Diagnostic software

i am trying to find a good diagnostic program, can anyone advise me on the best one to look for? a free one would be a bonus  lol   thanx

14,845 views 24 replies
Reply #1 Top

What are you looking for it to do, lou? System Mechanic Pro is a good one, but these programs tend to have a 'mind' of their own and can deem things harmful that aren't... give me more info to work with.

:)

Reply #2 Top

I'm using Everest Ultimate. There is a free Version too, but the pro version shows more information.

Reply #3 Top

"diagnostic" covers one heck of a wide field.....you might need to be a little more specific...;)

Reply #4 Top

lol me be specific? as if  lol

 

ok well the dear beloved pc keeps shutting down without warning, its not the OS but a friend suggested it could be the PSU

yesterday 7 times in a row in shut down and spoiled my artwork

 

maybe a diagnostic program will  check the PSU, HDD etc for any faults  :grin:

Reply #5 Top

Sounds like it could possibly be due to overheating.  You might want to open it up and look to be sure that all your cooling fans are running, including the CPU fan.

Reply #6 Top

thanx lightstar, i have installed speedfan on pc

sometimes it says core temp is 50c other times its less

Reply #7 Top

I assume you are talking Desktop with the factory installed original PSU.

What brand and model of computer, how old is it, and what peripheral devices do you have hooked up to it (including usb ports in use)?

Have you added extra drives or graphics cards?

Does the machine just shut down or does it reboot itself?

Fortunately, PSU's are neither expensive or hard to replace, more so  than a mobo, which could also be the problem.

Reply #8 Top

 

yes its a desktop with original atx600 psu, quad processors and 8 gigs ram

i have several external hard drives plugged in (4) to usb ports, printer and external dvd

 

the machine just closes - no warning and i have to press on/off button on pc and reboot

Reply #9 Top

Do you have  adequate ventilation of the PSU? Many have an intake fan as well as an output fan. Make sure both are clean and running. Speedfan does not monitor the PSU temps, does the discharge air seem overly warm to you?

I suggest unplugging all your external stuff and see if the problem goes away or occurs less often to try to pinpoint the cause as internal, external, or an overloaded PSU.

If you wait awhile before restarting,(let it cool down) does it take longer to shut down on it's own?

Reply #10 Top

thanx wizard

the psu does discharge very warm air - i have just cleaned the intake fan on it (it was blocked with dust) so hopefully that will help. i hadnt noticed the vents on it b4 so thats why they were clogged   :S

Reply #11 Top

Quoting loukeeya, reply 10
thanx wizard

the psu does discharge very warm air - i have just cleaned the intake fan on it (it was blocked with dust) so hopefully that will help. i hadnt noticed the vents on it b4 so thats why they were clogged  
End of loukeeya's quote

 I have a total of 7 fans on my rig and 3 cats in the house. Hairballs!!! :meow: :meow: :meow: Needless to say, I have to clean my fans frequently. Hopefully, it was just an airflow issue on your machine.

Reply #12 Top

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh er touch wood, it seems to be ok at the min. if thats what was causing it i should stand in the corner  lol

 

many thanx for all yr advice   :grin:

Reply #13 Top

Turns out you're not the only one with problems at the moment, lou...

 

Reply #14 Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 13
Turns out you're not the only one with problems at the moment, lou...

 
End of DrJBHL's quote

In that photo, one sucks, one blows, you quess which.:-"

Reply #15 Top

lol am not making any comments   :rofl:

Reply #16 Top

I guess it depends if you're standing in front or in back, no?

Reply #17 Top

I have a total of 7 fans on my rig and 3 cats in the house. Hairballs!
End of quote

As a fellow zookeeper, I have found it very useful to put filter material over the air intake sections of the box.  Nothing too heavy or tight, don't want to choke it off, and nothing that tends to drop strands/filaments.  Something along the lines of low-end furnace filter material if it's not too fuzzy.

Reply #18 Top

Something along the lines of low-end furnace filter material if it's not too fuzzy.
End of quote

'kleenex' tissues or toilet paper work quite well.  2 squares of toilet paper cover my Lian Li inlets quite well.....suction holds 'em in place and the cover covers them [hence its name]...;)

Reply #19 Top

I have a Cooler Master Centurion5 , the entire front is air intake, with filters. The added side fan is also filtered. It sits in a desk, yet it still picks up crud at an alarming rate. I love my cats and my computer, cleaning it is a minor chore to me.

Here is a Dell that came to me for repair. No such luck, it was DOA. Any idea why?

Reply #20 Top

Hey Wiz .... Have a computer with your dust. ;)

Reply #21 Top

well folks....good news, the pc running a treat now its been severely hoovered!!  nice cool air coming out and no shut downs....YIPPEEEEEEEE :rofl:

Reply #22 Top

Wiz...in the top picture...do you have any airflow when you shut the door?

Reply #23 Top

He must.... or there wouldn't bee so much dust.  XD

Reply #24 Top

Quoting CarGuy1, reply 22
Wiz...in the top picture...do you have any airflow when you shut the door?
End of CarGuy1's quote
  Yes, but not as much as I'd like. I never run it with the door fully shut in the summertime. If I was going to, I would knock out the center section and install a speaker grill or similar. 

In the summertime,  it is ajar about an inch or so, and wide open if I'm using the DVD drive.

CPU (9850BE) and GPU (8800GT) temps go up a bit in the summer but in the winter it's cold enough in this room that I can leave it shut if I want.