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Frequently Asked
Questions
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Micro-Scope questions
Post-Probe questions
Micro-Scope Questions
Q. Micro-Scope claims to be O/S
independent. What does that mean?
Q. All the PCs I work on have Windows,
so why should I care about O/S independence?
Q. How long has Micro-Scope been around?
Q. Will I have to pay for new versions?
Q. How many
different tests are included on the diskette?
Q. What pieces of hardware does
Micro-Scope test?
Q. Can you guarantee that Micro-Scope
will tell me what's wrong with my new computer?
Q. If Micro-Scope is so thorough, why is
it included in a 'Toolkit' with other products?
Q. Can I buy just the Micro-Scope
without the Toolkit or Post-Probe.
Q. I see a new feature called Secure
Wipe. What is that?
Q. What kind of technical support will
there be?
Q. Does it come with a manual?
Post-Probe Questions
Q. What is a Post-Probe?
Q. What does the Post-Probe do that the
diagnostic software doesn't?
Q. How can it diagnose anything, if the
PC won't boot up?
Q. Does Post-Probe fix the problem?
Q. How long has the Post-Probe been
around?
Q. I've seen other 'post' cards. What's
different about yours?
Q. Is it really necessary? I usually
just swap parts.
MICRO-SCOPE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q. Micro-Scope claims to be O/S
independent. What does that mean?
A. The Micro-Scope diskette contains its own
bootable operating system, designed specifically for diagnostics.
Therefore it can be used on any PC, whether the resident OS on that
PC is DOS, Windows, Linux, NetWare, O/S 2 or what have you.
Q. All the PCs I work on have Windows,
so why should I care about O/S independence?
A. Windows, like DOS and other popular operating
systems, was designed to run the hardware in the background, so the
applications (and the user) are free to focus on the task at hand
and don't need to duplicate the most basic control functions from
one application to the next. This is normally a good thing, but when
the application is a hardware diagnostic, the operating system makes
it impossible for the diagnostic to directly access the various
peripherals and motherboard components, leading to inaccuracy and
missing information.. With Micro-Scope, the proprietary O/S gives
direct hardware access to the diagnostic routines for the most
accurate and complete results.
Q. How long has Micro-Scope been around?
A. The first version hit the market in 1991, but
has changed continually to keep up with advances in PC technology.
The latest version is MicroScope Version 14
Q. Will I have to pay for new versions?
A. Yes, but for owners of the previous version,
each upgrade is only a fraction of the cost of a new Micro-Scope.
Q. How many
different tests are included on the diskette?
A. There are approximately 250 routines,
although it varies from one version to the next. Only some of these
are diagnostic tests or benchmarks, though. Others are for
information gathering and component identification, and some are
utilities for all sorts of system management tasks.
Q. What pieces of hardware does
Micro-Scope test?
A. Far too many to list them all here. Suffice
to say that just about every motherboard component or system
peripheral will be identified and tested by some part of the
Micro-Scope program.
Q. Can you guarantee that Micro-Scope
will tell me what's wrong with my new computer?
A. No, of course not. First of all, Micro-Scope
only tests hardware, and many problems are due to software or user
error. Second, not a year goes by that the industry doesn't come out
with new peripherals, faster CPUs and other improvements, which is
why we create a new version of Micro-Scope every year. We do our
best, but we would need a crystal ball to claim we were ahead of all
the latest technology you could buy.
Q. If Micro-Scope is so thorough, why is
it included in a 'Toolkit' with other products?
A. Micro-Scope requires the system to be
functioning well enough to boot up to its operating system. If the
PC can't boot up, a card called the Post-Probe will diagnose the
boot-up process to see where it is failing. That's the other product
in the 'Toolkit'.
Q. Can I buy just the Micro-Scope
without the Toolkit or Post-Probe.
A. Yes.
click here.
Q. I see a new feature called Secure
Wipe. What is that?
A. This is a utility added in Version 11 that
allows all or part of a hard drive to be sterilized, making the data
inaccessible. Many people don't realize that when a computer file is
deleted, the data is still on the platter and can be recovered with
the right equipment. The Secure Wipe feature allows law enforcement
agencies, the military, financial institutions etc. to dispose of
hard drives without fear that sensitive data can be recovered from
them.
Q. What kind of technical support will
there be?
A. Micro 2000, Inc. offers:
- 30 Days FREE phone support from the date of purchase
- Unlimited lifetime support via email
- Also available, pay-per incident phone support or yearly
phone support packages
Q. Does it come with a manual?
A. Yes, there is a very thorough manual. In
truth though, the menu-driven interface is so simple and intuitive
that the manual is not even needed for most features.
POST-PROBE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q. What is a Post-Probe?
A. It is a card that plugs into the motherboard
to diagnose a 'dead' PC that won't boot up.
Q. What does the Post-Probe do that the
diagnostic software doesn't?
A. The system must be able to boot before it can
run the software diagnostics. If it can't boot, that's when you use
the Post-Probe.
Q. How can it diagnose anything, if the
PC won't boot up?
A. During boot-up, the BIOS executes a series of
instructions called the POST, or Power-On Self Test, that check out
all of the basic functions of the machine. At each step, the BIOS
puts a code onto the bus, and that's what the Post-Probe uses.
Q. Does Post-Probe fix the problem?
A. No, you still have to do that part. What it
does is show you the last code that the power-on self test was able
to put on the bus, and a table in the manual tells you what function
was being tested at that time.
Q. How long has the Post-Probe been
around?
A. It was first released about 10 years ago, and
in 1998 the Universal Post-Probe appeared, with many new features
including edge connectors for both PCI and ISA.
Q. I've seen other 'post' cards. What's
different about yours?
A. It's true we've had imitators, but so far
nobody else has been able to put PCI and ISA on the same card. Some
other unique features are a step-through switch that lets you see if
the BIOS is corrupted and doing tests in the wrong order, and
multiple displays to make the card easy to use in all motherboard
configurations.
Q. Is it really necessary? I usually
just swap parts.
A. You can sometimes get by with swapping parts,
but if it's an expensive part like the CPU, or something that's
soldered to the motherboard, that's not a very practical approach.
In any case, it's unprofessional. If repairing PCs is more than a
hobby, you should have the proper tools, and that includes a
Post-Probe.
To purchase The Universal Diagnostic Toolkit online
click here
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