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Main » 2010 » May » 31 » Five Best Computer Diagnostic Tools
12:57 PM Five Best Computer Diagnostic Tools |
Computers
are easier to use and more dependable with each new generation of
hardware and operating system update, but that doesn't mean they're
problem-free. Here's a look at the five most popular tools for
troubleshooting your computer problems.
SIW (Windows, Free)
If
things haven't gotten bad enough that you're forced to take refuge with
a Live CD, SIW is a Windows-based diagnostic tool that can help you get
to the bottom of things. SIW is incredibly detailed in its analysis,
next to nothing is left uncatalogued from the timings of your memory
modules to the DLL files loaded to what applications you have set to
autorun at startup. Even if you're not currently experiencing any
computer issues SIW gives you a really interesting peek inside your
computer.
Hiren's BootCD (Live CD, Free)
Hiren's
BootCD is an impressive toolkit rolled into one packed DOS-based Live
CD. Sporting over a hundred separate diagnostic and repair tools,
Hiren's BootCD can help you do everything from diagnose a memory
problem to clone a disk to speed test your video card. If you can't
find out what is wrong with your computer after running through all the
tools on Hiren's BootCD the diagnostic answer you may end up at is
"Time to buy a new computer." A note about Hiren's BootCD: many of the
diagnostic tools gathered on the disc are abandonware or older versions
of still produced commercial software. The legal status of Hiren's
BootCD is murky so Hiren doesn't directly host the disc image himself.
You'll need to search Google to find locations like here
and here where the disc is hosted. If you're not comfortable with murky
areas of Hiren's method for assembling the boot disc you'll find plenty
of other excellent boot discs in this Hive Five that contain only
freeware and open-source software.
Google/Search Engines (Web-based, Free)
Your
first reaction to the phrase "computer diagnostic tool" might not be
"Google!", but every computer diagnosis begins with the user wondering
what the error code or chain or events leading up to the error means.
We've solved countless problems around the Lifehacker office by simply
plugging in an error code or describing the problem in common terms and
letting Google do the heavy lifting. Google tirelessly kicks back
thousands of web pages, forum posts, and even old Usenet postings to
help you drill down to your specific issue. Your favorite search engine
isn't necessarily a diagnostic tool in the traditional sense, but it
should be the first place you stop whenever you have a computer issue.
Many of the solutions we've found over the years using Google were
extremely specific and pointed us towards using a just-for-that-problem
application or tweak we would have never found otherwise.
Ubuntu Live CD (Live CD, Free)
You'll find no shortage of Live CDs
for Linux distributions, but Ubtuntu has a particularly user-friendly
Live CD and many people have experience with Ubuntu outside of
diagnostic work, both make an Ubuntu Live CD extra appealing. You can
use an Ubuntu Live CD to test your computer's memory, recover data, or
scan your computer for viruses among other tasks. Live CDs are great
for giving you a platform to work off of independently of your troubled
system and an Ubunutu Live CD has the benefit of an enormous community
of Ubuntu users and all the accompanying how-to guides and information.
Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (UBCD4Win) (Live CD, Free)
If
you're a Windows user and you're not comfortable going back to your
roots with a DOS-based boot disc and you definitely don't feel
comfortable with a Linux one then UBCD4Win is just what you're looking
for. UBCD4Win's strongest selling point is the stripped down version of
Windows XP—Windows PE—which makes it dead simple for Windows users to
jump in and start using the numerous diagnostic tools on UBCD4Win. When
your version of Windows is flaking out on you it's comforting to jump
into Live CD version of Windows to continue your diagnostic work
without having to mess around with the nuances of using a Linux Live CD.
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Category: Useful Articles |
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Added by: cyber95
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