Micromat TechTool Pro - 2 Operation Manual

TechTool Pro Manual

Copyrights

This manual,as well as the software described in it,is furnished under license and may only be used or copied in accordance with the terms ofsuch license.The information in this manual is furnished for informational use only,is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Micromat Computer Systems Inc.Micromat Computer Systems Inc.assume s no resp onsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this book.

Except as permitted by such license,no part ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,in any form or by any means,electronic, mechanical,recording,or otherwise,without the prior written permission of Micromat Computer Systems Inc.Printed in the USA.

Part number:MM00777

Trademarks

TechTool™ is a reg is tered t r adema rk of MicroMat Computer Systems Inc.

MacEKG,DriveTech and the M-Cubed Logo are trademarks ofMicromat Computer Systems Inc.Apple,Macintosh and Finder are t r adema rk s of Apple Computer Inc.

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Introduction

Welcome!

Thank you for purchasing TechTool Pro! We’re sure you’ll find TechTool Pro to be the most powerful and easy-to-use problem-solving utility available for Macintosh. With TechTool Pro you’ll be able to:

■ Repair faulty aspects of your media and data.

■ Recover lost data.

■ Test critical computer components and subsystems.

■ Reveal the culprits which cause your Macintosh to crash.

■ Verify system configurations.

■ Check critical software like the system and enablers.

■ Test new equipment.

■ Make sure that your computer is running as fast as it should be.

Most importantly,TechTool Pro allows you to test your computer like a professional without the need for years of experience or a computer degree. TechTool Pro allows you to check the intricate components of your Macintosh with a simple click of your mouse. When TechTool Pro finds a problem with your computer it will fix the problem for you or it will suggest steps you can take to correct the problem.

Consider TechTool Pro your personal Macintosh technician.Always ready to help and only a mouse click away.

About Micromat Computer Systems Inc.

Micromat Computer Systems Inc. has been developing Macintosh diagnostic utilities since 1989.As the first company to offer diagnostic

products for Macintosh,MicroMat has pioneered many new technologies for helping Macintosh users bring their computers back to life and to keep them running their absolute best.When NASA needed to conduct micro-gravity computer experiments in space, they chose our MacEKG™ product for its ability to test the behavior of computer

equipment outside the confines of the Ear th’s gravity.We were more than happy to help,because NASA not only put us miles above other utility software products, they gave us the honored distinction of being

the first computer diagnostic ever to be used in space.

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Please Register!

Enclosed you’ll find the registration card for your copy of TechTool Pro. Please take a moment to fill it out and send it back to us.This w ill allow you to receive free technical support and gives us a way to keep you informed of updates.If you use any online services or the Internet, there’s a place for you to provide an email address.Providing us with this information allows us to quickly contact you when we release maintenance updates,which we often post to online services and the internet.

Technical Support

MicroMat provides free technical support to its customers by phone and by email. If you have an online account, please see the CONTACTING MICROMAT section for information about finding us online. If you wish to call us by phone, please have your serial number and version number at hand. Our automated phone attendant will require you to enter this information before connecting you to a technician.

Contacting MicroMat

MicroMat Technical Support is available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm PST. The phone number is 707-837-0444.Please try to be near your system when you call as our technicians will need to ask you questions about your system and will attempt to guide you through correcting the problem.

By email:

techsupport@micromat.com

Web (for news and downloading updates):

www.micromat.com

By phone:

707-837-0444 9 AM to 5 PM Pacific time,Monday through Friday.

By mail:

Micromat Computer Systems Inc. Technical Support Group 8868 Lakewood Drive Windsor,CA 95492

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Installation

System Requirements

■ Macintosh Plus or above.

■ System software version 7.0 or above.

■ Minimum 4 megabytes of RAM.

■ Hard disk drive.

Installing TechTool Pro

TechTool Pro utilizes an automated installer to correctly install the TechTool Pro application and all ancillary files in their proper locations. The installer offers several installation options and these will be explained in detail on the TechTool Pro installation screen. To begin installation:

■ Insert Disk 1.

■ Double-click on the “TechTool Pro Installer” icon.

■ Read the explanatory text on the installer screen.

What’s Installed

This is what is installed by the installer: Note that this installation may change as we update the software.

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TechTool Pro Parts

Here is a brief description of the files installed that comprise the TechTool Pro package.Full details on the functions of these files is provided throughout this manual.

TechTool Pro

Resides in the TechTool ProTMfolder.This is the main application and the item you double click to launch the program.This is the only element necessary to run the program, so if you wish to carry a copy on a floppy disk,this would be the only piece that you absolutely need.

TechTool Pro Preferences

Resides in TechTool ProTMfolder.This file contains the personalization information (name, serial number) and various user settings that TechTool Pro utilizes.This is intentionally stored in the same folder as the TechTool Pro application so that it is more convenient to transport. If it was stored in the standard Preferences folder in the system folder, you would need to either copy the preference file to the preference folder or would have to reenter the personalization information each time you ran TechTool Pro on a new system.

TechTool ProTMSounds

Resides in TechTool ProTMSupport Files folder.This file contains the various warning and control sounds heard while using TechTo ol Pro.

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TechTool Pro

Advice

Resides in TechTool ProTMSupport Files folder.This file contains the advice information provided in the event that a test should fail.

DNA

The DNA file contains the database of dominant numeric attributes, the information that allows the file tests to work.

TechTool Protection Control Panel

Resides in control panel folder in the system folder. This control panel periodically saves important file information in case of emergency.The file recovery feature of TechTo ol Pro uses this data for speedy file and volume recovery.

Serial Tool

Resides in extension folder in the system folder. This file is a communication toolbox item which is used in the serial port test and in the modem test to allow TechTool Pro to test on all available ports.

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Launching TechTool Pro

After successfully installing TechTool Pro, locate the TechTool Pro folder. Inside you’ll find the TechTool Pro application. Launch TechTool Pro by double-clicking its icon.

The first time you launch TechTool Pro, you’ll be presented with a dialog box with three fields for your name,company name and product serial number. Enter the appropriate information into the corresponding fields.

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Standard Interface

The default interface when TechTool Pro is launched is the standard interface.This is a simplified interface which allows you to test most aspects of your computer by simply pressing the RUN button. In contrast to the expert interface,the standard interface eliminates much of the guesswork needed in determining which tests are necessary to execute in order to isolate a particular problem.By running a subset of most of the tests in TechTool Pro,the program can quickly find and repair many common Macintosh problems.

While the standard interface makes running these complex tests much simpler,you’ll find that there are many ways to customize the way that the standard interface works.This chapter describes how to use this interface and how to configure the different options available.

Standard Interface Basics

Screen Elements

There are three main elements which comprise the standard interface screen:

Category B oxes

There are four categories that TechTo ol Pro will test:

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Each of these categories contains a group of tests which fall under that category.For example, the RAM categor y contains tests for standard RAM,VRAM and PRAM.

Test List

The test list is the large field of information in the middle of the standard interface screen.This field list the tests which wil l be executed and will present test-related information while test,like whether a particular test passed or failed.

Progress Bar

This graphic will display a visual estimate of the progress of the current test.

Control Buttons

There are four buttons which control testing:

■ RUN - Begins execution of the test suite.

■ PAUSE - Pauses testing and allows testing to resume.

■ SKIP - Skips the current test and proceeds to the next.

■ STOP - Stops all tests.

You’ll find these same buttons if and when you switch to the Expert interface.

Menu Items

There are options under the menu bar which you’ll need to use:

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Apple Menu:

About TechTool Pro....

This item will display the TechTool Pro splash screen which shows version, copyright and credits information.

File Menu:

Open Report...

This option allows you to save a report that was previously saved to disk.

Save Report...

This option allows you to save the current report for later viewing. This is a proprietary graphical report format that only TechTool Pro can open. Note: reports are not generated until there has been at least one

test executed.Until one or more tests are executed,the save report option will be disabled.

Save Report as Text...

This will allow you to save the current report information as text, so that it can be opened by other programs or sent as email.

Page Setup...

Allows you to configure printer settings prior to printing a report.

Print...

Allows you to print reports.

Quit

Quits TechTool Pro.

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Edit Menu:

Standard Edit Items

This menu contains standard edit items like Undo, Cut, Copy and Paste. These items will only become active where applicable.

Preferences

This item will open the TechTool Pro preference window. For details on those options, see the Preference section of this chapter.

Control Menu:

Drive Select...

This menu item will call up the Drive select dialog box.

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Use this option to select which drives will be tested during standard tests.

Test Controls

This menu also contains pull down and keyboard equivalents of the standard test controls RUN, STOP, PAUSE and SKIP.

View Last Report...

This option will open the last report of the current test session. Useful if you closed the report window and wish to see that same report again.

Recover Files...

This option will take you to the file recovery panel of the expert interface.

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Interface Menu:

Expert

This option will change the program over to the expert interface.

Standard

This option will change the program over to the standard interface.

Preferences

TechTool Pro allows you to control and save certain program settings from the preference dialog.

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Default Startup Interface

This option allows you to control whether the default startup interface will be Standard or Expert.

Auto-Click Continue

With this feature enabled,TechTool Pro will automatically click (after a 5 second delay) the appropriate option when an error dialog is displayed.This is very useful if you plan to run TechTool Pro unattended. If an error dialog appears, TechTool Pro will automatically select the Repair option. If no Repair option appear, it will automatically click Continue.

Sound

Allows you to disable and enable TechTool Pro control sounds.

Speech

Allows you to enable or disable the speech feature of TechTool Pro. When active,the program w ill speak test information using the Text To Speech features of the Macintosh. You’ll need to have Text To Speech installed and active.Text To Speech is not included with TechTool Pro, but is available directly from Apple.

The VOICE pull-down menu allows you to determine which voice TextTo-Speech will utilize.

Reports

When tests have been completed in the standard interface of TechTool Pro,a formatted verbatim report is generated and displayed in the report window.These reports w ill span multiple pages and lists tests which passed and failed, explanations of the tests and failures and some configuration information.

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These tests can be saved for later viewing or printed to hard copy.

There are several controls on the report window:

Save As...

Allows you to save the report to a file.

Allows you to print the report.

Will display the previous report page.

Will display the next report page.

Will dismiss the report window. Note: the report window can be opened again by selecting View Last Report... under the Control menu.

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Testing Basics

This section covers how to run tests and repairs from the standard interface as well as how to customize the standard tests to your needs or liking.

Selecting T est Categories

As mentioned previously in this chapter,the TechTool Pro standard interface has four main categories of tests:

Other

RAM

Chips

Drives

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Think of these as test groups,each of which contains a set of tests specific for that group.Each category has a checkbox to enable or disable that test group.You can see which tests are eliminated from the test list after unchecking one of these boxes.

Hint: Shift-clicking the checkboxes will apply that change to the other checkboxes.

This can save you much time in testing for a specific problem. For example, if you feel you have problems with one of your drives, you can turn

off the Chips,RAM and Other categories to save time on the test session.

Selecting Individual Tests

Once you’ve selected which category of tests you wish to run, you can further customize the test session by individually enabling and disabling single tests. If you move your cursor over the test list field,you’ll see it will turn into a

✔ check symbol. Now by simply clicking on a test name,

you can check or uncheck it.If it is checked, the test will be included in the test session. If not, that test will be skipped.

Running Tests

Running tests with the TechTo ol Pro standard interface could not be easier.Simply launch the TechTool Pro application and press the RUN button.As mentioned earlier,you can tailor different categories of tests to either run or not run.

As TechTool Pro tests your computer,you’ll see the current test is hilited. Previous test will show their status and other information about the test.

If TechTool Pro finds a problem, you mig ht get a dialog like this:

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These dialogs allow you to decide whether to allow TechTool Pro to repair the problem or to continue with the other tests.Information is also provided about the problem itself.

A useful feature of the TechTool Pro application is the Auto-Click preference.Controlled in the preference window, this feature will automatically click (after a 5 second delay) the appropriate option when an error dialog is displayed.This is very useful if you plan to run TechTool Pro unattended.If an er ror dialog appears, TechTool Pro will automatically select the Repair option.If no Repair option appears, it will automatically click Continue.

Protection Control Panel

Purpose

Your TechTool Pro package contains an additional piece of software called TechTool Protection.This control panel periodically saves important volume information. This data allows TechTool Pro to quickly and more reliably recover your data in the event of data loss.

As a control panel,TechTool Protection operates independently from the main TechTool Pro application.Once it has been configured to your preferences,it will run automatically and in the background.

Options

General

The main, or opening, screen of the TechTool Protection CDEV contains two buttons for turning the CDEV on or off.This allows you to temporarily disable TechTool Protection without the need to remove the CDEV. Remember that you will need to restart your machine to make the control panel save changes.

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Preferences

Protec ti on O p ti o ns

The following options allow you to select to what degree TechTool Protection will save your drive information.

Save to all local drives

Of the two options under this category,this option is the setting that offers the greatest protection to your file data.Unlike other file protection programs which only save data to the actual drive being protected, TechTool Protection allows you to save this data all other local drives.So if you have more than one volume on your computer, then the protection data from drive 1 would also be saved to drive 2.And the protection data from drive 2 would be saved to drive 1.The TechTool Pro Recovery

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panel knows to check all local volumes for protection data for any particular drive.

While this method greatly increases the chances for a quick and successful recovery of data there are two drawbacks:

■ The protection process will take longer since there will be more vol-

umes which must have the protection data saved.

■ There will be an additional loss of storage place, since there will be

significant redundancy in saved protection data.

These minor drawbacks are insignificant compared to the benefit this feature provides.

Save only to protected drive

This option is the converse to Save to all local drives.Instead of saving protection data to all local drives,it w ill only save to the drive being protected.This option allows for quicker updates and less redundancy which means less disk space will be used.

Frequency:

This group of options allows you to select how often the protection data will be updated.

Weekly

Choosing this option will only update your protection data once per week.While this selection will greatly reduce the time utilized to update protection data,it is the least safest option to use. For example, if the last protection scan occurred on Monday and your drive crashed the following Sunday,there would be a week’s worth of data that would not be easily recoverable.The week’s data could probably be recovered; but not with the speed that full protection would offer.

Every other day

This option will update the protection data every other day.

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Daily

This option will update the protection data daily.

Schedule:

While the Frequency option allow you to decide how many times per week TechTool Protection will be active,the schedule options allow you to decide exactly when during those active days that TechTool Protection will run. Unlike the other options which are single choice radio buttons, the schedule options are check boxes which mean you can have any combination of schedules you wish.

Run at startup

This will make TechTool Protection run at the time the computer is booting.

Run at shutdown

This will make TechTool Protection run at the time the computer powering down.

Run after x minutes of now activity

This will make TechTool Protection run at the specified idle times.For instance, if you’ve put 15 into the time field,the scan will occur exactly 15 minutes have passed since the computer has been in use.

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Expert Inter face

Expert Inter face Basics

Panels

TechTool Pro offers many tests which cover a wide variety of categories. Each of these categories is divided by individual panels which are selected by clicking once on the appropriate tab.Each TechTo ol Pro screen (called Banks ) can accommodate up to eight panel tabs. By clicking on the left or right arrow buttons on the Bank Select Scroll Box,you can quickly jump to a different series of panels and their appropriate tabs. Alternatives to this method of panel navigation is to use the Panel Menu or the Panel Field,w hich allow you to jump directly to any given panel.

Test Select Groups

Most of TechTool Pro’s panels contain test select groups, which are groups of check boxes that each represent a singular test.By checking the tests you wish to run and unchecking the ones you wish to skip, TechTool Pro allows you to tailor your test session with only the tests you deem necessary.

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Test Controls

Almost every TechTool Pro test panel contains the following four buttons:

■ Run - Begins all currently selected tests.

■ Stop - Stops all currently selected tests.

■ Pause - Pauses testing until either the pause button or run button is

pressed.

■ Skip - Aborts the current test and moves on to the next test.

Progress Bar

This is a standard Macintosh progress bar which indicates the completion status of the current test.If the program knows how long a test will take,it will use a progressive progress bar which fills from left to right:

The test is completed when the bar is filled with color. When TechTool Pro is running a test of an indefinite length, a barber

pole progress bar will appear:

Data Panel

This portion of the screen displays information or graphics for the current test panel.

Current Test Indicator

As TechTool Pro executes each test,a green arrow will appear to the left of the respective test’s checkbox. This not only indicates the current test, but helps determine the overall progress of all tests selected.

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Short Test Result Display

After all selected tests have been executed, the short test result display will appear.The happy Macintosh graphic w ill appear if all tests have passed. The more dramatic “skull and crossbones”w ill appear if a test fails.

Beneath the graphic will be a field with a list of all tests executed and their status, which is usually pass or fail but in some cases may report informational data.

Test Failure Indicator

Should one of the selected tests fail,an alert-type icon will appear and remain to the left of the failed test’s checkbox.This allows you to see which test(s) has failed prior to the final test result display.

Menu Items*

Apple Menu:

About TechTool Pro¨...

Will take you to the About panel,w hich contains version information about TechTool Pro and developer credits.

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File Menu:

Open...

Will open previously saved report files.

Will close the currently opened report window.

View Reports...

Will display the current report window.

Save Reports...

Will save the report file.

Page Setup...

Allows you to configure report print options.

Print...

Will print the current report.

Quit...

Will quit the TechTool Pro application.

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Edit Menu

This menu contains the basic text editing functions like cut, copy and paste.

Panel Menu

This menu is a shortcut to all panels in TechTool Pro.Listed alphabetically,this menu makes finding a particular panel easy.

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Interface Menu:

Expert

This option will change the program over to the expert interface.

Standard

This option will change the program over to the standard interface.

Testing Basics

In this section you’ll learn how to execute one of the test panels and know what to expect in the result display. Once you learn the basics of one panel, you’ll already know how to use the rest and will be able to run all the tests in TechTool Pro.First we’ll run a test and see what a good report looks like.Then we’ll simulate a failure so you know what happens if trouble is really found.

If you don’t already have TechTool Pro open,double-click on the TechTool Pro icon to launch the program.

Go to the PRAM panel either by navigating with the bank select arrows or by selecting PRAM under the panel menu.

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Click on the first two check boxes labeled 10101010 and 01010101 so that the boxes are checked.Be sure that the rest of the boxes are not checked.

To begin the test, press the RUN button:

TechTool Pro will quickly run through the two tests you selected.Notice the green arrow indicates which test is currently executing.

When the tests are complete,you’ll be presented with the short report window telling you the tests have passed.

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Now that you know what to expect when a test session has passed without failure,let’s see what happens when a failure occurs. The first test on the PRAM panel, 10101010, has a hidden feature just for this tutorial. If you hold the option key on your keyboard before and during the test,it will generate a failure report even though a problem doesn’t really exist.

Press and continue holding the option key on your keyboard and press the RUN button.As the tests execute,you’ll notice that a small yellow exclamation point appears next to text 10101010.This is to let you know which tests have currently failed before all testing is complete.

When the two tests have been completed,you’ll see the short report display with a WARNING message:

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This is what you’ll see if a test really did fail. But what should you do now? Click on the small ADVICE button that is next to the text

Fail:10101010.

The advice window will appear with text explaining the failure and the steps needed to correct the problem.Each test in TechTool Pro has specific advice if a failure is detected,so you can take the next step in curing the problem.

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As you run different tests on different panels,TechTool Pro is storing all the test results in its report window.You can view the report w indow at anytime by going to the File menu and selecting View Reports... This report can be saved for future reference or printed by selecting Print... under the File menu.

Congratulations! You’re now ready to try the other TechTool Pro panels and test the other subsystems of your Macintosh.

Automated Testing

TechTool Pro makes it easy to run several tests manually, but sometimes the conventional method of running a test, changing panels, running a test, etc. can be too time consuming. TechTool Pro allows you to automate a test session by using the Auto-Pilot Panel or by creating Test Suites.

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The Auto-Pilot Panel contains a checklist field of all non-interactive tests. By selecting the test panels you would like to execute in this list and pressing the RUN button, TechTool Pro will automatically go to each panel you’ve selected and run the selected tests.This allows you to run your test session with little, if any, interaction with the program. If you would like to perform repetitive testing,the Session Count opt ion allows you to select from 1 to 1000 test sessions to be run consecutively. Each time TechTool Pro completes a test session,the selected tests will be ran again until the number of sessions selected has been reached.

Stop on Errors

Checking this options will cause TechTool Pro to halt any Auto-Pilot session if a failure is detected.

Auto-Boot

This option configures Auto-Pilot to reboot the system after each test session.

Session Count Control

This control dictates the number of test sessions that Auto-Pilot will execute.

Shutdown When Finished

This option instructs Auto-Pilot to shutdown the computer after all test sessions have been executed.

Sessions Remaining Field

This field displays the number of Auto-Pilot sessions remaining.

Restart Countdown

This field displays a ten second countdown which occurs before the computer is about to be restarted.The countdown enables you to terminate an Auto-Pilot session (by pressing the STOPbutton) before the system restarts. This field will only be activated if Auto-Pilot is configured for Auto-Boot.

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Stop Button

This button terminates an Auto-Pilot session.

Start Button

This button starts an Auto-Pilot Session.

Common Questions about Auto-Pilot:

Q: Why isn’t there an option to select the Mouse test or Video Geometry

test within Auto-Pilot?

A: Auto-Pilot cannot simulate interactive tests, which require user feed-

back. The keyboard test for example, requires that the user press individual keys on the keyboard.Auto-Pilot cannot perform these tests, so they are not listed in the test field.

Q: Why are some tests grayed-out on the test list? A: At least one test at any given panel MUST be selected before Auto-

Pilot will allow you to add that panel to the test session.Go to the panel, select at least one test, and you’ll find that panel is now available under Auto-Pilot.

Test Suites

TechTool Pro allows you to create templates for how tests are selected in the application. For example, if you have situations where you only want to run certain selections in the RAM and FPU panel, you could create a suite that would represent those settings.So next time you wish to run that particular configuration, you would simply LOAD the test suite you had previously created. Here’s the exact steps for creating and later using a test suite:

■ Launch TechTo ol Pro.

■ Select the tests at the different panels which will comprise your suite.

■ Select Save Test Suite... under the File menu.

■ Give the file a unique name.

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If you wish to load a test suite you have created:

■ Launch TechTo ol Pro.

■ Select Load Test Suite...under the File menu.

■ Navigate to your saved suite file.

■ Double-click the file name or select OPEN.

■ TechTool Pro will configure itself according to the settings of the

test suite. A handy feature of the test suite option is that you can invoke auto-pilot

just by naming your test suite file so it starts with “Auto-Pilot”before your suite’s name. Here’s an example:

■ Select some tests in TechTool Pro.

■ Select Save Test Suite...under the File menu.

■ Name the test suite ÒAuto-Pilot My SuiteÓ

■ Quit TechTool Pro.

■ Double-click the “Auto-Pilot My Suite”test suite file.

TechTool Pro will automatically launch and begin an auto-pilot session based on the tests you had configured when you saved the suite.

Preferences

The Preference Panel allows you to configure several user preferences:

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Default Startup Interface

This option allows you to choose which interface will be the default when TechTool Pro is launched.

Sound

Checking this box (default) will activate TechTool Pro’s audio effects during testing. If the sound file is not present, this option wil l be unavailable and grayed out.

Prompt To Save Rep orts

If this item is checked (default) you will be prompted to save your current report information when you quit TechTool Pro.If this option is not selected, you will not be reminded to save your report file.

Speech

This option allows you to choose whether speech is enabled.This feature will work only if you have the necessary text-to-speech extensions loaded in your system folder. The Voice option allows you to select which of the available voices will be used.

Shortcuts

■ Using the keyboard arrow keys is equivalent to clicking on the left and

right arrow horizontal scroll bar buttons to navigate between screens.

■ Shift-clicking a test checkbox will set ALL of the corresponding check

boxes to the same state.

Reports

As you use TechTool Pro within the expert interface, test results are stored in the report window.The report window can be viewed by selecting “View Reports...”under the File menu.

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The report window lists each panel tested by name,w ith the name of each test you have chosen to execute.The results of the tests appear next to the test name.

The report window also contains system information about your Macintosh.This can be viewed by holding down the View Select pop up menu at the bottom of the repor t window and selecting “View by System Configuration.”

A multitude of information is displayed.The date the computer was manufactured,the total hours of use it has had, system version, keyboard type and more. Most of the information is self explanatory.Other par ts are geared more towards programmers, like “Text Services Manager Version.”Most of this information is obtained from a Macintosh function called Gestalt. If you’re interested in the details of some of the items on this list, we suggest you consult the book(s) “Inside Macintosh”by Apple Computer and Addison-Wesley.

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Using the same View Select menu, you can also configure the window to display ALL collected information at once.This is the best format if you would like to print your report.To print your report,open the report window and select “Print...”from the file menu.

Other Report View Options

The View Select menu also offers two other options for seeing more information about you system:

View By NuBus Boa rd Inf orm at ion

This option allows you to see information relative to any NuBus boards installed in your computer. This information is obtaining by reading the declaration ROM of each NuBus board. The more boards you have,the more information will be displayed. Since this information is supplied by the NuBus board vendor and “burned”into the board’s ROM,you’ll find that the depth of information will vary between vendors.

If you have a computer equipped with PCI slots, you will not see any information in this portion of the report. Unlike NuBus boards, obtaining information about PCI boards is difficult and in many cases, impossible.

View By Volume Information

This option allows you to see information about your computer’s storage volumes (hard drives and hard drive partitions).Some of the information displayed includes Write Status, Number of Files and Folders, Creation Date and Write Count. This information is supplied by the drive(s) master directory in compliance with ANSI SCSI/IDE standards.

Test & Panel Definitions

This section describes each test in detail and provides information about each specific control on the test panels.

Audio Tests

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Purpose

The components that comprise the Macintosh audio and input circuitry have come a long way since 1984.With today’s models, you can have a CD-quality sound studio right on your desktop.Audio professionals everywhere prefer Macintosh not only because of the super ior built-in audio capabilities but also because of the abundance of studio-qualit y sound and music software available.

TechTool Pro has a multitude of audio tests to help you verify the proper operation of your Macintosh audio circuits.The audio panel also offers a microphone frequency response test that actually checks the microphone by send an audio signal out of the speaker while simultaneously sampling the sound back into the computer with the microphone.

Test & Function Descriptions

Synthesized Square Wave

Utilizes internal synthesizer to generate square wave.

Synthesized Sine Wave

Utilizes internal synthesizer to generate sine wave.

Synthesized Combination

Utilizes internal synthesizer to generate combination sine and square wave.

Synthesized Sawtooth Wave

Utilizes internal synthesizer to generate sawtooth wave.

Synthesized Triangular Wave

Utilizes internal synthesizer to generate triangular wave.

Sampled Output

Loads sampled digital audio file and plays sound at sample rate.

Left Channel Test

Sends sampled sound out of the left speaker (only noticeable on computers with stereo speakers attached).

Right Channel Test

Sends sampled sound out of the right speaker (only noticeable on computers with stereo speakers attached).

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Up Frequency Ramp

Generates square wave while incrementing frequency level.

Down Frequency Ramp

Generates square wave while deincrementing frequency level.

Up Timbre Range

Generates sawtooth wave while incrementing frequency level.

Down Timbre Range

Generates sawtooth wave while deincrementing frequency level.

Panning

Pans sampled sound between left and right speakers (only noticeable on computers with stereo speakers attached).

Open Channel Timing

Times the number of milliseconds necessary to allocate and deallocate several sound channels.

Multi-Channel

Determines the maximum number of sound channels that can be opened simultaneously.

Microphone Frequency Response

Nine varying audio frequencies are emitted from the speakers while the microphone samples and displays the response to the nine frequencies.

Controls & Displays

Test Select

Displays the various tests available on the audio panel.

Frequency Graph

Displays the frequency levels detected by the microphone during the microphone frequency response test.

VU Meter

A volume unit meter for audio input.Activated upon opening the panel.

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Usage Notes

Like the Video Geometry tests, all audio tests (except for Open Channel and Multi-Channel) are non-qualified tests.This means that there are no pass/fail marks. It is up to the user to determine whether the computer produced acceptable results.

All stereo tests (Left Channel,Rig ht Channel and Panning) require the computer to be attached to stereo speakers to achieve the desired effect. Without separate speakers,the output of these tests will be monophonic.

Older Macintosh computers will not be able to utilize the microphone frequency response test if they do not support simultaneous audio in and out. Before executing the microphone frequency response test,you should position the microphone close to one of the Macintosh speakers and be sure the volume is turned up slightly above normal listening level.When the test is executing,TechTool Pro will emit various frequencies from the speaker as the sound is input to the microphone.The frequency display will create a graph bar for each frequency emitted.

Like the other audio tests,the microphone frequency response test is not meant to return a pass or fail result.Its purpose is to display the frequencies that the microphone is capable of detecting . Bear in mind that this is not a fair assessment of the microphone,since the quality of the speakers attached to the Macintosh will have a great bearing on the output of the frequencies.

Common Questions

Q: Why can’t I select cer tain tests in the audio test panel? A: Some Macintosh models do not have some of the advanced audio

capabilities that TechTool Pro checks.In those cases,TechTool Pro will gray out those tests.

Q: Why don’t I receive a pass or fail screen after running tests in the Audio

Panel?

A: The Audio test in TechTool Pro is an interactive, objective test. In

other words,it is up to the user to determine whether the tests passed or failed.

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Benchmark Tests

Purpose

Computer users are often concerned about how fast their systems operate. The never-ending quest for better performance has created a significant industry of acceleration devices for computers. But how do you tell if your computer is really running any faster after it’s been upgraded? The answer is benchmark tests. These are tests designed for the sole purpose of determining computational speeds and rendering the results in a numeric format for comparison. For a computer manufacturer to simply say, “Our computers are faster than our competitors”is not enough. People need hard evidence to believe such a claim and the proof is in the numbers.

TechTool Pro provides several popular benchmark tests that will help you compare your computer’s performance to other computers or against itself for upgrade testing.

Test & Function Descriptions

Whetstone Test

Tests mathematical processing speed using floating-point integer calculations. Results are displayed in whetstones per second.Larger numbers are better.

Dhrystone Test

Tests speed of string operations. Results are displayed in Dhrystones per second.Larger numbers are better.

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Cycle Test

Calculates the number of e vent loops processed per second. Larger numbers are better. NOTE: system extensions will affect cycles per second.

Sieve Test

Tests mathematical processing speed calculating prime numbers. Results reflect sieve executions per second.Larger numbers are better.

Sort Test

Calculates the time necessary to sort a complex array.Results reflect amount of time necessary to complete test.Smaller numbers are better.

Common Questions

Q: Why does the cycle rate differ so greatly with exte nsions on as opposed to

extensions off?

A: System extensions add hooks to the system’s event loop. Most exten-

sions intercept the event loop looking for messages which they were intended to trap.For instance,a macro program intercepts an event related to keystrokes which could be an instruction to invoke a macro. As you add more extensions to your system, the cycle rate of the machine decreases meaning the computer is operating slower than it would with less or no extensions.

Cache Tests

Purpose

Macintosh computers that have a PowerPC processor have an instruction cache built into the CPU called Level 1 cache.This is usually 32K in size and speeds up processing speed by storing frequently used instructions.A good analogy to this would be writing down frequently used

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phone numbers on Post-It notes and keeping them on your wall for quick reference instead of having to look them up in the telephone book every time they are needed.

The next step above L1 cache is Level 2 cache.This is an optional card which is attached to the Macintosh logic board.Much like the L1 cache holds frequently used CPU instructions, the L2 cache is a repository for frequently used blocks of memory.

TechTool Pro will show you how much L1 and L2 cache your system has available and will verify that it is working properly.

Test & Function Descriptions

L1 Performance Verification

This test checks the amount of L1 cache contained in the computer and will verify it is operational.

L2 Performance Verification

This test checks the amount of L2 cache contained in the computer and will verify it is operational.

Controls & Displays

Cache Size Field

Displays the amount of memor y in the L1 and L2 cache.

Test Select

Allows you to select which verification test will be performed.

Common Questions

Q: Will TechTool Pro’s cache panel check my third-party cache card on my

non-PowerPC Macintosh?

A: TechTool Pro’s cache panel only works with L1 and L2 cache, which

only appear on models with PowerPC processors.

Q: Why does my 68K Macintosh fail the L2 cache? I know that it did not

come with L2 cache. So why is it failing?

A: Apple did not create any mechanism to detect the presence of L2

cache. So the L2 cache is inherently “blind”(if L2 is there and is damaged, the test fails and if L2 is not there the test still fails).We’ve worked closely with Apple on this problem and there is currently no way around this.They may offer a Gestalt selector in the future that will allow us to verify presence prior to testing.

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Clock Tests

Purpose

The term “clock speed” when used in computer jargon refers to a measure of performance,much like the automobile industry refers to the power of an engine in terms of “horse power.”Computer users can improve their computer performance by finding ways to increase their clock speed. This can be accomplished by either buying a new machine or upgrading the existing computer with an accelerator or faster clock chip.

The Macintosh clock provides base timing signals to the CPU. This dictates how many instructions per second the CPU can process. Comprised of a crystal unit and clock circuit, the computer’s clock determines the “heart beat”of the computer. The faster the rate, the faster the computer runs.The clock rate is measured in megahertz (MHz). One megaher tz represents 1,000,000 pulses per second. The original Macintosh ran at 8MHz or 8,000,000 pulses per second.A Macintosh G3 runs at 266MHz or 266,000,000 pulses per second

-quite a difference. While clock speed has become the industry benchmark for comparing

computer speeds,it is not the absolute speed indicator which represents computer performance.For instance,a old Macintosh IIfx modified to run at 80Mhz may seem like it would perform better than a Power Macintosh 6100 running at 60MHz,but that is not the case. The improved processor, newer bus architecture and accelerated I/O of the 6100 exceeds the performance that can be achieved from older-generation systems.

TechTool Pro will help you verify your clock speed and test the circuit which comprises your Macintosh clock.While this is helpful in diagnosing an ailing machine, you will also find it useful for testing upgrades to verify that advertised gains in clock speed are being met.

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Test & Function Descriptions

Read Clock Register

This tests checks the clock circuitry output by requesting several thousand read commands and verifying the contents.

Write Clock Register

The write test checks the clock circuitry input by sending several thousand write commands and verifying that the contents of the clock registers contain what was sent by the program.

Controls & Displays

Test Select

Allows you to choose one or both of the clock tests.

Clock Speed (reported by system)

This field displays the clock speed as computed by the MacOS during boot.

Clock Speed (computed from TechTool Pro)

This field displays the results of a timing algorithm which calculates the approximate clock speed.

Common Questions

Q: My computer is supposed to have a clock speed of 150MHz.Why does

the clock speed field indicate that my clock speed is 147MHz?

A: There’s a couple of reasons this could be happening. TechTool Pro

employs a complex algorithm to estimate the clock rate of your machine.While this is accurate in most cases,there are situations where other software or hardware elements of your system affect the outcome of TechTool Pro’s calculation. Try running the test again with all extensions disabled. Sometimes deactivating network services like EtherTalk and file sharing can also help.

Q: When I go to the clock panel on my Power Macintosh 7200/90, the

System reports that I have a 90Mhz processor.However,TechTool Pro computes that I am running at 75Mhz. Why?

A:Your clock speed from your system file is 90Mhz. When you add all

the other hardware and software factors of your machine, it is calculated at 75Mhz by TechTo ol Pro. There is no reason to be concerned about this issue.

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Component Tests

Purpose

There are four chips on the Macintosh logic board that are very important to the operation of your computer. They are:

The VIA1 and VIA2 Chips

The 6522 VIA or Versatile Interface Adapter is an integrated circuit developed by Rockwell International as a generic computer interface circuit.It handles all of the Macintosh user input like mouse and keyboard as well as helps in the operation of the floppy drives. Some computers have a second VIA which helps handle timing functions for NuBus lot devices like video cards and modems.

The SCC Chip

The 5380 SCC or Serial Communication Controller is an integrated circuit developed by Zilog Incorporated for processing computer serial communication.It is the primary circuit used in the operation of the serial ports which allow the use of modems, printers, and other input/output devices. The SCC also regulates data read from and written to the floppy drive by working in unison with the IWM or SWIM chip.

The SCSI Chip

The 8530 SCSI integrated circuit was designed by AMD to provide an easy interface to the ANSI standard of the SCSI high-speed parallel communication protocol.This chip provides the interface for both internal and external SCSI devices to communicate with the Macintosh.

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Any problem with any of the above processors can make your computer unreliable or completely inoperable.A faulty VIA can cause numerous problems on the Macintosh including inconsistent cursor movement or complete failure of the mouse and keyboard. It can also cause unpredictable and untraceable freeze crashes. In the very worst case, it can prevent the Macintosh from booting.Signs of a damaged or faulty SCC are poor or no serial communications and improper operation of floppy drives.Signs of a faulty or inoperable SCSI chip are poor or repetitive SCSI read/writes or complete inability to communicate with SCSI devices. This chip is often damaged by plugging a faulty cable or device into the bus.

TechTool Pro checks all four of these components.

Test Descriptions

The component tests are designated by the four component names they encompass:VIA1,VIA2 (if installed), SCC and SCSI.The tests are comprised of assembler routines which test the individual registers of each chip at the lowest level available.By setting and checking each register, TechTool Pro is able to verify the proper operation of each component.

Controls & Displays

Test Select

This is a group of check boxes which signify each component test available.

Common Questions

Q: Why can’t I select the VIA2 test? A:Your computer does not have that particular component. Many mod-

els did not employ this particular processor, but instead simulate the

same functions in an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). Q: Why can’t I select the SCC test? A:You may be running software which is inhibiting TechTool Pro’s abil-

ity to control and test the SCC chip.Programs like fax and network

software will often take complete control over the chip and not allow

low level operations from outside programs.TechTool Pro checks for

this condition and will prevent the operation of the SCC test if it will

possibly interfere with the operation of your computer. Tr y restart-

ing with extensions and AppleTalk disabled.

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Desktop

Purpose

The desktop database is comprised of one or more invisible files which reside on Macintosh Finder-mountable media and contains file-to-parent application information. Data stored in the Desktop include: file and application icons,type and creator codes, file comments and semi-critical directory information. The Desktop database records are updated on an individual basis each time a new application is introduced (copied or mounted) to a given system. The Finder scans the new application for a BNDL resource,w ich provides the Desktop database with icon and file type information for the application and its respective document icons. Once the Desktop has been updated for the new application,that application no longer needs to remain present on the system for its document icons to be correctly displayed at the Finder.

The Desktop database,formally the desktop file has been problematic since the first Macs were released in 1984.A problem which plagues the Desktop is bad data, often referred to as corruption.During normal use, the Desktop will be updated often by the system,Finder or other applications. In the event that these updates are interrupted for any reason, because of a crash or an extension conflict,the data stored could be written incorrectly.Gar bage in, garbage out. In most cases the bad data may not affect anything important or be immediately noticeable,but it is possible for vital file segments to become damaged, rendering the machine completely useless or riddled with crashes and freezes.

Rebuilding the desktop is often necessary when documents fail to launch after double-clicking, or when custom icons are unexpectedly replaced

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with generic document or application icons. Traditionally, holding the option and command keys before the Finder loads will force the invisible desktop database to rebuild itself.This is usually ineffective because the original desktop database was damaged, so rebuilding it only yields an updated desktop database which may still be damaged.

TechTool Pro provides a better solution to rebuilding the desktop.It actually deletes the original desktop. The Finder is the watchdog of the desktop databases. If the Finder loads and notices that a volume does not have a desktop database,it w ill begin the process of creating a new one. TechTool Pro also allows you to save and restore desktop databases.

Test & Function Descriptions

Integrity Test

This test checks the file integrity of the desktop database and scans your hard drive(s) applications to make sure that a valid entry for each application’s icon set (BNDL). This test should repair any difficulty you might be having with generic icons, provided that the parent application is resident.

If the integrity test does find an application that does not have a valid entry in the desktop database, TechTool Pro will creat an entry. To make an entry,TechTool Pro must force all other applications to quit,including the Finder.If you know you’ll be running the desktop integrity check, you may want to quit all other applications before launching TechTool Pro.

When you manually execute the desktop integrity test,TechTool Pro will prompt you to select the drive or drives that contain the desktop database you wish to examine.When using Auto-Pilot,this prompt dialog will NOT be displayed and TechTool Pro will analyze the desktop databases of all attached hard drives.

Controls & Displays

Test Select

Allows you to select integrity test for the desktop database.

Current File Field

Indicates the desktop database or desktop file currently under analysis.

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Current Resource Field

This field indicates three pieces of information about the file under current analysis:

■ Current Resource Icon

■ Current Resource Ty p e Code

■ Current Resource Creator Code

Delete Desktop Button

Deletes the desktop database and desktop file so that the next time the Finder is launched, it will create a new desktop database.

Save Desktop Button

Allows the user to optionally save the desktop database to a visible file should they wish to later utilize the RESTORE option.

Restore Desktop Button

Allows the user to restore a desktop database previously saved with the SAVE DESKTOP button.

Usage Notes

Saving the desktop:

Some users may find it desirable to save their desktop database prior to deleting it for rebuild. This is not necessary,but provides a method to undo any potential side effect by using the RESTORE button. If you wish to save a copy of the desktop database, be sure to do so BEFORE pressing the DELETE DESKTOP button. The delete routine will not remind you or prompt you to save.

Deleting the Desktop Database:

When you press the DELETE DESKTOP button, al l applications run- ning except TechTool Pro (including the Finder) will be forced to quit. This is to avoid potential wrestling over command of the desktop database file.

You’ll then be prompted to select the volume(s) for which you wish to delete the desktop database(s) from:

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Remember, there is at least one desktop database that can be deleted for each volume on your system,excluding write-protected media like CD-ROMs.To do a thorough job, we suggest you delete the desktops from all available volumes.

The deletion only takes a few seconds after which you’ll receive confirmation:

Remember, it’s up to the Finder to create the new desktop database(s). This will not occur until you quit TechTool Pro and the Finder reloads. When you see the following progress box, you’ll know the new desktops are being created:

Don’t interrupt the process! Nothing terrible will happen if you do,but you’ll end up with a bunch of generic document icons and will have to start again. Depending on the number of files and size of your system’s volumes,this could take a long time.

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Restoring the Desktop Database

If for some reason you wish to restore the previous desktop database(s), follow these steps:

■ Press the RESTORE DESKTOP button.

■ Select the volume whose desktop you wish to restore.

■ Select the appropriate saved desktop file.

Potential Side Effects

■ Documents that have lost their parent applications will become

generic document icons.

■ Users of SpaceSaver¨ and other “ live”compression programs should

make sure that these programs are enabled before the desktop is rebuilt. Many live compression programs modify the desktop file to utilize their custom icons.

■ The Finder may seem to repeatedly rebuild the desktop database with

each successive restart.This constant rebuild problem is an odd bug that can sometimes occur with the Apple extension Macintosh Easy Open. The same thing will apparently happen if you rebuild the regular way.Should this occur,tr y this:

■ Disable Macintosh Easy Open

■ Delete the desktop(s) again with TechTo ol Pro

■ Enable Macintosh Easy Open

■ Let the Finder complete the rebuild

Common Questions

Q: I keep a lot of files and folders on my desktop.Will I lose these by

deleting the desktop?

A: No. The desktop that you see at the Finder,the open area where the

trash can and your drive icons live,is in no way related to the invisible desktop database which TechTool Pro deletes.This correlation between names confuses many people.Apple should name the desktop database something else.

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Q: What if something goes wrong with delet ing the desktop? Will I lose

everything on my hard drive?

A: Definitely not. Think of the desktop database as a preference file. Like

a preference file for a standard application,should a user delete it, a

new one will be created the next time the application is launched.In

this case, the Finder will just create a new one the next time it is

launched. Q: Why should I save my desktop files before rebuilding the desktop and

what should I do with the saved files afterwards?

A: TechTool allows you to save the desktop files just in case something

goes wrong with the rebuild. In this case, you have a method of

“undoing”the rebuild by using the Restore button and selecting the

saved desktop files.If you are confident that a rebuild was successful,

you can trash the saved desktop files.

Drive Tests

Purpose

The evolution of the computer hard drive has been very kind to the computer user. Each year,drives are able to store more data, run faster and cost less money.And while they become more reliable year after year,the fact remains that they are the one element of the computer system which receives the most wear and tear.Rotating at 2800 RPMs or more,the hard drive is always spinning;ready to fetch a program or document in the blink of an eye.

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While there are many utilities available to help recover lost files and patch damaged directory information, few utilities look at the mechanics of the disk drive.The controller board,heads, spindle motor and head armature are just a few items that deserve equal,if not more,attention than the software attributes of the drive.Should one of these items eventually fail, no software recovery program will save your data.

TechTool Pro tests many important elements of your hard drive. The controller I/O,memory and head-positioning mechanism to name just a few.These universal tests are applicable to almost any SCSI-based media. Some of the tests can even be performed on CD-ROM drives.

Test & Function Descriptions

Self Diagnostic

This test initiates a self-diagnostic on the target drive.These routines are designed by the drive manufacturer and provide excellent insight into the operational condition of the drive.

Test Unit Ready

Determines whether the target drive is able and ready to receive commands.

Read Buffer

This test is used in conjunction with the WRITE BUFFER command as a diagnostic function for testing target memory and the SCSI bus integrity.

Write Buffer

This test is used in conjunction with the READ BUFFER command as a diagnostic function for testing target memory and the SCSI bus integrity.

Seek

The seek command provides a way for the initiator to position the device in preparation for access to a particular logical block.

Rezero Unit

This test is used to determine the target drive’s ability to position the actuator at cylinder zero.

Random Read

Reads data from a random memory location.

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Random Write

Writes data to a random free storage location.

Linear Read

Reads blocks of data linearly.

Linear Write

Writes blocks of data linearly to a free storage location.

Controls & Displays

Show Drives

Allows you to toggle between the test results screen (if a test has been executed) and the Drive Select window.

Rescan Drives

Allows you to update the Drive Select Window.

Drive Select Window

Lists all drives and volume that can be tested.

Test Select

Allows you to select which drive tests will be executed.

Common Questions

Q: Will TechTool Pro test my old HD20 drive? A: No. The original HD20 was a serial drive which plugged into the

external floppy drive port.TechTool Pro’s drive panel only tests SCSI

and IDE devices.

Q: When I test my CD-ROM drive at the Drive panel, the Read Buffer,

Write Buffer,Random Read, Random Write, Linear Read and Linear

Write tests results with unavailable.Is there something wrong with

the drive?

A: No. Since CD-ROM drives are read only, any test that involves writ-

ing data which will report back as unavailable

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File Recovery

Purpose

The File Recovery panel allows you to resurrect damaged volumes, recover lost data from a crashed drive and retrieve files which were erased by accident.

The volume recover feature works in tandem with the TechTool Protection CDEV. The CDEV stores important file location data which allows TechTool Pro to easily find files and in most cases,quickly restore a lost volume to its original state.If the TechTool Protection CDEV was not installed, a quick volume recovery will be more complicated. Without the vital data that the CDEV saves,you would need to recover the files to another drive,reinitialize the damaged volume and then copy the recovered files back to the volume.The TechTool Pro installer automatically installs and activates the TechTool Protection CDEV.If you have removed or disabled this important CDEV,you should seriously consider reinstalling it for help against a future catastrophe.

In the event that TechTool Protection data is not available or the volume is damaged beyond the help of this data,you should still be able to recover most,if not all of your data. The File Recover panel offers options and features that make recovering your data very easy.

Controls & Displays

Volume List

The volume list displays drives and volumes currently recognized by the appropriate device drivers. Clicking the checkbox which corresponds to

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the volume you wish to recover or recover data from selects that volume for scanning.

Rescan Drives

This button allows you to update the drive and volume listing in the Volume List display.

Initialize Volume

This button allows you to initialize a drive or volume.You will receive a prompt that will allow you to customize the initialization (on appropriate system versions) as well as give you a chance to cancel in case you’ve chosen this command by mistake.

Situations may arise where you’ll need to initialize a volume (as in after a file recovery) and the Finder will not recognize that device.By using the initialization command in TechTool Pro,you could initialize these drives and the Finder should then recognize them afterwards.

Recover Volume

This option commands TechTo ol Pro to attempt a full volume recover. TechTool Pro will search all local volumes for the TechTool Protection data which is relevant to the drive you wish to recover. If that data is found, TechTool Pro will then begin to rebuild that drive. If no serious structural or mechanical problems prevent a rebuild,you lost volume will appear in the Finder will all of your files intact.

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List All Files

This option will scan the entire target volume for files and present a list of these files which can be selectively or contiguously recovered.

Search By Name

This option allows you to search for a specific file based on the name of the file.When you run this panel,you’ll be prompted to enter a name or a name segment to be used in the search.

Once TechTool Pro has scanned the drive,it w ill present a list of files which match the search string you’ve specified.

Search By Example

This option allows you to search for files based on its unique type.Every Macintosh file has a TYPE and CREATOR code that uniquely identifies the application and family of documents associated with that application. So, for example, if you were searching for a lost MicroSoft Excel file, you could show TechTool Pro what kind of file you were seeking (by navigating to an Excel document on another volume) and TechTool Pro would only search for and display files of that same type and creator.

Common Questions

Q: My drive and Zip drive are grayed out and I can’t select them for recov-

ery.Why?

A: In order to recover data from a drive,it is sometimes necessary to

dismount it from the desktop.This means that drive or volume is no longer available for use by the system.There are three conditions which will prevent TechTool Pro from allowing you to operate with a drive:

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The drive contains the active system.

Since the computer needs constant access to the system files,a system drive cannot be dismounted for recovery operations. You’ll need to boot from another drive or from the TechTool Pro CD,which has a bootable system file.

The drive contains the TechTool Pro application.

TechTool Pro will not allow you to perform recover operations on the drive on which TechTo ol Pro is located and running from.You’ll need to run TechTool Pro from another drive or boot from another drive or from the TechTool Pro CD, which has a bootable system file.

The drive has no media.

Removable drives,like Zip and Syquest, will not be a selectable option if they presently do not have a disk cartridge. Insert the cartridge you wish to work on and the press the RESCAN DRIVES button to update the volume list.

File Structures

Purpose

The File Structures panel of TechTool Pro is used to determine whether files are damaged.Some of the items check by this panel are:

Resources:

■ Verifies that resource length is correct.

■ Checks that resource map follows resource data.

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■ Verifies that type list offset is correct.

■ Determines if reference list offset is correct.

■ Checks if resource data length is correct.

■ Verifies that resource name length is correct.

Checks PPC native code in data fork by:

■ Determines if valid data fork exists.

■ Verifies that fragment location and offset are valid.

■ Scans data fork to determine if declared code is actually present.

■ Tests for code fragment type matches.

■ Verifies that fragment length is correct.

The combination of these tests can quickly determine the state of all the files on your drives.Use these tests when looking for broken files.

Controls & Displays

Volume List

The volume list displays drives and volumes currently recognized by the appropriate device drivers. Clicking the checkbox which corresponds to the volume you wish to analyze selects that volume for scanning.

Show Volumes

Allows you to toggle between the Volume List and the test result screen after the tests have been executed.

Rescan Volumes

This button allows you to update the drive and volume listing in the Volume List display.

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All Resource Files

Checking this radio button indicates that all resource files should be tested.

Applications Only

Checking this radio button indicates that only application files should be tested.

Validate PPC Native Code

Checking this box will cause the tests to also validate PowerPC code fragments while testing file structures.

Common Questions

Q: Will the file structure tests repair any broken files it finds? A: In some cases it will, but in most cases the data need to repair the file

will not be available.

Finder Info

Purpose

The Finder Info panel corrects problems with the Finder information of a file.It will scan the selected volume(s) and validate and optionally repair:

Bundle Bits

This resource within applications determines which documents belong to an application. If this resource is not correctly configured, the result will be generic icons on documents or failure of the application to launch when those documents are double-clicked.

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File Dates

Sometimes file and creation dates will be incorrect because the Macintosh clock was incorrect when the file was created or modified. This results in files with improbable file dates like January 1st,1901. While determining the true dates for a file may not be possible,TechTool Pro will change the file dates to the current date.

Custom Icons

If you assign a custom icon to a file or application,a custom icon bit is set so that the Finder knows it should display the custom icon instead of the normal icon for that file. Sometimes this custom icon bit will be set incorrectly and the custom icon will not display. TechTool Pro will correct this problem by properly setting the bit.

Controls & Displays

Volume List

The volume list displays drives and volumes currently recognized by the appropriate device drivers. Clicking the checkbox which corresponds to the volume you wish to analyze and selects that volume for scanning.

Show Volumes

Allows you to toggle between the Volume List and the test result screen after the tests have been executed.

Rescan Drives

This button allows you to update the drive and volume listing in the Volume List display.

Bundle Bits

Allows you to activate or deactivate the Bundle Bit test and repair routine.

File Dates

Allows you to activate or deactivate the File Date test and repair routine.

Custom Icon

Allows you to activate or deactivate the Custom Icon test and repair routine.

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Validate Only

Allows you to designate that TechTool Pro will only scan for and display found problems.The problems will not be repaired.

Validate and Repair

Allows you to designate that TechTool Pro will both scan for and repair problems based on the selected tests.

Common Questions

Q: I’ve run all of the Finder Info tests and my Microsoft Word icons are

still generic. What do I do now?

A: It’s probable that the problem lies in the desktop database and not in

the application or document file. Go to the Desktop Panel section of

this manual and learn how to repair the desktop file.

File Tests

Purpose

The axiom of Macintosh advice-givers to those seeking help with their Macintosh problems always seems to start with,“Have you replaced your system file?”This is good adv ice since many problems that plague Macintosh users stem from a damaged or brutally modified system file. While replacing the system file is not an extremely technical task, it is a time consuming chore that can be overwhelming to new users. Sometimes merely replacing the system file is not enough.Problems are not uncommon with the Finder file, system enablers and system update files.

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TechTool Pro offers you a better solution than blind replacement of critical system files. TechTool Pro looks at almost every resource within system files and verifies the checksum and file offsets of each resource. In addition, it also inspects the checksum and offset of the files data fork. This is then compared to an internal database located in the TechTool Pro folder called DNA. This database was created by analyzing literally thousands of different systems files from a broad base of Mac models. These system profiles were then compared to each other using a data analysis program which builds a database of the dominant numeric attributes, hence the name DNA.

Test & Function Descriptions

System File

Checks the system file located in the selected system folder.

Update File

Checks system update files.These files contain resources which supersede many of the resources of the system file. These are usually located in the main system folder,but sometimes exist in the extensions folder. Not all computers have or require an update file.

Finder File

Checks the Finder file located in the selected system folder.

Enabler File

Checks enabler files. These files are much like system update files,but contain hardware specific resources. Enabler files allow Apple to release new hardware without the need to rewrite new system software for each new device. Enablers are usually located in the main system folder,but sometimes exist in the extensions folder. Not all computers have or require an enabler file.

Controls & Displays

Current File

This field displays the name of the file cur rently being analyzed.

Current Resource

This field display pieces of information about the file cur rently under analysis:

■ Resource Icon

■ Resource Type

■ Resource ID Number

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Choose Folder

Allows you to select which file(s) will be tested by allowing you to selected which system folder to analyze.The default setting is the currently active system folder.

Test Select

Allows you to select which file(s) will be tested.

Common Questions

Q: I have other utilities that check my system file. What’s different about

TechTool Pro’s file check?

A: Other programs check the file for structural damage. This is limited

to corrupt resource forks and incorrect drive file directory entries.

This type of diagnosis is rudimentary at best and w ill usually only

uncover system files severely damaged enough to prevent the com-

puter from booting at all.TechTool Pro locates the more common

and sinister problem of defective resources. Using the DNA database,

TechTool Pro knows (with exact numbers) what the resource and

data structure of your system files should be.

Q: Why is the ENABLER FILE test selection grayed out? A: There are two reasons why one or more of the tests may not be avail-

able. Either you don’t have the file (many machines don’t use enabler

or update files) or the DNA database does not have an entry for the

version of system files your machine utilizes. MicroMat will try to

post regular DNA updates online to keep this test up to date.Check

the Contacting MicroMat section for details.

Q: Why are all my test select options at the File test panel grayed out? A:You are probably running a newer version of system software than

the DNA file that is currently installed (located in TechTool™

Support Files folder) supports. You can contact our Tech Support

Department about this issue and/or check out our web site at

http://www.micromat.com/ for any updated DNA files that we

have posted.

Q: Why does TechTool Pro freeze during the File tests? A: This is not common, but when it does occur it is usually due to a

severely damaged system file.A clean installation of the system soft-

ware should correct the problem.

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Floppy Tests

Purpose

Next to the mouse and keyboard,the floppy disk drive is the Macintosh gateway to the real world.It is what allows us to install new software, update existing programs and trade information with others who are not connected to us by wire or telephone.The floppy has taken a lower order of significance due to mass storage devices like hard disk drives and CD-ROM drives,but its impor tance is too critical to allow it to become outdated.T here will always be a need for small, inexpensive media access and our floppy drives provide software companies with an economical method to distribute their products and updates.

Those of you who own audio or video tape equipment may be already aware of the ritual of cleaning the heads on your tape deck. The oxide from the tape causes buildup on these heads which will cause a loss in fidelity or other sound impediments like wow and flutter. Cleaning involves using an alcohol-based cleaner and some cotton swabs and removing the dust and oxide which would be coated on the play and record head s.

The floppy drive in your Macintosh deserves and demands the same care.Just like an audio tape deck,oxide can cause a loss of digital fidelity to a floppy disk drive resulting in read and write problems and potential damage to exposed floppy disks.A good cleaning is necessar y for removing these particles.

Still, there are those who say that they have no need to clean their floppy drive since they very seldom use it. These are the people who need to

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clean their drives the most! The floppy drive is a lubricated,mechanical device which is exposed by an air intake to the computer. The computer’s fan (if it has one) blows air out the back where it should (technically) pull cool air in through small vents at the base of the case. But science dictates that when air is exposed to a vacuum,it will be attracted to the largest entrance it can find to that vacuum.On the Mac, this would be the floppy drive port.The lubricated floppy drive is inadvertently acting as an air filter, collecting all the particles that float around in the air. Take a look into the drive slot of most Macs and you will find a wide array of problem-causing debris: disk oxide, cat hair, dust, smoke tar,exhaust soot, paper powder and ash.Some environments are so bad that users need to keep their drive slots covered with tape.

TechTool Pro’s floppy drive panel offers you a method of cleaning your floppy drive to prevent problems with regular maintenance,provided you currently own or have separately purchased a floppy drive cleaning kit.Added with the benefit of repairing units which are malfunctioning due to head buildup,TechTool Pro offers diagnostic features of industr ial test systems.This allows you to find out if your floppy drive is good, salvageable or requires replacement with only a few clicks of the mouse.

Controls & Displays

Drive Location

The drive location window displays an icon much like the one you see when you initialize a floppy at the Finder. The icon represents which floppy drive is currently in use.

Disk Side

This window displays which head is currently in use indicating which side of the disk is currently being tested.

Track Window

This window indicates which track is currently being tested or cleaned. Both the 800K and 1.4M disk drives utilize 80 tracks (0 to 79).

Sector Window

The Sector window displays which sector is being tested in the current track. 800K disks have 12 sectors per track (0 to 11). 1.4M disks have 18 sectors per track (0 to 17).

Test Select

There are four options under test select:

Clean Drive Quick Test Read Test Write Test

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Eject Disk

This button will eject any floppy disk residing in your floppy drive(s).

Drive Cleaning

Overview

3M, the company which manufactures the cleaning disk sold by MicroMat,recommends that the read/write heads be cleaned every 40 hours of operation. In environments where there is a large amount of airborne debris, head cleaning should be performed on a more frequent basis. Think of periodic head cleaning as preventative maintenance: clean heads mean less trouble in the future.

Prepare the Cleaning Disk

(First time use only) Remove the protection tab from the cleaning diskette.

Dispense Cleaning Fluid

Dispense six (6) drops of cleaning solution onto the fabric exposed by the head access slot on the metal hub side of the cleaning diskette.

Start Cleaning Routine Push the CLEAN DISK button on the test select panel.Press the RUN button.

Insert Cleaning Disk

TechTool Pro will prompt you to insert the cleaning disk.

HEAD CLEANING

SOLUTION

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TechTool Pro Cleans Drive

As TechTool Pro cleans the drive,you might hear an abrasive sound as the routine sweeps the drive.This does not mean that the diskette is harming your system.In fact, the cleaning fabric is less abrasive than industry specifications for actual magnetic recording media.

Cleaning Completion

TechTool Pro will take approximately 30 seconds to complete the cleaning cycle.As it cleans, you can monitor its progress by watching the progress bar.

Completion

When the TechTool Pro cleaning routine is complete, it will eject the cleaning diskette.Mark one of the boxes on the back of the cleaning diskette for usage reference.Put the cleaning diskette back in its protective bag and store it for future use.

Creating Test Disks

The primary floppy test employed by TechTool Pro is alignment. Alignment indicates the ability of a drive to accurately positions its read/write head over the sectors of a floppy disk. When a drive is out of alignment, the heads do not correctly position themselves and the result is read and write errors.

Creating Disks for the Read and Quick Tests

In order to properly check alignment with TechTool Pro,the diagnostic program must utilize alignment disks. These are disks that contain precision alignment information that were created on known-good drives.TechTool Pro includes a separate application called DiskMaker that allows you to create test disks to be used with TechTool Pro’s floppy test panel.

Ideally, you should copy the DiskMaker application to a machine with a properly functioning floppy drive,separ ate from the machine(s) you intend to test.If you are not currently having difficulties with your floppy drive,you do not need to create your test disk on a different machine. Follow these steps to create your test disk:

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1) Launch DiskMaker.

2) If you are using a machine with 800K floppy drives,only the Build 800K Test Disk button will be available. If you are using a machine with 1.4M floppy drives, only the Build 1.4M Test Disk button will be available.Press the appropriate build button.

3) DiskMaker will prompt you to insert a blank diskette of the appropriate format. Try to use a high-quality brand diskette.Inser t the diskette into any floppy drive.

4) DiskMaker will create the test disk.This can take a very long time since the program verifies each track and sector as it is written. If for any reason you wish to cancel the build,press the cancel button.

Creating Disks for the Read and Quick Tests

The write test does not use data that currently exists on the floppy for verification. Instead, it writes data to a scratch diskette and reads the data back to verify that the information was properly recorder.

You should tr y to use high-quality diskettes as scratch disks, since any defects on the disk will render a failed write test and an incorrect drive diagnosis.

1) Find a high-quality diskette of the same type as your drive. In other words,if you have a 1.4M floppy drive,use a 1.4M diskette (these always have an HD symbol stamped on them).If you have an 800K floppy drive,use an 800K floppy disk. Most drives are 1.4M and only very old Macintosh models (prior to 1987) use the 800K drive.

2) While at the Finder, insert the diskette into the floppy drive.

3) When the Finder prompts you to format the disk press the INITIALIZE button.

4) When the format is complete,eject the disk and mark it as a scratch diskette.

Read Test

The Read Test verifies several aspects of your floppy drives accuracy. This test utilizes either the 800K or 1.4M Test Disk depending on which model disk drive you have . This test verifies the following aspects of the drive:

■ Relative Head Alignment

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■ Read In teg r it y

■ Head to Head Integrity

■ Random Seek

■ Maximum Seek

The test takes approximately 12 minutes on a 1.4M drive. An 800K drive will take approximately 19 minutes to complete the test.

Select Test Disk

Select the appropriate Test Disk. If you are using an 800K drive (Macintosh II or below) use the 800K Test Disk. If you are using a 1.4M drive (SE/30 and above) then use the 1.4M Test Disk.

Start Read Test Routine Push the READ TEST button.Press the RUN button.

Insert Test Disk

TechTool Pro will prompt you to insert the test disk.

Tests Execute

As TechTool Pro tests the drive,you will see the various information fields of the panel display which portions of the drive and disk are currently being tested.

Test Completion

TechTool Pro will take approximately 12 to 19 minutes to complete the test cycle.As the tests proceed, you can monitor progress by watching the progress bar.When the Read Test routine is complete,it will eject the test diskette.Should any test failures occur,TechTool Pro will prematurely end the entire test,e ject the test disk and display the error in the pass/fail screen.

Quick Test

The Quick Test is similar to the Read Test, but does not test every track and sector.It is meant to be used for fast verification of drives where the 20 minutes required for a full test is unacceptable.Should any of the Quick Test routines fail, it is recommended that the full Read Test be employed for verification.

This test utilizes either the 800K or 1.4M Test Disk depending on which model disk drive you have.

The test takes approximately 1 minute on either a 1.4M or 800K drive.

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Select Test Disk

Select the appropriate Test Disk. If you are using an 800K drive (Macintosh II or below) use the 800K Test Disk. If you are using a

1.4M drive (SE/30 and above) then use the 1.4M Test Disk.

Start Quick Test Routine Push the QUICK TEST button and then press the RUN button.

Insert Test Disk

TechTool Pro will prompt you to insert the test disk.

Tests Execute

As TechTool Pro tests the drive,you will see the various information fields of the panel display which portions of the drive and disk are currently being tested.

Test Completion

TechTool Pro will take approximately 1 minute to complete the test cycle.As the tests proceed, you can monitor progress by watching the progress bar.When the Quick Test routine is complete, it will eject the test diskette.Should any test failures occur,TechTool Pro will prematurely end the entire test,eject the test disk and display the error in the pass/fail screen.

Wr ite Test

The Wr ite Test verifies the write integrity of your floppy drive. The test takes approximately 23 minutes on a 1.4 drive.An 800K drive should take approximately 22 minutes to complete the test.

Start Write Test Routine Push the WRITE TEST button and then press the RUN button.

Insert Test Disk

TechTool Pro will prompt you to insert the scratch disk.You will be warned that the disk contents,if any,will be destroyed for this test.

Tests Execute

As TechTool Pro tests the drive,you will see the various information fields of the panel display which portions of the drive and disk are currently being tested.

Test Completion

TechTool Pro will take approximately 23 minutes to complete the test cycle.When the Write Test routine is complete,it w ill eject the scr atch diskette.Should any test failures occur, TechTool Pro will prematurely end the entire test,eject the scratch disk and display the error in the pass/fail screen.

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Common Questions

Q: Why does DiskMaker only allow me to create one type of test disk? A: DiskMaker can only create test disks for the type of drive employed

by the machine that DiskMaker is currently running from.If you were to run DiskMaker on a Macintosh II, only the Build 800K Test Disk option would be available. Running DiskMaker on a computer which is newer than a Macintosh II will only allow the Build 1.4M Test Disk option.

FPU Tests

Purpose

The FPU or floating-point unit is often referred to as the coprocessor. That is because in most cases it is an additional processor which helps the CPU calculate floating-point and other complex math operations and functions.While many machines do have separate and independent FPU chips, the recent trend has been to super-integrate these circuits into the CPU.This saves the manufacturer money by reducing part counts and assembly time.The user gains by reduced product costs and a nominal computational speed increase since an integrated FPU does not have to contend with bus arbitration and the other delays of processor-to-processor communications.

TechTool Pro tests the FPU chip or circuit by requesting both simple and complex floating point calculations from the system.These are thousand-iteration tests which use a cascading scheme to exponentially increase in complexity.

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Test & Function Descriptions

TechTool Pro uses the follow computational functions to test the accuracy and timing of the FPU chip or FPU circuit of the CPU:

Add/Subtract Multiply/Divide Square Root Round Integral Truncate Integral Remainder Binary Log Binary Scale Binary To Binar y Binary to Decimal Decimal to Binary Base-E Logarithm Base-2 Logarithm Base-E Exponential Base-2 Exponential Cosine

Common Questions

Q: Some years back, Intel had problems with the math calculations on

their Pentium processor.Would TechTool Pro’s FPU test help me find a similar problem if it ex isted on my Macintosh?

A:Yes. The Pentium chip failed several floating-point calculations simi-

lar to the ones employed by TechTool Pro. Should your FPU or CPU begin to incorrectly calculate floating-point operations, TechTool Pro will flag that test as failed.

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Internet

Purpose

The internet testing capabilities incorporated into TechTool Pro, allow you to verify the connectivity between your Macintosh and your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or another host. Instead of using an e-mail program or a web browser to check your internet connectivity,TechTool Pro can run an independent test of your connection. TechTool Pro can execute a domain name lookup and will also ping the specified host to see if possible problems exist.

Test & Function Descriptions

Lookup Name

This test will confirm the ISP domain that you entered with the “Host Name”button and return an IP number.A reverse domain name search is then executed with the IP number to determine the correct host name is returned.

Ping Host

A series of communication packets are sent to the target host.These “pings”are then sent back to the machine under test and the integrity of the data, as well as the round-trip time, is analyzed to determine acceptable connectivity.

Controls & Displays

Test Select

Allows you to check which test(s) you wish to perform.

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Host Name Button

This button is used to enter the target hosts domain name or address for the tests.

Usage Notes

In order for this test to run successfully, you must have a current,live connection to your ISP. Then be sure that you have selected the Host Name button and an appropriate host name.For example, to check communication between your computer and a web server,you might enter:

www.micromat.com

or to test connections to a mail server you could enter:

mail.micromat.com

To test connections between specific hosts, simply replace the domain with the appropriate domain name. For example, if you wished to test communications with your ISP’s mail server,and your email address was john@monster.net,you would enter:

mail.monster.net

Common Questions

Q: Where would I find my Internet Serv ice Providers domain name or

address?

A: Usually when you first sign up with an Internet Service Provider

(ISP), they will provide you with documentation that tells you how to correctly setup your internet software on your computer.In that documentation, you should be able to locate your internet service provider’s domain name or address.

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Keyboard Tests

Purpose

Of all the components on a computer, the keyboard is the one device most like to fall victim to abuse or accidents.A likely recipient for spilled drinks, lost paper clips, cat hair, food particles, dust and debris. Often the target of a computer user’s rage, a computer keyboard and the user’s fist become acquainted in an undesirable way.

From a technological standpoint,computer keyboards are very simple: 100 or more switches which tell the computer what letter, number or character the user wishes to input. This switch contact is sent through the ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) as a binary numeric value which the computer then interprets and displays.The most common failure on keyboards is a damaged switch.There are several things that can go wrong with a switch:

■ Dead - Pressing the key does absolutely nothing.

■ Stuck - The switch becomes stuck in the down position, causing

repeating characters.

■ Bounce - Each press of the key creates multiple switch contacts result-

ing in double entries.

■ Cross Shorts - A break in the keyboard’s circuit board which can

cause several keys to activate when only one is pressed.

TechTool Pro provides two test formats which can help you troubleshoot problematic keyboards.Using the keyboard panel tests, you can confirm whether keyboard related input problems are mechanical problems.If the keyboard tests find no failures,you can be sure the problem is related to another component or software.

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Test & Function Descriptions

Quick Test

The quick test is a speedy way to find dead and bouncing keys.

Interactive Test

More thorough than the quick test,the interactive test walks you through testing each individual key. Besides uncovering dead and bouncing keys, the interactive test has the advantage of revealing stuck keys and cross shorted keys.

Controls & Displays

Keyboard

This is an exact layout or close approximation of the computer keyboard. Each key will be hilited as the keyboard equivalent keyboard switch is pressed.

Test St yle

Allows selection of Quick Test or Interactive Test.

Back One

Enabled only for the interactive test,this button allows you to retest a key.

Finished

This button tells TechTool Pro that you are finished testing.

Reset

Clears the keyboard of all tested keys.

Begin

Engages either the Quick Test or Interactive Test.

WARNING!

It is advised that you disable extensions before running the keyboard tests. If extensions are left enabled and a macro program is running,the keyboard tests will likely fail and any macro key that was pressed during testing will activate its respective macro.

Common Questions

Q: I have a keyboard that is completely dead. I’ve tried swapping it with

another keyboard and it does the same thing, so I think there’s something wrong with the computer.Will the Ke yboard panel help?

A: In this case, no. The keyboard panel only tests the physical switches

of the keyboard.Much of the keyboard input circuitry inside of the computer is handled by the VIA1 processor and that is the more likely cause of the problem. Go to the Components panel and run a test on the VIA1 chip.

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Modem Tests

Purpose

One of the most popular peripheral add-ons would have to be the modem. Modems can let your Macintosh communicate with popular online services, your bank, shopping ser v ices and the internet. The modem takes binary signals from your Macintosh serial port and turns them into a series of tones (MOdulate-DEModulate) that are compatible with conventional phone lines.Just like everything else in the computer business, modems have become faster and better over the years.

Those of you who have had to configure a modem to get it to work with a particular service have probably suffered some configuration problems. Handshaking,AT commands and S registers can make setting up a modem daunting. As you try different configurations with no success you may have wondered,“Is this modem even working correctly?” TechTool Pro offers a battery of tests that allow you to test the most critical functions of your modem.Since TechTo ol Pro’s modem test panel utilizes the communications toolbox,you can test any Hayes-compatible modem regardless of which port it is attached to.

Before running the modem test, be sure to read the Port and Dialing configuration sections.

Test & Function Descriptions

Modem DTE

This test confirms proper communication between the computer and the modem.

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DTE Maximum

This test determines the maximum possible communication speed between the modem and the computer.This is useful for revealing whether your computer’s ports are fast enough to communicate with a high-speed modem.

User Memor y

Tests the modem memor y allocated to user settings.

Performs a read/write test of the modem configuration registers.

ROM Self Test

Initiates the modem self test routine (if it has one) and interprets the results.

Dial Tone Test

Determines whether the modem is attached to a live phone line.

Hook Test

Tests the hook relays (switch which “picks up the phone”).

Carrier Test

Connects to a user-defined host computer and establishes an initial connection.

Signal Quality Test

Executed during the carrier test,this test measures the quality of the carrier signals.

Line Level Test

Executed during the carrier test, this test measures the line level of the carrier signals.

Analog Loopback Test

Initiates an internal analog loopback test.

Analog Self Test

Initiates a self test of the analog circuitry.

Digital Loopback Request Test

Tests whether modem can enter digital loopback mode.

Speaker Test

Takes phone off hook to dial tone four times, each time at a different speaker volume.

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Controls & Displays

Test Select

Allows you to select the various modem tests.

Port Select

Brings up a dialog allowing you to select the port to which the modem is attached.

Config

Displays a configuration dialog containing fields for carrier phone number and other modem settings.

On Hook

Will put the modem on hook (hangs up phone) in case a test failure leaves the modem off hook.

Configuring Modem Port

To configure the modem port:

■ Press the Port S elect button.The following dialog will appear:

■ Hold down the Method pop-up menu and select Serial Tool. If the

serial tool option is not available,it means that the serial tool was not installed in the system folder.

■ Select the port the modem is attached to in the Current Port field.

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■ Set BAUD RATE to 9600

■ Set PARITY to NONE

■ Set DATA BITS to 8

■ Set STOP BITS to 1

■ Set HANDSHAKE to NONE

■ Set HOLD CONNECTION to disabled.

■ Click OK.

Configuring Dial Settings

To configure the dialing options:

■ Press the CONFIG button.

■ If your phone service does not support touch-tones, enable the

PULSE DIAL option.

■ If your modem is attached to a PBX, enter the appropriate

information to gain an outside line in the field labeled DIAL THIS TO REACH OUTSIDE TELEPHONE LINE. In most cases you

would insert 9,.

■ Enter the phone number of a computer service in the HOST TELE-

PHONE NUMBER FIELD. This could be the phone number to your

BBS, your major service provider or another computer with a modem ready to accept calls.

■ Press OK.

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Common Questions

Q: Why is the carrier test option g rayed-out? A: That test will not be available until you enter a host telephone num-

ber using the CONFIG button. Q: Why are the Signal Quality and Line Level test options grayed-out? A: These two tests are executed during a carrier test. If the carrier test

has not been selected or configured,Signal Qualit y and Line Level

tests will not be available. Q: Why do the results from Signal Quality and Line Level report unavail-

able after testing?

A:Your modem probably does not support these t y pes of tests. Q: Why does my new modem keep failing the User Memory test? The

modem seems to be working fine.

A: Some newer modems do not have a User Memory feature and this

would explain why your modem fails this test consistently. The user

memory was used with older modems when software was not used

to store information like frequent phone numbers and settings.Since

software now controls these aspects of the modem, many modem

vendors no longer employ this feature. Q: When I go to the Modem panel a message appears stating,

“Communications ToolBox Missing.” What is the Communications

ToolBox and how do I get this to work?

A: The Communication ToolBox error is indicating that the Serial Tool

extension (which is a part of TechTo ol Pro installation) is either not

enabled, missing or is damaged. Usually enabling the extension or

reinstalling the Serial Tool from the TechTool Pro installer resolves

this problem.

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Mouse Tests

Purpose

The Mouse.This ubiquitous pointing device has many other names: track ball, track pad and tablet to name a few.All of these share the same purpose which is to allow the user to position the cursor.

Usually there are only two things that go wrong with a mouse: it becomes too dirty and fails to track or the switch becomes stuck or damaged. The former is a good argument for optical mice, which don’t have the ball/spindle mechanism that can become clogged after extended use. Problems with switches are quite common.The mouse sw itch is probably the most overworked component of the physical interface, but in order to fit a switch into the mouse housing;manufacturers are forced to used tiny, delicate switches which break easily.

TechTool Pro performs interactive tests on the mouse which are designed to check the tracking and switch mechanisms of your mouse. The Mouse panel also has two status displays,Coordinates and Switch Status, which offer visual feedback on mouse status.

Test & Function Descriptions

Tracking Test

A full axis test of the mouse tracking mechanism.

Switch Test

Tests switch for bounce and poor contacts.

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Controls & Displays

Tracking Field

A 16 by 16 field grid used for both switch and tracking tests.

Coordinates

Field represents mouse position by X and Y coordinates.

Switch Status

Displays whether mouse switch is up or down.

Test Select

Toggles between tr acking test and switch test.

Reset

Resets currently selected test.

Begin

Starts interactive testing.

Usage Notes

Both the tracking and switch tests are interactive.After pressing the BEGIN button, t he message box will appear providing instructions on what you should do with the mouse for any particular portion of the test.

Unlike other TechTool Pro panels, the mouse test does not display a pass/fail screen.Test results can be viewed by selecting “View Report...” from the file menu.

Common Questions

Q: Why does the message box begin to flash the “move ball” message some-

times during the tracking test when I attempt to move one of the

test balls?

A: This could be due to a problem with the switch. You should

confirm that the switch is operational before proceeding with

the tracking test.

Q: When I run the sw itch test for the mouse it fails. I held the mouse key

for the 5 seconds. Why is it failing?

A: Make sure that you do not release the mouse switch instructed to do

so by TechTool Pro.Watch the bottom status window for messages

indicating when to release the mouse switch.

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Network

Purpose

The network features are a very important aspect of your Macintosh when you are on local area network (LAN).The abilit y to print, communicate with other computers in your network and connect to internet services are dependent on proper operation of the network features.

The network tests incorporated in TechTool Pro permits you to verify that your network connection is working properly. You’ll need at least one other device on your network (printer,router or another computer) to use these tests since it is necessary to ping another device to determine communication abilities.

Test & Function Descriptions

All Zones

This test will broadcast and receive on all available zones on your network to confirm proper network communications.

Local Zone Only

This test will broadcast only to other devices that are available within the same network zone of the machine under test.

Show Zone List

When this box is checked, TechTool Pro will display a node list (after testing is completed) of what was found on the network and display which zones were accessed during the test.

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Usage Notes

The Network panel sends a getNameList command to an available zone. Successful return of the list from all machines including the machine on which the tests are executed determines whether testing was successful.

Common Questions

Q: After running the Network panel, the dialog box that displayed after

testing was complete indicated the zone as “*”.Why?

A: The asterisk * represents the local zone. If you had a LocalTalk bridge

that enabled you to have multiple zones, then the node display

would list the actual zone names.

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PRAM T ests

Purpose

Pronounced “pea-ram,”the parameter RAM is a non-volatile RAM chip which resides on your Macintosh motherboard.This dev ice holds special parameters independent of the system or hard drive.Some of these settings include mouse speed and startup device. This information is stored in the standard area of PRAM (the hig h 128 bytes). Below the upper 128 bytes is an area of PRAM w hich holds more critical settings like boot services, manufacture date, hours of use and other reserved areas used by system software.

Some software and hardware developers have begun using the reserved lower areas of PRAM to store settings. Though Apple has been warning developers not to use reserved sections of PRAM because they are used by system software,many vendors have adopted this practice. The result can be chaotic to the reliability of your computer.Inexplicable crashes and freezes are mild symptoms.In some scenarios,the system will not even boot. Changing the system, removing extensions or “zapping”the PRAM using the conventional method does not cure the problem. The traditional method-hold the command, option, P and R keys-only clears the upper bytes of RAM where the problem does not reside.Historically, the only way to correct lower PRAM problems was to open up the computer and momentarily remove the PRAM battery which would clear all of the PRAM memory allowing the Mac ROM to replace the data with default settings. TechTool Pro will clear ALL of PRAM without the need to disassemble the computer.The program also offers the ability to save the PRAM data before it is cleared and the ability to restore this information should the need arise

TechTool Pro also allows you to test the physical memory which comprises the PRAM memory matrix with the same set of tests used in the RAM test panel.

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Test & Function Descriptions

The PRAM panel employs the same memory testing routines for PRAM as are used on the RAM test panel.For test details please refer to the Test & Function Descriptions area of the RAM test section.

TechTool Pro allows you to save and restore your PRAM data using conventional file saving methods.The SAVE PRAM button will copy the contents of PRAM data and save it as file to your hard disk. The RESTORE PRAM button will place the data saved in a PRAM disk file and restore it to the PRAM chip.

Pressing the CLEAR PRAM button empties the contents of PRAM chip to correct potential PRAM problems.You’ll be prompted to save the contents of your PRAM in case you’ve forgotten.The progr am wil l quickly clear the PRAM chip and the system will automatically be rebooted.The reboot is necessary to avoid potential problems if other software, like the system or extensions,attempt to write to or read from the now empty PRAM chip.

When the PRAM is cleared and the Macintosh is rebooted,the computer ROM will check the PRAM.If the contents are not valid (they won’t be since we cleared it) the ROM will install the factory default settings. Many people find the thought of“clearing”the PRAM distressing, since they feel they will lose some important information. This is not the case. Apple designed the PRAM to be self-sufficient should the PRAM battery wear out or fail.While it is safe to clear the PRAM,there are some minor side effects that may appear due to reverting to factory default settings:

■ Some Color-capable Macs may revert to 1-bit B&W, the factory

default setting.

■ 32-bit addressing (if applicable) may revert to 24-bit addressing, if

that is the factory default setting. Newer systems will remain at 32-bit addressing.

■ Startup Device will revert to drive ID 0, the factory default setting .

■ The printer por t will revert to AppleTalk Active, the factory default

setting. If you use a non-AppleTalk printer, it may print a page of gibberish before you deactivate AppleTalk.

■ Mouse speed will revert to Tablet (super-slow),the factory

default setting.

Most of these settings can be reset in their respective control panels, if need be. Should any problems appear after clearing the PRAM,use the RESTORE PRAM button to restore the PRAM to its original state.

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Controls & Displays

Test Select

Allows you to select the various video tests.

Clear PRAM

This control will clear the contents of PRAM which will be replaced with the factory default setting by ROM next time the computer is rebooted.Using this button will force a restart immediately after the PRAM is cleared.

Save PRAM

This button will save the contents of PRAM to a file. This is the data which would be used should the user wish to restore the original PRAM settings.

Restore PRAM

Pressing this button will prompt the user for a previously saved PRAM file and then restore that information to the PRAM chip.

Restore Mandate

This control allows the user to restore the mandate information (manufacture date & hours of use) to the PRAM chip without the need to restore the entire original contents of the PRAM chip.

Common Questions

Q: After clearing my PRAM, I’ve found that my system is using up all of

my memory and I can’t open large programs because of lack of memory. What happened?

A: This can happen on older computers. When your computer’s ROM

replaced the PRAM with the factory defaults, it deactivated 32-bit addressing, reverting your system to 24-bit addressing.24-bit addressing can only map a maximum of 13 meg abytes and any additional memory is ignored. Open your memory control panel and enable 32-bit addressing.

Q: Why should I save my PRAM before zapping the PRAM and what

should I do with the saved files afterwards?

A: TechTool Pro allows you to save the PRAM data just in case some-

thing goes wrong when the PRAM is cleared.In this case, you have a method of “undoing”the operation by using the Restore button and selecting the saved PRAM files.If you are confident that a PRAM operation was successful,you can trash the saved PRAM data files.

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Processor Tests

Purpose

Every computer contains a CPU or Central Processing Unit.This is essen- tial the “main brain”of your computer.As you might remember from the Clock section of this manual,the clock provides the timing signals which the CPU needs to operate.While clock speed is a major factor in overall computer performance,the CPU is the prominent component which dictates a machine’s overall speed.

Though the CPU is the master component in a computer, its function is very simple. It takes data supplied by other components,moves it,does simple math and outputs the result.The magic lies in the shear amount of data processing it does in a very short amount of time. Your CPU is processing thousands,possibly millions of instructions per second.And while each individual instruction is very simple the fact that it can do many calculations quickly allows your computer to perform very complex tasks.

TechTool Pro verifies the operation of your CPU chip with both machine level native instruction tests,and more complex system-level data operations. These tests will attempt to trick your CPU into failing and if it does,you’ll be presented with the unfavorable results.

Test & Function Descriptions

Memory Move

Floating-point move instructions which copy data from one floatingpoint register to another altering the sign bit (bit 0).

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Memory Read

Memory load test using little-endian byte ordering.

Memory Write

Memory store test using little-endian byte ordering.

Integer Compare

Compares instructions algebraically with the UIMM operand.

Integer Logic

Compares instructions logically with the UIMM operand.

Integer Rotate

Rotates the contents of a register.The result of the rotation is inserted into the target register using mask bit 1 and mask bit 2 operations.

Controls & Displays

Test Select

Allows you to select the various CPU tests.

Processor Model

This field displays the model designation for the CPU.

Common Questions

Q: My old Macintosh IIci has an accelerator with a 68040 processor.Why

does TechTool Pro say that I have a 68030 processor?

A: The actual processor designation may vary when TechTool Pro is

testing a computer with an off-board accelerator. This can be caused by CPU shielding, a technique used by some accelerator manufacturers to ensure compatibility by tricking the system into thinking it is still using the original processor.Other accelerators require proprietary system extensions to activate their boards.Star ting w ith extensions off would disable the custom software needed to operate the accelerator resulting into the computer using the original processor.

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RAM Tests

Purpose

RAM is one of the components most susceptible to damage and failure on your computer. This is the one part of your logic board which is handled the most since it is the most popular upgrade. Since almost every operation performed on computer passes through RAM, it is prone to more thermal wear than other components.

Most other failures on your computer are more obvious than a RAM failure.For example,if your floppy or hard drive began to exhibit problems, you would probably begin to see read and write errors appear as dialogs which displays messages like,“Could not write file because of a disk error.”However, RAM errors are much less obvious.

RAM is very susceptible to damage.Static, heat and even normal air moisture can damage the RAM used to store your Mac’s workspace.In its worse form, damaged RAM will prevent the Mac from booting and will render a “Sad Mac”screen.The most common symptom of bad RAM is much more deceiving.Usually the symptom will be an inexplicable system freeze which is difficult to reliably reproduce. Conventional troubleshooting techniques won’t isolate the problem.In fact, standard techniques will prove to be more frustrating since the problem will appear intermittently,leading you to believe you’ve isolated the problem only to later discover the problem still exists.

Unlike storage bits on your hard drive which can be remapped by software,faulty RAM bits cannot be mapped out of use. While a technician with adequate equipment and replacement components can repair a RAM module, the cost to do this usually outweighs the cost to replace the entire module.

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TechTool Pro offers you the most comprehensive software-based memory tester available for Macintosh.A w ide variet y of RAM tests allow you to thoroughly check your Macintosh memory. Simple pattern tests can quickly scan your memory for blatant RAM problems. Matrix expansive tests like the Web test can find problems with faulty multiplexors and memory managers. TechTool Pro even offers two variations of the March test;hailed as the most intricate RAM test available on any platform. This sec tion describes how each test works and how to use the RAM test panel of TechTool Pro.

Test Description

Pattern 10101010

This test works by writing the binary pattern 10101010 consecutively throughout the memory matrix, reading and verifying each pattern after it has been written.

Pattern 01010101

This test works by writing the binary pattern 01010101 consecutively throughout the memory matrix, reading and verifying each pattern after it has been written.

Pattern 11110000

This test works by writing the binary pattern 11110000 consecutively throughout the memory matrix, reading and verifying each pattern after it has been written.

Pattern 00001111

This test works by writing the binary pattern 00001111 consecutively throughout the memory matrix, reading and verifying each pattern after it has been written.

Pattern 11111111

This test works by writing the binary pattern 11111111 consecutively throughout the memory matrix, reading and verifying each pattern after it has been written.

Pattern 00000000

This test works by writing the binary pattern 00000000 consecutively throughout the memory matrix, reading and verifying each pattern after it has been written.

Rotational

The Rotational test sets the first memory address to 0 and verifies that 0 has in fact been stored at that address.It then writes 1 to that address and verifies that 1 has been stored at that address.This is repeated for each bit in the memory matrix.

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Arpeggio

The Arpeggio test sets the first memory address to 1, then sets the eighth memory bit to 1, then it sets the 16th memory address to 1. The test then verifies that memory addresses 1, 8 and 16 still contain binary 1. It then begins the entire process over again with memory locations 2, 9 and 17 and continues this progression until it reaches the end of the memory matrix.

Web

The Web test works much like how a spider builds it’s web.It star ts from the outside and progresses inward.The first memor y location is set to 1 and the last memory location is set to 1. The first and last memory locations are then verified that they still contain the value 1.The test then repeats this process for the second memory location and the second to last memory location. This process is repeated until both ends “meet in the middle.” The entire routine is then repeated with binary 0.

Leap

This test is much like the game “leap frog.”All memory locations are set to binary 0. Then the first memory location is set to 1 and the third memory location is set to 1. The test then verifies that memory locations 1 and 3 are still set at 1 and that memory locations 2 and 4 are still set at

0. The test then resets locations 1 and 3 to 0 and repeats the process by setting the second and fourth memory locations to 1, then verifying these two locations contain binary 1 and that locations 3 and 5 still contain binary 0. The entire routine is repeated until the entire memory matrix has been tested.

Major March

The most complex (and time consuming) memory test available,the March test works like this:all memor y locations are set to binary 0. Then the first memory location is set for 1. The test then reads all remaining memory locations to verify that they have retained the value 0.The entire process is then repeated,advancing to memory location 2, with all other memory locations verified for the value 0. This entire routine is repeated until each memory location has been cross tested to every other memory location.

The March test currently requires an unreasonable amount of time to execute.This test was orig inally designed to test memor y on super computers and mainframes.While this test will be impractical to most users, we’ve included it for several reasons:

1) The super users who equate their Macintosh to a Cray would like something like the March test.

2) It is the most thorough RAM test known to mankind.

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3) It won’t be very long until we have Macs capable of performing such a test in only a few hours.

4) It is available in some Wintel diagnostic programs and the idea of this test not being available on the Macintosh was unthinkable.

Given the above,the default setting for both March tests is disabled.

Minor March

The Minor March works very much like the Major March test,except that instead of performing a bit-by-bit test; it performs a byte-by-byte test. Though it is less discriminate than the Major March test it is considerably faster.All memory locations are set to binary 0. Then the first byte of memory is set for 11111111. The test then reads every other byte of memory (except the one set at 11111111) to verify that it has retained the value 00000000. The entire process is then repeated,advancing to the second byte of memory, with all other memory locations verified for the value 00000000. This entire routine is repeated until each byte of memory has been cross tested to every other byte of memory.

Controls & Displays

Test Select

This is a group of check boxes which signify each RAM test available.

Time To Complete

This field indicates the total time required to complete all tests selected by the user in the Test Select group.

Intensity Select

This control allows you to choose whether the selected tests will run in standard (free memory) or maximum (ALL memory) intensity.

RAM Error Field

This field indicates how many RAM errors are detected while the tests are still running. This running display allows you to decide if you’d like to terminate testing at the first indication of a memor y failure.

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Configuration Display

If the computer being tested uses a special Apple ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) called a “Hammerhead”, then the RAM panel will offer an additional benefit. The Hammerhead chip is found in the 8500 and 9500 models and some variations of those models. If a Hammerhead chip is present,this additional portion of the screen will be present:

Information shown on this additional screen includes:

DIMM Layout - Shows which sockets have what kind of memor y. Interleave Status - Indicates what memory is correctly interleaved.

This information is very useful when planning memory upgrades since you can see the exact memory configuration without the need to disassemble the computer.

We are currently working with Apple to try to establish a method of offering this information for other computer models which do not employ a Hammerhead chip.If we are successful, we’ll include this in a future update.

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Special Considerations

Memory Tested

With Intensity set to maximum,the RAM tests included with TechTool Pro tests ALL of the memory in your system (including system heap,hardware heaps and application partitions) with the following exceptions:

■ One megabyte scratch: One megabyte of memory is reserved for

storing memory contents of the range currently under test.

■ 3K: 3060 bytes are reserved to protect the temporary partition that

constitutes the test.

Offending Extensions

It is suggested that you disable all extensions before running any RAM tests. Some extensions may lock certain memory locations which can lock up the system or cause the test to return erroneous error reports.

Other System Settings

Having AppleTalk active will cause erroneous errors, so the RAM test will not operate until AppleTalk has been disabled and the computer has been restarted. Furthermore, Virtual Memory can cause problems with the RAM tests and must be disabled before the tests can proceed.

Confirming RAM Test Activity

Since the RAM test must render the computer completely inactive (by commandeering all system interrupts), the progress indicator and the error field will only be updated after each consecutive megabyte of memory has been tested. On the shorter tests, like the Pattern tests, this will only take a few seconds.On the more complex tests,this will take considerably longer.

Since there will be no screen activity and the mouse will be locked out, it might appear that the test has crashed the computer. This is normal. If you suspect that the RAM test is not operating, check the upper left corner of your screen for a blinking pixel.If the pixel is blinking then you will know the test is still operational.

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Cancelling RAM Tests

As mentioned above,the screen will only be updated after each individual megabyte of memory is tested. If you wish to cancel a test, place your caps lock key in the locked or down position or hold down the button on your mouse.The program will only check for user input for a few seconds between each megabyte of memor y being tested. On the shorter tests, this will be almost immediately.On the longer tests, like the March tests,this could be hours, weeks or months. If you do not want to wait this long for the test to abort, you may press the restart button on your computer or use the power switch to turn off the computer. Shift-Command-Escape or any other escape sequence will not work. Pushing the restart button or powering off the computer will not harm TechTool Pro,your hardware or any of your software in any way.

Common Questions

Q: What’s the difference between maximum and standard intensity? A: Standard intensity tests only free memory.Memory that contains the

system, extensions and all applications currently loaded (including TechTool Pro) are not tested.Maximum intensity tests all memory except for a small portion set aside that contains the instructions which actually run the test. The biggest difference is that standard intensity is friendlier,since it does not intr ude on port ions of memory reserved for the system and other applications. When using maximum intensity,TechTool Pro becomes the priority application, locking out the entire system and user interface,so no feedback is provided to the user except for the blinking pixel.Maximum intensity is also more susceptible to extension conflicts,since some extensions will not render control of memory to TechTool Pro.

Q: Why can’t TechTool Pro show me which memory module is bad when it

finds a failure?

A: While this was possible with older versions of system software on

older computers (prior to the Quadra 900),Apple has made several improvements to the hardware and system software which no longer allow software based memory identification. The modern memory manager and new RAM multiplexors located on the logic board “stitch”the memory in a way that makes it more reliable for the user and easier to work with for Macintosh developers.Apple has informed us that these improvements make it impossible to identify memory modules.

Q: When I check the Minor and Major March tests in the RAM panel it

says that it will take either months and sometimes years to complete. Do I really need to run these two March tests for the RAM?

A: For most users, running all the other test options in the RAM panel

will give you an accurate assessment of the oper ation of your

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installed RAM. It is not recommended to check the Minor and Major March for the RAM panel since the time to complete is unreasonable. In a few years, computers will be fast enough to make the time these tests require negligible.

Q: Will TechTool Pro tell me the speed (in nanoseconds) of each RAM chip

installed?

A: We would like to be able to implement this feature into TechTool Pro,

however Apple has not built a mechanism to allow us to retrieve this information from the installed RAM.

ROM Tests

Purpose

ROM stands for Read Only Memory,meaning that ROM is a chip or group of chips that contains information which cannot be altered.Think of your ROM chips as software.A program designed to dictate the behavior and interaction between all the different components of your system. The only difference between ROM software and the software stored on your hard drive is that ROM programs are burned into chips. So instead of calling ROM “software”, ROM is referred to as firmware;a cross between hardware and software.

The software in the Macintosh ROM contains all of the low-level instructions necessary to make a box of computer parts into a Macintosh.ROM contains the instructions that tell the computer to load the system from the hard drive or floppy drive.It contains the ToolBox routines used by programmers to make windows,menus and all other things Macintosh.

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Micromat TechTool Pro - 2 Operation Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual