1-866-289-7237

Answer: Yes. Wiring diagrams for 9-pin and 25-pin serial port loopbacks and 25-pin parallel port loopbacks are posted at http://www.pc-doctor.com/downloads.php. This information is provided as a courtesy to our customers. PC-Doctor does not offer assistance for problems related to personally manufactured loopback adapters.

Answer: No, loopback adapter sets are only available as part of PC-Doctor Service Center or for large volume purchases.

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: A local printer attached to the PARALLEL port cannot be used while PC-Doctor is running. Reports and test logs can be sent to a network printer or a USB printer (Windows and Linux only), or saved on disk for later printing.

Answer: This will often occur if the device driver is not configured properly in Windows. Check the PC-Doctor test logs for additional troubleshooting information.

Answer: Yes. The DOS version of PC-Doctor runs outside of the primary operating system, and can therefore test the computer regardless of what operating system is stored on the hard drive.

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: PC-Doctor does not check for computer viruses. You should use a commercially available anti-virus program to protect your computer(s), and keep the software up to date.

Answer: Ensure that your audio adapter is in SoundBlaster compatibility mode.

Answer: A SCSI drive cannot be detected in DOS unless a device driver is loaded. If a PC-Doctor diagnostic test reports a test result of N/A, load the appropriate device driver (or enabler) and run the test again.

Answer: PC-Doctor for Linux only runs on Linux kernels 2.6.8 and above.

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: No, but we can work with you to support these operating systems. Contact the sales team at sales@pc-doctor.com or +1 (775) 336-4000 for additional information.

Answer: PC-Doctor for Linux can support many different distributions, including Red Hat, Fedora, SuSe, Gentoo, and many custom environments

Answer: PC-Doctor works with kernel versions 2.4 and 2.6. If your compiled kernel is significantly different from standard distributions, we can work with you to ensure PC-Doctor integrates and functions properly.

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: Yes, 64-bit versions of PC-Doctor for Windows are available. Contact our sales team at sales@pc-doctor.com or +1 (775) 336-4000 for more information.

Answer: Yes, the standard version of PC-Doctor for Windows works on Windows Media Center Edition. For more information, go to http://www.pc-doctor.com/pcd_windows.php. PC-Doctor versions are also available that operate within the Media Center interface. Contact our sales team at sales@pc-doctor.com or +1 (775) 336-4000 for more information.

Answer: Yes, PC-Doctor provides solutions that operate on Windows PE. Contact our sales team at sales@pc-doctor.com or +1 (775) 336-4000 for more information.

Answer: Yes, the standard version of PC-Doctor for Windows works on all versions of Windows Server 2003. For more information, go to http://www.pc-doctor.com/pcd_windows.php.

Answer: If PC-Doctor was pre-installed on your computer, the manufacturer probably provided you with recovery CDs, a mechanism to create recovery CDs, or a recovery program on the computer. Follow the instructions that came with your computer to reinstall PC-Doctor. If you have the original PC-Doctor installation files, simply run the Setup program.

Answer: We recommend you do not uninstall PC-Doctor. It can help you when your computer is not working properly. If PC-Doctor was pre-installed on your computer, removing the software can cause unnecessary delays if you need technical support from the manufacturer.

PC-Doctor can be removed by using the Add / Remove Programs applet found in Control Panel.

Answer: To find and edit the CLASSPATH variable, follow these steps:

1. Open the Control Panel. This can be found in the Start Menu. Double click on the System icon; this should open the "System Properties" dialog.
2. Select the Advanced tab; at the very bottom of the tab will be an "Environment Variables" button.
3. Click on the "Environment Variables" button to open the "Environment Variables" dialog.
4. Look for the CLASSPATH variable in the "System Variables" frame. Select the CLASSPATH variable and click on the Edit button; an "Edit System Variable" window will open.
5. Edit the variable value by adding a semicolon at the end of the line. The value should be something like this before you edit it: C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2\lib\ext\QTJava.zip. It will look like this after you edit it: C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2\lib\ext\QTJava.zip;
6. Select "OK" in the "Edit System Variable" dialog.
7. Select "OK" in the "Environment Variables" dialog.
8. Select "OK" in the "System Properties" dialog.
9. Now attempt to run your PC-Doctor product again.

Answer: Scandisk is a utility provided with the Windows Operating Systems. Microsoft has provided a number of articles on the Microsoft Knowledge Base to help resolve problems running Scandisk at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q287914.

Answer: If PC-Doctor was preinstalled on your computer, contact the computer manufacturer to find out if they have an update available for your PC. We maintain a scrolling list of links to manufacturers' websites on the right side of our home page at http://www.pc-doctor.com/. In most cases, manufacturers only support the operating system that was originally shipped with a PC.

Answer: The Network Test may fail because:

1. The network cable is not connected. If the network cable is not connected, the Network Test cannot pass network traffic, and therefore fails.
2. The device on the other end of the Ethernet cable may prevent some network traffic from passing through.

Answer: Defrag is a utility provided by Microsoft in the Windows operating system. A help page is available that lists Microsoft knowledgebase articles regarding the use of Defrag at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q286263

Answer: PC-Doctor Service Center and PC-Doctor for Windows NT will run on Windows NT 4.0. For more information, go to http://www.pc-doctor.com/pcd_windows.php. If you require a different solution, please contact our sales team at sales@pc-doctor.com or +1 (775) -336-4000.

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: The process is described in the Service Center User's Guide available on the Service Center CD. If you are a licensed customer of Service Center and need a copy of the User's Guide, please contact our sales department at sales@pc-doctor.com.

Answer: The process is described in the Service Center User's Guide available on the Service Center CD. If you are a licensed customer of Service Center and need a copy of the User's Guide, please contact our sales department at sales@pc-doctor.com.

Answer: PC-Doctor Service Center support is always available at http://www.pc-doctor.com/support.php.

Answer: The Service Center CD is a bootable disc for systems that support booting from a CD. For systems that must boot from a diskette, follow the instructions on the CD to create a bootable diskette.

NOTE: The parallel port adapter must be attached to run PC-Doctor Service Center for DOS.

Answer: The DOS portion of Service Center requires a parallel port for the dongle (software key), and cannot be run on a system without a parallel port. An optional USB licensing dongle is available that allows the Windows portion to run on systems without a parallel port. Contact servicecenter.sales@pc-doctor.com for more information.

Answer:

1. Install gives you full control over the installation process. You can select the path and the Start menu group, and choose whether you want PC-Doctor to automatically uninstall the next time the system is started. This option is a good choice for your personal system while you are becoming familiar with PC-Doctor or if you want to keep PC-Doctor installed for extended testing.
2. Quick Install and Run is for normal testing in the field or repair center. You can begin testing in a few moments, and PC-Doctor will automatically uninstall the next time the computer boots.

Answer: The User's Guide is included on the Service Center CD. If you are a licensced customer of Service Center and need a copy of the User's Guide, please contact our sales department at sales@pc-doctor.com.

Answer: The disk is used to test systems that cannot boot from a CD. The diskette is also used to store test logs and system information reports.

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: Please visit our website at http://www.pc-doctor.com. Or contact us at 775.336.4000 or by email sc5.sales@pc-doctor.com.

Answer: Restart the computer with the Service Center CD in the optical drive. The system must support booting form a CD.

Answer:

• PC-Doctor Service Center 5 provides hardware testing and system information gathering tools for both Microsoft Windows and DOS operating systems.
• When running under Windows, all PC-Doctor Service Center 5 functions are performed through an easy to use interface. In addition, Service Center 5 for Windows provides direct access to common Windows utilities such as Control Panel, Device Manager, Volume Control and others with just a touch of a button.
• PC-Doctor Service Center 5 for DOS provides access to command-line and batch file functions. In addition, both versions of PC-Doctor Service Center 5 (DOS and Windows) can run directly from the CD without installing to the hard drive.

Answer: To find and edit the CLASSPATH variable, follow these steps:

1. Open the Control Panel. This can be found in the Start Menu. Double click on the System icon; this should open the "System Properties" dialog.
2. Select the Advanced tab; at the very bottom of the tab will be an "Environment Variables" button.
3. Click on the "Environment Variables" button to open the "Environment Variables" dialog.
4. Look for the CLASSPATH variable in the "System Variables" frame. Select the CLASSPATH variable and click on the Edit button; an "Edit System Variable" window will open.
5. Edit the variable value by adding a semicolon at the end of the line. The value should be something like this before you edit it: C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2\lib\ext\QTJava.zip. It will look like this after you edit it: C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2\lib\ext\QTJava.zip;
6. Select "OK" in the "Edit System Variable" dialog.
7. Select "OK" in the "Environment Variables" dialog.
8. Select "OK" in the "System Properties" dialog.
9. Now attempt to run your PC-Doctor product again.

Answer: If the original PC-Doctor CD is inserted in a write-capable drive, PC-Doctor for DOS will run without a parallel port.

Answer:

• More than 200 diagnostics in the Windows and DOS versions to help identify system hardware issues.
• Easy-to-use, graphical user-interface to help the end-user quickly launch tests for a specific device or device category.
• Real-time display of test status and test progress to assist the end-user with timely information.
• Easy access to built-in test scripts to streamline the testing process.
• Drag-and-drop Script Editor to create automated test scripts on-the-go.
• Direct access to common Windows utilities.
• Detailed System Information provides information related to hardware components, such as associated drivers or configuration settings.
• Clear and concise online help with detailed description of test modules.

Answer: PC-Doctor recommends the following system requirements for systems running Service Center 5:

• For Service Center 5 for Windows: Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP and 36 MB of hard disk space
• For Service Center 5 for DOS: write-capable optical drive or parallel port.
• For Service Center 5 for Windows, system must have an available USB port.

Answer: PC-Doctor, Inc. will continue to support our customers using products built on earlier architectures until they transition to PC-Doctor Service Center 5. If you have any other questions related to making a transition, please contact your PC-Doctor Customer Relationship Manager.

Answer:

• PC-Doctor Power Supply Tester. This device allows you to test the integrity of your power supply and power supply cables.
• PC-Doctor PCI POST Card. This device allows you to test the integrity of your systemboard when the system attempts to Power On Self Test (POST).
• PC-Doctor Service Center 5 CD-ROM and DVD Test Media. There are two forms of test media: a CD-ROM test disc and a DVD test disc for use when conducting tests on optical drives.
• PC-Doctor Service Center 5 128MB USB Flash Drive. This device can be used as a test device or storage device for test scripts and test logs.
• PC-Doctor Service Center 5 Loopback Adapters. These color-coded loopback adapters (also called loopback plugs or wrap plugs) allow testing of system input/output (I/O) ports using external loopback signals. Each adapter is for a specific port.

Answer: PC-Doctor Service Center 5 is an integrated suite of PC diagnostics, system information tools and hardware test devices. Used by technicians to troubleshoot PCs, it includes both Windows and DOS versions of PC-Doctor's industry-leading diagnostic software. PC-Doctor Service Center 5 enables fast, effective diagnosis of hardware issues, even when the operating system will not boot.

Answer: PC-Doctor Service Center 5 for DOS includes Caldera DOS. PC-Doctor Service Center 5 for Windows supports Windows 2000, XP, and 2003. PC-Doctor Service Center 2.9 is also included for legacy system support, which will run on Windows 98, 98SE, ME, and NT4.

Answer:

• Enterprise PC service organizations
• PC repair centers
• Mobile PC technicians
• Small PC manufacturers
• Low-volume warranty repair centers
• Hobbyists

Answer: The PC-Doctor 5 architecture provides more detailed information in less time, reducing costs and improving PC quality. Maintenance of the installed user base is also greatly simplified.

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: The Multipurpose USB Device is a dongle in addition to a test and indicator device. It must remain plugged in for all Service Center use in both Windows and DOS.

Answer: By default, the USB Loopback Test can use any USB device as a test device. If you want to use the included USB/Parallel Port Loopback adapter as a test device, you need to add the following line to the USBTEST.ini file:

iUsingUsbWrap=1

The default value for this is 0, which specifies that any USB device will work for the USB Loopback Test.

Answer: Anytime a Service Center dialog box or user prompt appear on-screen, the Multipurpose USB Device will flash the attention signal. This simply indicates you need to take action with the user prompt or dialog box before Service Center proceeds. If a user prompt or dialog box has a defined time limit for remaining open, the Multipurpose USB Device will flash the attention signal. If the defined time limit passes without user interaction, the test will record a N/A result in the test log but the Multipurpose USB Device will signal as Passed. To alter the behavior for timed prompts, add the following parameter to the [PCDR] section of the PCDR.ini:

iLedAttnType=

This parameter supports three values:

Value 0: This value will not generate an Attention Required signal when user prompts appear on screen.

Value 1: This value will generate an Attention Required signal for any prompt that does not include a defined time limit.

Value 2: This value will generate an Attention Required signal for all user prompts.

Answer: The Hard Drive Pattern Test will only run on hard drives formatted as FAT or NTFS. It will not run on unformatted drives. You might see similar errors if the test encounters any empty sectors on the drive.

Answer: If you remove the Multipurpose USB Device after starting up Service Center for DOS, you will need to reboot the system to reestablish authentication.

Answer: When booting from the Multipurpose USB Device, if both the green and yellow LEDs illuminate and the system hangs, this indicates a firmware defect which may affect the operation of your system. Contact the system or motherboard manufacturer for information on updating the firmware or BIOS.

Answer: If your Multipurpose USB Device has been corrupted or offline Service Center diagnostics are not available, you can recover it using the Multipurpose USB Device Restore Tool. For more information, SEE ALSO "Install Options Menu" on page 12.

Answer: You may need to insert the Multipurpose USB Device into an available USB port. The Multipurpose USB Device must always remain plugged into an available USB port when running Service Center for Windows

Answer: This is a known issue which we have since resolved and that will be in the next product update. Any USB thumb drive will work with this test and can be used instead of testing with a USB mouse or keyboard.

Answer: Use the following troubleshooting steps in the order they are listed:

1. Does the Multipurpose USB Device function in Service Center 6 for Windows? If not, restore the device by using the Restore Multipurpose USB Device link on the Service Center for Windows installer menu.
2. Does the Multipurpose USB Device function on other systems running Service Center 6 for Windows? If not, contact technical support
3. Can you boot directly from the Multipurpose USB Device into DOS? If not, restore the device using the Restore Multipurpose USB Device link on the Service Center 6 for Windows installer menu.
4. Ensure the BIOS is set to enable USB hard drive (HDD) booting.
5. Ensure the BIOS has the Multipurpose USB Device set as the first boot device.
6. Ensure the BIOS is set to support legacy USB.
7. In the BIOS, change the USB emulation to Auto. If that does not work, change the USB emulation to Hard Drive (HDD). If that does not work, change the USB emulation to Floppy Disk (FDD).
8. You may need to try various combinations of the above BIOS settings to support the Multipurpose USB Device.
9. Some systems require you to change the USB speed in order to boot.
10. Some systems require you to disable legacy floppy support to boot from USB.
    NOTE: Some systems may require a BIOS update. Consult the system manufacturer's website.
11. If you have not restored the Multipurpose USB Device in a previous step, restore the device at this time. Select Restore Multipurpose USB Device from the Service Center 6 for Windows installer menu.
12. Try booting from the Service Center 6 CD instead of from the Multipurpose USB Device. Set the system BIOS to boot from CD as the first device. Insert the Service Center 6 CD into the CD or DVD drive and ensure the Multipurpose USB Device is inserted. Reboot the system.
13. If the above steps have not resolved your issue, contact technical support

Answer: You may need to alter BIOS settings. In the system BIOS configuration, position the boot device order so that USB is the first boot option. You may also need to enable USB legacy support. For more information on BIOS configuration settings, consult with the system documentation or a system support representative for your system.

Answer: You specified an invalid command line switch. For more information on supported command line switches, SEE ALSO "Appendix A - DOS Command Line Switches" on page 56.

Answer: You specified an invalid number with the /ba:xx switch. You must select a number from 1 through 10 (corresponding to an existing overlay). Make sure the overlay you specify exists. For more information on test overlays, SEE ALSO "Overlays" on page 44.

Answer: This is most likely because you have deleted a file in DOS that references a long file name in Windows. DOS does not support long file names. You can define a long file name as any file name with more than eight characters or any file extension with more than three characters. If DOS encounters a long file name, it will rename it to support the DOS filename standard. This means DOS will keep the first seven characters of the filename and append a tilde ( ~ ) symbol at the end to indicate the filename has been truncated so that DOS can read it.

When DOS truncates a file in this way, it essentially breaks the file up into multiple pointers that allow Windows to recognize the file even if the filename has been truncated. If you delete the file in Windows, it will recognize the file and all of its pointers as a single file. However, if you attempt to delete a file with a truncated file name in DOS, it will only recognize the file itself and ignore the filename pointers, leaving them in the directory. This will prevent you from deleting the directory in DOS and the filename pointers are inaccessible in Windows.

If you need to delete a file with a truncated filename on the Multipurpose USB Device, delete the file from within Windows. If you have already deleted files in DOS with truncated filenames and need to restore the directory structure, use the Multipurpose USB Device Restore Tool to restore it to its original configuration. For more information on the Multipurpose USB Device Restore Tool, SEE ALSO "Install Options Menu" on page 12.

Answer: BIOS system information reports will occasionally show a difference in information for specific devices compared to the same device found in an SMBIOS system information. This is because the SMBIOS information for a device is provided by the device vendor. If there is a discrepancy in device information between BIOS and SMBIOS, it will probably not affect performance. However, it might indicate that the BIOS vendor or system (motherboard) manufacturer did not take the additional steps to ensure that the BIOS information was correct. The real value in this is seeing SMBIOS information in a Service Center system information report without having to reboot the system and access the BIOS directly.

Answer: All the Multipurpose USB LEDs will flicker when you first insert it into a USB port. If the LEDs continue to flicker at a fast pace or appear dimly lit, it may indicate that the USB port is running at a low bus voltage, which may prevent Service Center from running. If this occurs, try plugging the Multipurpose USB Device into another USB port (for example, moving from a port on the front to a port on the back). If the issue still occurs, use the PC-Doctor Power Supply Tester to ensure a faulty power supply is not the problem. There may be other problems on the system board that would cause low bus voltage that the Power Supply tester cannot detect.

Answer: The green LED will illuminate when the USB Multipurpose Device is first plugged in. It will then periodically flash the yellow LED. The yellow flashing LED only occurs when the operating system is accessing the Multipurpose USB Device. For more information on the Multipurpose USB Device signals, SEE ALSO "Multipurpose USB Device" on page 6.

Answer: This often occurs if the device driver is not configured properly in Windows.

Answer: A list of BIOS Post codes is available on the Service Center webpage.

Please note: this list of BIOS Post Codes is by no means exhaustive, and post codes are subject to change by the manufacturer without notice. Post codes vary by manufacturer, chipset, and board. Finding the post codes applicable to your application may require some detective work and liberal use of a search engine.

Answer: The Surface Scan Hard Disk utility has two subtests, Write/Verify Test and Write/Read Test, which under normal circumstances run without destroying data. However, if the PC loses power or you restart it while testing is in progress, you may lose data. Service Center for DOS displays a warning about potential data loss when you select these tests. Do not turn off or reboot the PC while either of these tests run.

Answer: This problem only occurs with FAT32 and NTFS disk partitions. DOS cannot access the FAT32 or NTFS partition information and the Service Center for DOS Logical Drive Info module will not reflect this information. However, Service Center for DOS hard drive testing is not affected by this problem.

Answer: PC-Doctor cannot test some devices in DOS unless you install the device driver first. If a PC-Doctor diagnostic test reports N/A for a device, ensure that the appropriate device driver (or enabler) is installed and run the test again. In many cases PC-Doctor can provide system information for devices even if it cannot test them. The categories PCI Info, PnPISA Info, PCMCIA Info, and DMI Info on the Hardware Info menu report information about devices whether their drivers are installed or not.

Answer: Systems with less than 128MB of memory cannot run tests in parallel due to limited memory space. However, you can still run tests sequentially.

Answer: One or more PC-Doctor diagnostic tests produced a failure. Review the test log for additional details. This error message can also occur if you use the wrong test ID with the /rt command line switch. For a complete list of test IDs, SEE ALSO "Appendix B - DOS Test IDs to use with /RT:" on page 62.

Answer: This may indicate that the system BIOS is not configured to support USB devices as storage devices. Consult the system documentation or a system support representative for information on updating or configuring the system BIOS.

Answer: The Diskette Drive category includes two destructive subtests, resulting in loss of data: Linear Write/Read and Linear Write/Random Read tests. These tests will destroy any data on the disk. You must manually select these tests, which produces a warning message explaining the possible loss of data. Use a blank formatted disk when running the Diskette Linear Write/Read and Linear Write/Random Read tests.

Answer: You can request download of our new product simulation of PC-Doctor for Windows by completing our Simulation Request Form located at http://www.pc-doctor.com/simulations.php

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: PC-Doctor Service Center is available from our online store at http://www.pc-doctor.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=1. Other products are described at http://www.pc-doctor.com/product_listings_all.php. To purchase these products, contact our sales team (sales@pc-doctor.com or +1 (775) 336-4000).

Answer: Yes. Please contact our Sales Team (sales@pc-doctor.com or +1 (775) 336-4000 directly for volume pricing and solutions information.

Answer: PC-Doctor is designed using Modular Core TechnologyTM (MCT). Each diagnostic test module or information-reporting function stands by on its own and does not depend on any other module to function. Using MCT, PC-Doctor can develop tests more quickly and deliver targeted solutions by combining different modules. The core set of modules provided by PC-Doctor can be extended by integrating modules developed by PC makers, hardware vendors and others.

Answer: PC-Doctor provides diagnostic testing software for the entire PC lifecycle: development, manufacturing, support and service. For additional information about PC-Doctor products, visit http://www.pc-doctor.com/product_listings_all.php, email sales@pc-doctor.com or call +1 (775) 336-4000.

Answer: PC-Doctor's strength lies in its ability to detect faulty hardware devices. If a physical device is faulty, it is not possible for a software product to fix it. Usually, the device requires servicing or replacement — a task best left to computer professionals. Other software products focus on addressing software-related problems such as missing DLLs, registry errors, and system crashes. These software problems can be fixed by replacing the missing DLL, restoring the registry settings, or catching the system crash before it occurs.

If a system is not operating correctly:

1. Run PC-Doctor to see if it is a hardware problem.
2. If PC-Doctor indicates a hardware problem, repair or replace the hardware.
3. If the hardware passes all diagnostic tests, it is most likely a software problem. Get assistance from the maker of the device, software application, or operating system. Consider using a software product that specializes in software-related problems.

Answer: Currently, PC-Doctor for Windows and Linux is shipped in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Dutch, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean. PC-Doctor will contact you if additional languages are added to our diagnostics.

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: An authorized representative of your company must sign the PC-Doctor SDK & DAPI agreement, as well as a Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement. This protects both companies in the exchange of confidential information. To obtain these two agreements, please email sdk@pc-doctor.com.

Answer: If you are developing a module and do not have a copy of the latest version of PC-Doctor, please email sdk@pc-doctor.com for a 30 day evaluation copy.

Answer: In Windows, you will need Visual Studio 6.0 with Service Pack 6 and the latest platform SDK. For DOS, you can use any Microsoft or Borland C compiler that supports 16 bit development. For Linux, you will need GCC v2.96 or greater and Linux kernel version 2.4.8 or greater. We recommend RedHat 7.3 and up, RedHat AS 2.1 and up, Fedora Core 1 and up and SUSE 8 and up.

Answer: The main components of the PC-Doctor SDK are the following:

1. Documentation and instructional material, such as Application Programming Interface specifications and how-to guides
2. DAPI header files
3. DAPI library files
4. DAPI sample code
5. Compiled sample modules

Answer: DAPI stands for Diagnostics Application Programming Interface. It is the API used to write the PC-Doctor plug-in modules.

Answer: PC-Doctor provides this SDK royalty-free for use with PC-Doctor products.

Answer: PC-Doctor provides a Software Development Kit for 3rd parties to develop their own PC-Doctor diagnostic modules. Companies can simply insert their test routines into the provided sample code. The tests are then fully integrated with PC-Doctor's user interface and test logs.

Answer: DOS, Windows and Linux

Answer: Specifics on various levels of support can be found in the SDK agreement.

Answer: You may create your own icon, but PC-Doctor reserves the right to modify or recreate any icons that are not consistent with its product. The icon should be a GIF sized at 32 x 32 pixels. This is subject to change with future releases of PC-Doctor.

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: PC-Doctor for DOS
At the command prompt, type "PCDR /VER" (without the quotes). The version number is in the format: 3.0.xxxx where 'xxxx' is a 4-digit number.

PC-Doctor for Windows
Two methods are available, depending on which version of PC-Doctor for Windows you are using:

• If you are using a version of PC-Doctor for Windows or PC-Doctor Service Center that includes a menu bar, click Help on the menu bar, then click About.
• If you are using a version of PC-Doctor for Windows that does not include a menu bar, click the Version Information link.
• If you are unable to locate the version, use this procedure: Click the Start button (Start menu).
  1. Place the cursor on Search.
  2. Click the For Files or Folders menu item.
  3. If shown on your version of Windows, click All Files and Folders.
  4. Type "WindapiResources.dll" in the field titled "All or part of the file name:"
  5. Click the Search button.
  6. When the file is found, right click the filename.
  7. Click Properties
  8. On the General tab, note the Modified date.
  9. Click the Version tab and note of the File Version.

PC-Doctor for Linux
Type "./pcd version" (without quotes) on a command console. The build version number is also at the top of the readme file.

Answer: Updates are posted on our website: http://www.pc-doctor.com/

Answer:

1. Check this list of Frequently Asked Questions to see if the problem is known and if there is a solution for it.
2. If the problem is not in the FAQs, report the issue to the PC-Doctor Support Team at http://www.pc-doctor.com/contact_tech_support.php. All reports are taken into consideration for future updates. Since technologies change rapidly, PC-Doctor cannot guarantee that a fix will be implemented.

Answer: The Windows boot process does not use the functionality of every device connected to the system. In some devices, only a subset of functionality is used. A number of devices are not accessed at all during the boot process. To ensure that a device is operating correctly, you must test all of its functions, which is what PC-Doctor does.

The Windows boot process will not answer any of the following questions:

• Do AVI (video) files play properly?
• Are speakers attached correctly?
• Does the modem detect a dial tone?
• Is there a problem in video memory?

PC-Doctor answers these questions and many more.

If you cannot boot to Windows, it is difficult to determine if the problem is defective hardware or a Windows configuration problem. Diagnostics such as PC-Doctor for DOS or PC-Doctor for Linux can run from boot floppies or boot CDs outside of the system's primary operating system. These diagnostics can test the hardware without using the computer's primary operating system.

Answer: Spyware Doctor (http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/) is a malware and spyware removal utility of PC Tools, and is not affiliated in any way with PC-Doctor or the PC-Doctor suite of products. If your query relates to Spyware Doctor or PC Tools, please check their support page at http://www.pctools.com/contact/support/.

Answer: PC-Doctor works hard to keep up with the latest technologies. If you have a question about our support of a specific device, or would like to request a test for a specific device, please complete a support request at http://www.pc-doctor.com/contact_tech_support.php.

Answer: These messages appear for the following reasons:

1. The computer you are using is not made by the computer manufacturer specified. Many versions of PC-Doctor are licensed for use on specific computers, and they are often also customized for specific PC models. To prevent possible incorrect results on other computers, PC-Doctor will only run on the computer model for which it was designed.

OR

2. The computer you are using is intended for use with this version of PC-Doctor, but the system motherboard has been changed to another model that is not supported by this version of PC-Doctor. You might be able to get an update from the manufacturer of your PC.

Solutions:

1. Only run PC-Doctor on the computer on which PC-Doctor was delivered to you.
2. If your motherboard was changed by the manufacturer or by an authorized service provider, discuss the situation with them to see if an updated version of PC-Doctor is available.
3. If you need a version of PC-Doctor that works on all brands, contact our sales team at sales@pc-doctor.com or +1 (775) -336-4000.
   

Answer: Check to see if the language is installed on your computer:

Windows XP:

1. Click the Start button.
2. Position the cursor over Settings.
3. Click Control Panel.
4. Double-click Regional and Language Options.
5. Click the dropdown arrow in the field that displays your current language. The list displayed shows all languages installed on your computer.
6. If the language required by PC-Doctor is not displayed, install that language using the operating system CD.

For other operating systems, refer to the OS documentation for instructions on installing languages.

Answer: The error codes that appear after a PC-Doctor test are designed to quickly allow PC manufacturer's technical support team to determine which tests failed. You should contact technical support to find the meaning of an error code. We maintain a list of links to manufacturers' websites on our home page at http://www.pc-doctor.com/

Answer: Complete all the information on the support form on our Web site at http://www.pc-doctor.com/contact_tech_support.php. The more information you provide, the more specific help we can provide.

Answer: The manufacturer of your computer will be able to assist you with PC-Doctor issues. We maintain a list of links to manufacturers' websites on our home page at http://www.pc-doctor.com/

Answer: Yes. PC-Doctor cares about what our customers, partners, and others think, and we are always searching for ways to better communicate with them. Please join our new online community to make your voice heard and learn about PC-Doctor, diagnostics, technical and engineering subjects, and whatever interests you.

• Our new community, launched in July 2007, consists of a blog and forums.
• We especially welcome involvement from our customers, and anyone in the diagnostics or PC industries.
• Learn about Dr. Blip, PC-Doctor's chief promotions officer — a very unique and animated member of our executive team.
• Promote your great ideas and pick up some new ones. This community will be a gathering place for leaders in our industry, and will be a vehicle for improving the PC experience for everyone.
• Find out more about the inner workings of PC-Doctor.
• Share in the fun we have working at the leading company in our industry.

Answer: Existing PC-Doctor hard drive tests work well with drives that include this functionality, but do not perform any functions that specifically test NCQ.

Answer: PC-Doctor designs its software to report failures only when we are reasonably certain that the hardware is bad. We issue informative messages or warning messages if the results are not conclusive. To ensure reliability, we thoroughly test our builds using automated and manual testing on good and bad hardware. We test on all the systems from several major manufacturers and pre-release hardware from component vendors. When our testing reveals a false failure indication on good hardware, or that we don't detect bad hardware, we do our best to fix the problem before the diagnostic is released. We have been writing reliable and accurate diagnostics for over 12 years. Every major PC manufacturer has been our customer for years. Their continued use of PC-Doctor is a vote of confidence in the reliability and accuracy of our test results. It is possibile, however, that our software could make an incorrect determination in an unusual situation.

Answer:

1. Noise produced by a CD-R/W drive while burning CD-R/W media may be caused by the media (the CD) or the drive. Try several different CDs and CD-R/Ws from different manufacturers to determine if the media is making noise. A slight imbalance in the media can result in a noisy drive.
2. If the CD-R/W drive is noisy with all media, contact your system manufacturer or the maker of the drive for technical assistance. We maintain a list of links to manufacturers' websites on our home page at http://www.pc-doctor.com/.

Answer: The length of a test depends on the device being tested and the test being run. The CPU test takes only a few seconds. The hard drive, floppy drive, CD-ROM/DVD and memory tests can take from several seconds to many minutes.

Answer: PC-Doctor for DOS currently tests a maximum of eight serial ports, and our Linux product has no limit. PC-Doctor for Windows can support up to ten serial ports. Customized versions of PC-Doctor can accommodate additional serial port testing.

Answer: PC-Doctor diagnostic tests ensure the device is responding to standard commands and that it is operating as expected. If the device responds incorrectly, PC-Doctor reports an error.

Answer: Test failures can have many causes. Before contacting the manufacturer of your computer or removing failed parts, try the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Check the test log. The log usually contains useful information about the test failure.
2. Run the test again. Can the failure be duplicated?
3. Power off the system and run the test again. In DOS, try a clean boot (no memory manager loaded).
4. If the test fails in Windows and you have PC-Doctor Service Center, restart the system using the PC-Doctor self-booting diskette and run the test in DOS.
5. Confirm that the device is present on the system and that the device is configured properly.

You can learn about PC hardware troubleshooting from books published on the topic that are available from all major bookstores.

Answer: Ensure that your audio adapter is in SoundBlaster compatibility mode.

Answer: Recovery environments that are based on Windows PE 1.6 (or earlier) only use a single core from each multicore processor. If all cores are enabled in the BIOS and in your main operating system, such as Windows Vista or XP, the multicore functionality is working fine.

Answer: The SMBIOS Standards Test is intended for preproduction design testing only. The test checks to see that information about a computer conforms to all required and optional sections of the SMBIOS specification. Test failures usually occur when an optional entry is left blank. Failures do not affect system performance or reliability. The results can safely be ignored.

Answer: Self-Monitoring Analysis Reporting Technology (SMART) tests are built into many hard drives. PC-Doctor launches these built-in tests and monitors their progress. If a test fails, the drive is not performing properly and may stop working.

For further information, you should check with the hard drive vendor or your PC manufacturer.

Answer: When a computer is using power management, the CPU may run at a slower speed to conserve the battery. If the speed is consistently reported as slow after several tests, change your power management settings to provide maximum performance or connect the system to an external power source.

Answer: PC-Doctor tests are generally designed to not harm your hardware. Two tests may destroy data under certain circumstances:

1. The floppy drive write and read test destroys data on the inserted diskette.
2. Two hard drive surface scan tests (the write and verify test, and the write and read test) save data, perform the tests, then restore the data. If the system loses power, is rebooted, or encounters an unexpected abnormal condition during the testing process, that data may be lost.

These tests provide warnings about potential data destruction before they begin.