyway, regardless of what a full system diagnostic program says.

[Sylvander]

EBCD includes [a few that relate to testing hardware]:
1. memtest
2. Drive Fitness Test
3. Monitor Tests [looked very nice tests on screen, don't know how thorough]
4. Aida Hardware info
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There are a large number of DOS commands included also, as follows:
extract.exe, chkdsk.exe, edit.com, scandisk.exe, scandisk.ini,
sys.com, xdel.exe, attrib.exe, format.com, msfdisk.exe
debug.exe, mode.com, expand.exe, choice.com, keyb.com,
diskcomp.com, diskcopy.com, doskey.com, exezbin.exe, fc.exe,
find.exe, mem.exe, more.com, recover.exe, sort.exe,
subst.exe, tree.com, deltree.exe, xcopy.exe, xcopy32.exe,
label.exe, cvt.exe
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Others include:
A. Volkov Commander [a shell]
B. DOS 7.10
C. Scandisk [nice, scans all partitions]
D. Recover MBR
E. Unformat [recover formatted partitions]
F. Unerase [recover erased files]
G. fdisk [partition HDD's]
H. DiskEdit
I. Image [Makes image backup files of Partitions, and restores them, all from outside Windows (DOS)]
"TBIview" for free from http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html works within Windows to restore one or many folders/files from ".img" files [made by Image or whatever].