Thread: Top Computer Diagnostic Tools + Troubleshooting Sites *Edited*

Read this article on lifehacker australia. Credit goes to Jason Fitzpatrick

Anyway I thought this was quite a useful article for people that arnt too familiar with error diagnostics etc.

Computers grow easier to use and more dependable with each new generation of hardware and operating systems but that doesn’t mean we never have to troubleshoot them. Today we look at the top five tools for troubleshooting your computer. Photo a composite of images by jimrhoda and Axonite.
Hiren’s BootCD (LiveCD, Free)


Hiren’s BootCD is an impressive toolkit rolled into one packed DOS-based LiveCD. 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.
SIW (Windows, Free)


If things haven’t gotten bad enough that you’re forced to take refuge with a LiveCD, 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.
Google (Web-based, Free)


You 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. Google isn’t 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 LiveCD (LiveCD, Free)


You’ll find no shortage of LiveCDs but Ubtuntu has a particularly user-friendly LiveCD and many people have experience with Ubuntu outside of diagnostic work; both factors make an Ubuntu LiveCD extra appealing. You can use an Ubuntu LiveCD to test your computer’s memory, recover data, or scan your computer for viruses among other tasks. LiveCDs are great for giving you a platform to work off of independently of your troubled system and an Ubunutu LiveCD 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) (LiveCD, 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 a LiveCD version of Windows to continue your diagnostic work without having to mess around with the nuances of using a Linux LiveCD.

After some further thought I have decided to also add useful websites for Error codes and troubleshooting.

Top 10 Websites

Note: I am sharing this with you guys because I found it helpful, if you find some of these websites helpful or you know of others feel free to post your information.

Errors happen. Thankfully, computer errors are unlike those that occur in life. With computer errors, the feedback is instantaneous. It is in the form of an alert message or a deviation in behavior. The most commonly frightful one could be the ‘Blue Screen of Death’ which Windows users are accustomed to. Errors are also more clearly expressed in the form of error codes.
Error codes signal a fault of a specific nature. The fault could be due to a wrong user input, or a problem with an installed software or hardware. But error codes have a very important function. They are meant to be hints for troubleshooting. The computer tells us – Okay, this is the problem right now. This could be the cause.

Error codes narrow down the troubleshooting steps we need to take. Then again, it is not only for the support guy or the technician. We, the normal users, can take the help of the web to understand what the error codes mean and do a bit of self diagnosis. With some luck, we might not have to punch in a SOS.
These ten web resources could help save your day.
ErrorGoblin


ErrorGoblin presents a simple search bar. Type in the Windows system error code and it displays the reason. The search field takes in the value of the error code in the 0xn or 0xen formats where n is a number. The tool is a quick way to search for a problem because you don’t need to log-in or trawl through a list. ErrorGoblin may not always return a result. In that case you can mail them your error code and they will add it to the database.
See our directory mention here.
ErrorKey


ErrorKey covers a lot of ground by allowing you to search errors across systems like Oracle, Sybase, DB2, HTTP, Flash, SAP DB, and many more. Uniquely, it also fields error help for several automotive sensor systems. You can give the error code number or type in the error text.
The site uses its own database and also Google custom search to look for the meaning of the error codes. You need to login to see the full explanation of the error.
See our directory mention here.
ErrorHelp




Previously known as Bug.gd, ErrorHelp has been renamed. The database and function remain the same. The error guide also gives you a Firefox and IE7 search extension. ErrorHelp has a section on solved errors, which is a huge knowledge base in itself. The site lists about 130,414 errors and their solutions.
Users collaborate on the solutions and they can vote in to say that the solution mentioned really works. The site also asks you to share how you solved an error. From the search field, you can also search for Apple and Linux errors and also do a Google search.
EventID


EventID’s are the unique numbers that correspond to any significant happening in a Windows system or a program. This information gets logged. EventID is a rich reference for these logged events. We have seen the troubleshooting utility of Windows Event Viewer in How to Solve Any Windows Problem with Event ID.
The site has a record of 10,569 event IDs and 500 event sources with a lot more info provided by contributors. On EventID, you can also search error codes other than Windows event IDs.
Wikipedia’s List of HTTP Status Codes


The HTTP codes are the ones you most commonly encounter when a webpage is inaccessible or an entire website is down. HTTP Status codes are the error messages returned by the server to the browser when the target website does not load properly. It usually includes the HTTP Status code and the reason like ‘Internal Server Error’ or the famous ‘404 Not Found’ error. If you want to quickly look more deeply into the HTTP error, Wikipedia has a neatly arranged list of the codes.
SMTP Error Codes


Probably after the 404 Error, this is the most common kind. We have all seen it sometime or the other when a mail is left undelivered or simply bounces. SMTP errors define the system status between the email server that sends the email and the email server that receives it. Usually we don’t pay attention to the three digit error code. But if you want to, the About.com page is a good place to understand the meaning. Each digit in an SMTP error code means something and in combination they tell us what went wrong and where.
List of POST / beep codes


Computers still beep when they boot up. An irregular beep is a signal that there’s something wrong with the hardware. It could be a loose RAM (a long BEEP), or it could be something as serious as a faulty motherboard. The nature of the beeps may vary with the manufacture, but the above list compiles a few common ones. The site also gives a few solutions you can try out, if you are comfortable with opening up a computer.
Windows Stop Messages


How do you walk around a Window’s freeze? Stop errors are quite common and they sometimes occur when you are installing Windows. But the one I dread is the “Stop 0×0000007B” error message. That means I have a boot sector virus. The link above lists out a lot of the Stop errors and their solutions via Microsoft support links. You can also take the help of the site’s search page.
Microsoft Support


The Microsoft Support site comes with two types of error lookup. In the Basic search, you just need to type in the error code. The Advanced search gives you the option to narrow it down by product and the Microsoft locations you want to search like Microsoft Answers & Windows Online or solutions from the Microsoft community.
Don’t leave out…Google (and others)

A generic search for the error taps into other knowledge sources like discussion boards and Q&A websites. Also using a normal search engine like Google, Yahoo, and Bing can direct you straightaway to the product’s homepage. For example, peripherals like printers maintain their own lists of error codes.

Well compiled,I have used 3 of the above tools and I have to say Hiren Boot CD is must have for every computer user.Though there are some others which I wanted to see on the list like HDD regeneration tool,Combofix (a great tool at the time of need),tools that can fix task manager,registry when virus attacks, a good process expolrer (you will need it as windows explorer sucks)

The best thing out there for diagnosis / recovery is Digiwiz's MiniPE. It is starting to get a little out of date (had to patch my disk to use SATA drivers and had to add some new Ethernet drivers), but it is still the best and most comprehensive out there. If you've never tried this - PLEASE do, it is a techie's dream. You can find it on Demonoid and TPB.

Nice list, I have used several of those in the past, BartsPE also works well and is very customizable with tons of plugins you can add yourself.

thx u very much.
downloaded Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (UBCD4Win) (LiveCD, Free)

Originally Posted by rockyboy

Well compiled,I have used 3 of the above tools and I have to say Hiren Boot CD is must have for every computer user.Though there are some others which I wanted to see on the list like HDD regeneration tool,Combofix (a great tool at the time of need),tools that can fix task manager,registry when virus attacks, a good process expolrer (you will need it as windows explorer sucks)

I've used combofix countless number of times, you are completely right when you say that its a great program in a time of need.

Haha and windows explorer definately sucks, but I have enough shortcuts on my desktop that i rarely use it so meh :P

Wrx 99 - Great posting!!

I just wanted to add that the SIW program you spoke of that does the analysis on the system is fantastic.

One hidden thing this little program will do is show you common passwords stored on a PC. I have been able to load this program on a flash drive and locate passwords on friends computers when they lost them. Small and Neat!

I'm mainly a Mac user, and the utilities provided with the OS get you farther than stock Windows stuff. But there are a variety of useful 3rd party utilties. The most common and well-respected is Diskwarrior, which repairs corrupted directories. This is the most common problem when a Mac won't run. A directory repair program can cause problems as well as solve them, and Diskwarrior is by far the most trustworthy. Norton has a variety of products, of course, but they pretty much stink. TechTool was a very popular Mac repair/diagnose utility, but it too seems to have fallen behind the technological curve. The best all purpose tool out there now seems to be Drive Genius.

On the freeware side, OnyX does a wide variety of useful under the hood stuff, and can be found on versiontracker, macupdate, etc.

If anybody has other good Mac recommendations, please post them!

As I said above, I'm mainly a Mac person. But I have to deal with PCs too, and I've got a copy of Hiren's but I always run into problems trying to use it. Only a few of the utilities work once you've booted Windows, so you have to start from the DOS on the disk. This gives me oodles of issues with file paths and what not, and as often as not I can't make any of the aps do anything. The help files for the apps don't necessarily offer relief as they presume a context other than how the software exists within the Hiren's system

So does anyone know of a good guide to Hiren's and how to use the various apps within that DOS context?