When your computer isn’t running right, and I mean you are experiencing crashes, blue screens and so forth, the first thing to check is whether some newly installed update or software is causing the problem.  But if it is not, you might have a hardware issue.

Windows has some built-in programs that can help evaluate your hardware, and there are a few third party favorites that people commonly use to test hardware.

And, for your power supply, there is an inexpensive hardware device that can check that out.  It’s important to check the power supply because devices, delivering improper voltages, can make other devices appear to run improperly.

The simple ATX tester can be bought for as little as 7 dollars, and is simple to operate. The “eForCity 20/24-pin Power Supply Tester for ATX / SATA / HDD, Black” is on Amazon currently for 6.58.   I haven’t used this one, but it has some gotten good reviews.

Another built-in tool for diagnosing hardware problems is the S.M.A.R.T system.  This tool can be activated in the BIOS. S.M.A.R.T  is a monitoring system designed to detect and report on the status of your hard drive.  When turned on, the system will hopefully advise you of an impending hard drive failure before it quits permanently.

Windows 7 Built-In Hardware Tests

Hard Drive:

System File Checker  is a utility that scans for corruptions in system files.

It can be accessed from the command line:

sfc /scannow

This, while useful for repairing the system doesn’t actually check the hard drive.  Check Disk will do that:

Checkdisk /f C:

Will check the hard drive for errors and fix them sutomatically, iso;ating bad sectors if necessary.

Memory Diagnostic Tool

Memory Diagnostic Tool runs a number of tests to check whther your ram is working alright:

From a command line type:

mdsched.exe

Another way to get to this tool is:

Restart your computer.
Press F8 on your keyboard to get to the advanced boot options screen.
Click Esc on your keyboard while you’re in the advanced boot options screen.
This will take you to the Windows Boot Manager screen.
Press Tab on your keyboard to move to the Tools section of the boot manager screen and then press enter to start the Memory Diagnostics.

System Diagnostic Report

This report reveals the status of hardware resources, system response times, and processes on your computer.  From a command line type:

perfmon /report

Third Party Tools

Checking For Heat

CPUID Hardware Monitor is a windows program that will tell you the temperature and voltages generated in your CPU.  High heat can cause hardware to act erratically.  This program can help diagnose that.

Testing Memory

Memtest86+ is the most recommended tool for testing memory.  You can create a bootable USB drive or CD to load the program outside Windows.  Run the program for hours to give the a good check.

Testing Hard Drives

Seagate Tools, from the hard drive manufacturer, is a great tool for testing.  It can put your hard drive through its paces.

Other Hardware

The best way to check hardware is to replace it with a known good piece of hardware and see if it works.  Always check the basics; motherboard, power supply, memory first.  After you do that, then look at other hardware.  If you don’t have a known good unit to substitute, go to the manufacturer’s support web to look for diagnostic advice.

Happy hunting.

© copyright 2013 Mark W Smith, all rights reserved.