Thinkpads Forum

These are what I have so far:

Lenovo Hard Drive Quick Test
PC Doctor for DOS Bootable CD
Memtest 86+

As I've got a tad bit NOOBISHNESS in me I'm hoping for some input

Am I missing any other tests??? I've got the memory, hard drive, systems (with PC Doctor) so I'm thinking that should be about it. I've got an R40 heading my way so I'd like to run a couple of tests to see what condition it is in.

PC Doctor for DOS is very comprehensive and should be all you need, IMO.

I hope it all works well for you.

I'd also run the hard drive manufacturer's own diagnostic, assuming that the system comes with a drive and also assuming that such a diagnostic exists. For IBM/Hitachi (HGST) drives, there's DFT (Drive Fitness Test). For Seagate (and some Maxtor) drives use SeaTools. Fujitsu drives can be checked with FJDT. I believe that there are others but these are the three that I use most often. I would also suggest using the DOS versions of these programs as they do not depend upon a working install of Windows. These diagnostics typically will come as bootable floppy disks, however some are directly available from the drive maker as CD images.

Other than that, I think that you have most of the bases covered. Be sure to run the Interactive tests in PC Doctor. These are the ones which require your input (i.e., pressing all of the keys to see if they work, moving the trackpoint around, etc.) or your visual or audio attention (video and speaker tests). Most of the systems in the laptop can be checked with PC Doctor just by itself; however some diagnostics require additional hardware for complete coverage. For example, the parallel and serial port tests (the R40 doesn't have a built-in serial port so this doesn't apply) usually only check internal signal paths - they don't check to see if the signals are actually getting in and out of the connector(s). For these "loopback" tests, a special plug is required that connects the input and output pins together so that the diagnostic is able to check this signal path. If you don't/can't run these loopback tests, then about the only way to check the ports would be to install an operating system and connect some hardware to the laptop and see if it works. This particularly applies to the PCMCIA and USB ports as PC Doctor has a shortfall in those tests (there's a loopback cable for those ports but I've never seen one).

ref: http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm (Drive Fitness test download is about halfway down the page)
ref: http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/suppor ... s/seatools
ref: http://www.fujitsu.com/us/services/comp ... ities.html

Yes. I almost forgot that the drives have their own tests. The R40 does not have a drive. I have an old 40gb Travelstar which runs fine (albeit slow) that I am going to run things on.

Thanks guys

There is one more program to mention. It is from MicroSoft and there are several versions to choose from.
I believe that you know it. Its name is Windows.
If you can complete a full Windows installtion, then you have done a lot of testing.

Also, there are all the tests for which you cannot use a program. That is, all the more mechanical ones.

Does the lid move freely when it is being opened/closed.
Is the lid locked when closed.
Any pixel errors on the screen.
Can the ThinkLigth be turned on.
Can the machine display on external monitor.
Can the machine start on battery only.
Can the machine charge the battery.
Can the machine run without the battery.
Can the optical drive be completely removed from the system.
Are there any unusual noises.
And the list goes on ... there is also all the temperature related questions.

killer wrote:PC Doctor for DOS is very comprehensive and should be all you need, IMO.

I hope it all works well for you.

Is there a version for a 600x.

Yes, there's a diskette version available from here:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-495KW2

and I host the same program as an .ISO image here:

http://www.kawakami-ca.com/ibm_600x/dgpcdoc.iso