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Thread ID: 70182 2006-06-25 00:38:00 Is there a system analyser that can be run from a floppy? Robin S_ (86) Press F1
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465920 2006-06-25 00:38:00 I made a post on this last night but it has disappeared - apparently along with anyhing else that was posted between 9:24 last night and 3:04 this morning, so if the lost post gets retrieved there will be duplication.

Does anyone know of a system analyser utility that can be run from a floppy, so that it can be used to check out systems on cptrs that have no (working) CDs and sometimes no OS installed? I am looking for something that will display just the basic features of a system (eg RAM, OS version etc) along with the size/speed, make and model of hardware and cards etc. I don't need all the technical details such as interrupts and stuff.
I have Aida16 on a DOS boot floppy but on 1 cptr it chokes and freezes when trying to determine the Soundblaster page.
Robin S_ (86)
465921 2006-06-25 00:47:00 Maybe if you blow gently into it's ear, Belarc Adviser will run off'n a floppy...but it needs a browser to show the results. SurferJoe46 (51)
465922 2006-06-25 01:33:00 I've just downloaded and tried Astra sysinfo tool for dos, the free limited demo version, it seems to work ok.

http://www.sysinfolab.com/
Terry Porritt (14)
465923 2006-06-25 03:22:00 MSD? Free with MSDOS up to 6.2, certainly, but I think it might have been removed from MSDOS7.0 It might be on the "Olddos" area of the W9X CDs. Graham L (2)
465924 2006-06-25 06:23:00 I sometimes use aida16 (16 being 16bit) its hard to find but if you google hard you wil reap the rewards It works on modern system as as you ask it runs off floopy beama (111)
465925 2006-06-25 09:52:00 I usually throw on Knoppix and have a look through the output of dmesg (or use the GUI control panels if you want).

Or use the tools on the Ultimateboot CD (http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/) ......


Opps - you need something to run off a floppy ...ek.
gibler (49)
465926 2006-06-25 10:38:00 Aida 16 download here, this is the download, the page is too big to find the download easily:

shinobiresources.com
zqwerty (97)
465927 2006-06-25 11:44:00 Thanks for your replies, chaps (and chapesses if appropriate).

Surfer, my understanding of Belarc is that it only "sees" what Windows "sees" which is apparently not necessarily everything. Besides, it requires Windows and a browser to work, so cannot be used on a system without those installed.
Terry, Astra looks good. I have downloaded it and given it a rushed run on the cpter that 'stopped' Aida 16. It didn't choke on the Soundblaster page and completed its analysis. Haven't had time to study the results yet but they look promising.
Graham - have tried 6.22 MSD but it is a bit too basic and presumably couldn't properly identify anything more recent than itself.
Zqwerty - thanks for the Aida16 link. It is for v. 2.14 whereas the one I have is only 2.12. Will download and try the newer one. If it works the combo of that and Astra should be pretty good.
Robin S_ (86)
465928 2006-06-25 12:30:00 SIW (www.snapfiles.com) will also do what you want. Greg (193)
465929 2006-06-25 13:41:00 I made a post on this last night but it has disappeared - apparently along with anyhing else that was posted between 9:24 last night and 3:04 this morning, so if the lost post gets retrieved there will be duplication.

Does anyone know of a system analyser utility that can be run from a floppy, so that it can be used to check out systems on cptrs that have no (working) CDs and sometimes no OS installed? I am looking for something that will display just the basic features of a system (eg RAM, OS version etc) along with the size/speed, make and model of hardware and cards etc. I don't need all the technical details such as interrupts and stuff.
I have Aida16 on a DOS boot floppy but on 1 cptr it chokes and freezes when trying to determine the Soundblaster page.

I always open the box and eye-ball the bits and pieces inside. Almost everything I see indicates size, capacity, speed etc., but not the OS. I don't quite trust those software hardware detectors. Some I have used seem to report the brand names, but not the chipsets of some components.

What I cannot immediately identify, a quick google of incriminating serial numbers usually turns up the culprit. I then chuck in a *nix boot floppy and that simply confirms what I saw.
vinref (6194)
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