memory exam..

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paul_43

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Does anyone has a program that can scan your memory for bad sectors?? I don't want to install anything I just want a double click and run executable... Thanks.
 
do you mean to scan your hard drive for bad sectors or your RAM for bad chips? If you want to scan your HD you can use Scandisk, Norton Disk Doctor, Diskeeper and some others to do a full scan including surface scan to detect bad sectors..

if you think you have a RAM problem Norton diagnostics can test RAM for you.. Another good program for full hardware testing is Sisoft Sandra There may be simplified program for this out there but I do not know of one, perhaps someone else does..
 
If you want to check your hard disk for bad sectors you can't do any of that stuff. There is no scandisk in XP and none of the other utilities can repair bad sectors in this OS.

You need to run chkdsk /r. This will check for and fix any bad sectors.

And I'm curious to know what Norton diagnostics will check the memory chips?
 
actually there is scandisk in XP (XP Pro for sure) and it will check for bad sectors.. in my computer right click on a drive, properties, tools, scandisk, checkboxes... it will run the scan on next boot..

Norton diagnostics can test your hardware for you.. with RAM Norton does a number of read-write tests to determine if it is working properly.. since RAM is a number of chips chained together it tests the full range of memory and reports any read-write errors.. generally though if you have a bad stick of RAM sometimes the puter will not boot at all or you can experience lockups...
 
1) There is NO scandisk in Windows XP. Not in mine, not in yours. Microsoft reverted to checkdisk because of XP's proprietary nature with open files.

2) There is no program named Norton Diagnostics. I've been using Symantec / Norton products since DOS version 3.0 of Norton Utilities and every release since. I am not familiar with any module that will run a check on ram chips. Again, can you tell me precisely what Norton product does this?
 
yes, there is Scandisk in XP.. I just connected to my PC via PC Anywhere at home and it is there as I described.. perhaps it is checkdisk but it is called Scandisk while in Windows..

and yes, there is Norton Diagnostics.. perhaps it is named differently.. can't say for sure since I don't use Norton utilities anymore.. anyhow, I have used it before and I have also had customers use it to run tests on their hardware..

to confirm all this I just chatted with one of our technicians and he confirmed this information...
 
robie...what you're looking at is chkdsk...does the same job

I'm trying to figure out what allan means when he says;

"If you want to check your hard disk for bad sectors you can't do any of that stuff. "

but then in the next sentence;

"You need to run chkdsk /r. This will check for and fix any bad sectors."

I think this is a typo

chkdsk does as good a job as scandisc...in any event, that's what you're looking at robie
 
yeah, that's it.. it's called 'error-checking' in Windows.. my mistake.. I was just making the point that this can be set up via the GUI as I described above..
 
Okay, one more time

XP will not allow any utility to make repairs on the HD while the gui is open. Scandisk ran from within the GUI, check disk does not. That is why they went back to chkdsk. Of course you can tell it to run from within Windows, but it cannot run until the volume is dismounted. If you use any third party utility (NDD, etc) to "repair errors" it will default to XP's chkdsk on the next boot.

As for Norton, to the best of my knowledge they do not - and never have - made a consumer product that runs a diagnostic on ram. You insist they do - all I'm asking is the name of the product.
 
robie...sorry about the pert nature of allans responses to you.

he's very knowledgeable, and always polite...I think it's a bad day for him.
 
np Dealer.. everyone has bad days here and there..

Allan, yes, after making the selections in the GUI XP will perform the task upon next boot.. my mistake was using the term 'scandisk' which you correctly pointed out is actually chkdsk, and the GUI description is 'error-checking'..

As for Norton Diagnostics, I'd have to load up Norton Systemworks 2002 which I don't want to at the moment.. the only Norton s/w I use anymore is NAV corporate edition.. this guy could use Sisoft Sandra as well and probably do a better job..

I need more coffee I guess.. wake up brain, wake up..
 
The name of the program is Norton Diagnostics but it will only test systems up to 256MB of RAM. If you have more than 256MB it will error.
 
Robbie - sorry, but there is no ram diagnostic in NSW nor any other Norton (Symantec) product.
 
Originally posted by dealer


chkdsk does as good a job as scandisc

What kind of crack are you smoking. Scandisk does almost nothing. Half the time it does not even recognize bad sectors or blocks.
 
Why not use SIMM Tester? Install it to a floppy, reboot and off you go.
 
#1 Tuff Test will do it all and better yet, runs completely independent of any OS (OS does not have to be loaded in order for Tuff Test to perform). Has it's own boot floppy and will test any hardware component on your system and it's free although, limited in some of it's testing parameters. Better yet, #1 Tuff Test Pro is the way to go although, costs a few buck but provides the most comprehensible hardware tests available to the general public...:)
 
Originally posted by Waldo
The name of the program is Norton Diagnostics but it will only test systems up to 256MB of RAM. If you have more than 256MB it will error.
Yes, you are talking about Norton Utililties for Windows 95. I'd forgotten all about it - but it is all but useless with XP because of its limitations.
 
must have been in Norton 2001 (we both had Me at the time).. I am sure of it because I have used it before and had a customer use it when they were experiencing trouble.. like i said though I am not using 2002.. like you said though I find Norton products to be lacking so I use others now when teh need arises..

Waldo, the program in Norton that I used (diagnostics or whatever) was actually run in Windows and not DOS..

Here's a link which says the program actually exists/ed
http://service4.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nunt.nsf/pfdocs/1999090713442709
 

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