# Help me find a diagnostic tool please

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-diagnostic-tool-please/293656>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 9, 2005, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-diagnostic-tool-please/293656 "2005-03-09T10:48:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-diagnostic-tool-please/293656/1 "2005-03-09T10:48:09Z")

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I am looking for a diagnostic tool that I can run from a memory stick. The diagnostig program needs to tell me everything about a computer. I want to know what kind of motherboard, processor, memory, disk, and other equipment installed on a computer. Is there a free diagnostic that will do this?

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**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-diagnostic-tool-please/293656/2 "2005-03-09T11:11:37Z")

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    - What do you know will not work? Have you tried Sisoft Sandra?

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Or do you mean something that can be run without OS support (off a boot utility)–such as when the computer comes into your lap totally fuxed up, and you want to verify hardware function before spending time jacking with OS settings?..  
~

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**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-diagnostic-tool-please/293656/3 "2005-03-09T15:29:58Z")

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[belarc advisor](http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html) will do this for you. You can’t run it from the memory stick (I don’t think) but you can run the install from the memory stick. It will install a small client and give you the info you need in a web page format in a few seconds. I’ll have to check out this Sisoft Sandra DougC mentioned.