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Service Hints & Tips

Document ID: GSMH-3FCES5

IBM PC/IBM IntelliStation - Using the test program

Applicable to: World-Wide

Using the Test Programs:
The test programs provide advanced functions and utilities for users and service or support professionals to troubleshoot even the most difficult problems.

Program Navigation:
You can maneuver within the test programs by typing the first letter of a menu choice, using the function keys, or using command-line options.

Using the First Letter of a Menu Choice:
Throughout the test programs, pressing the first letter of an option on a menu is the same as moving to that item with the cursor and pressing Enter; however, this function is not enabled on Test Group Screens.

Using the Function Keys:
Use the following keys to maneuver throughout the test programs:

Keys	Action
Enter	Select an item, run the test module, or run the test
Down Arrow	Moves the cursor down
Up Arrow	Moves the cursor up
F1	Calls up the appropriate Help information. Use the up arrow key (or the down arrow key to scroll through the information. Pressing F1 from within a Help screen provides a help index from which you can select different categories. One of the important help categories is function key usage. Pressing Esc exits Help and returns to where you left off.
Esc	Go back to the previous menu

Additional functions are available in the Test Module Selection screen and the Test Group screen using the following keys:

Keys	Action
Tab	Move to test group (or move to parameters)
Spacebar	Toggle modules on/off (or toggle tests on/off)
F2	View test results log
F10	Local menu
+	Next logical unit number (for example, LUN 1, LUN 2, and so on)
-	Previous logical unit number

Command Line Options:
The following Command Line Options are available when initially starting the diagnostic program from within its directory.

Type QAPLPRO/XXX (where /XXX represents one of the following from the list below) then press Enter.

Command	Action
/B&W	The /B&W command line option forces the program to load in Black and White (Monochrome) mode, which is often more readable on laptop computers.
/LOG=file	The /LOG=file command line option directs the test programs to start using a specified Error Log file.
/INT10	The /INT10 command line option forces the test programs to use the BIOS for screen writes.
/OXXX	The /OXXX command line option, where XXX=test group (for example, MBD/MEM/VID/HDU/FDU/KBD/COM/LPT, and so on), omits the designated test group from testing.
/USRCONFIG =file	The /USERCONFIG=file command line option tells the test programs to look for a user diagnostic configuration file other than the default USERDIAG.CFG.
/SCRIPT =file[ ,R]	The /SCRIPT=file[ ,R] command line option with the ",R" runs the selected script. Please see "Scripting" for a description of scripting. Note: You can use a "-" instead of a / as the command line switch.

Viewing the Test Groups:
As you move the cursor bar up or down in the Test Module Selection window, the right hand screen changes to show the attributes, parameters, and the selected tests of the corresponding Test Group. The indicates a module selected for testing.

The indicated attributes are characteristics of the selected test module that are used by the test programs to determine which tests to run or how to run selected tests. Attributes are also used to limit the allowable range of parameters (for example, - ending cylinder).

Parameters are values you select to establish the scope of tests. For example, you can select Extended Memory testing parameters and limit the testing to a specific range of test blocks by specifying the starting and ending memory block. This might be appropriate if prior experience indicates that problems are likely to exist in a specific area of memory. By selecting these limiting parameters, you reduce memory testing time.

Scripting:
Scripting allows you to select specific groups of tests, testing parameters, and options. Your selection is saved for later use as a test Script. To set up a test script, first select all the appropriate test groups and specific tests you want to run from the Module Testing section under Diagnostics. You should also select appropriate testing parameters and options. See Program Navigation on, for instructions to save a test script.

Changing Logical Unit Numbers:
In some instances, you can have more than one logical unit number (LUN) for a particular module. LUNs represent individual devices within a test group or module. For example, you might have two diskette drives or two hard disk drives; or, you might have base, extended, shadow, and cache memory installed in the computer. This configuration might result in as many as four or five different LUNs in the Memory Test Group. Or you might have base, extended, shadow, and cache memory installed in the system which might result in as many as four or five different LUNs in the Memory Test Group.

From either the Module Test Menu or the Test Group window, you can change to a different LUN (where applicable) by pressing the plus (+ ) key (next LUN), or the minus (- ) key (previous LUN).

Test Group Specifications:
In the upper-right-hand portion of the testing screen (or just the upper portion if you switched to an individual test group screen) are the specifications for the related test group.

Note: In the Hard Disk Test Group specification area, if a software program was to compress your drive, the indicated size is the compressed size of the logical drive.

Starting the Diagnostics Diskette:
1. Insert the Diagnostics diskette into drive A.
2. Power-on the computer.
3. When the Diagnostics Main Menu is displayed, press Ctrl+A. (The screen will not change.)
4. Select Diagnostics; then, press Enter.
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen. If an error is displayed, go to Symptom-to-FRU Index.

Module Testing Mode:
If the test programs do not find a problem, or you want to perform in-depth testing, the Module Testing mode provides a method to run individual tests on a single module. For example, you can run an individual test for the diskette drive, or you can run groups of tests for several modules.

In the Module Testing mode, you can define how many times each test should run and how the test program should log the errors.

To start the Module Testing mode:
1. Start the Diagnostics diskette.
2. Select Diagnostic Menu from the Main Menu.
3. Select Quick Checks from the next menu.
4. Use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight bar from one selection to the next.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Note: As you scroll down the selection menu, the Test Group window to the right changes to correspond to the highlighted Module.

Running Selected Module Tests:
To run all selected tests for a test group:
1. Use the up and down arrow keys to move the cursor to your selection.
2. Press Enter.

Note: A appears next to your selection.

Running All Selected Modules:
To run all selected test modules:
1. Use the down arrow key to move the cursor to the last choice, Run All Selected Modules.
2. Press Enter.

Note: A appears next to your selection.

Changing Selected Tests in Test Groups:
To change selected tests in a Test Group:
1. In the Module Tests Menu, use the up and down arrow keys to move the cursor to your selection.
2. Press Tab to move into the expanded Test Group window.
3. Scroll to the test you want to select or deselect.

Warning: Items indicated by a directly adjacent "*" ( red text on color screens) are destructive tests.

4. Press the spacebar at the highlighted test to toggle between select (indicated by a ) and deselect.

Note: Pressing the first letter of a test does not activate the test, unlike menu operation.

5. Press Enter.

Running an Individual Test:
To run an individual test:
1. Use the up and down arrow keys and to move to the highlighted bar to the test you want to run.
2. Press Enter to run the test.

Note: The results of the test appear in the lower-right-hand Test Log window. Also, if you enabled Test Logging, the results are recorded in the Test Log.

3. When the test completes, press Esc to return to the Test Group Menu.

Stopping the Tests:
To stop running a specific test or stop testing after you have started a test, press Esc while the test is running. The test pauses at the first possible opportunity, and the Skip/Abort Test Menu appears with the following options:

Option	Action
Continue	The test program begins testing where it left off.
Skip to next test	The test program skips the current test, but remaining tests for the selected Test Module continue.
Skip to next group	The test program skips the remaining tests in the current test group.
Abort all tests	The test program stops and returns to the previous menu.

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	Hint Category	Hardware Maintenance Information
	Date Created	20-03-97
	Last Updated	17-04-98
	Revision Date	13-04-99
	Brand	IBM PC, IBM IntelliStation
	Product Family	PC 300GL, PC 330, PC 340, PC 350, PC 360, PC 365, PC 730, PC 750, M Pro, Z Pro
	Machine Type	6272, 6282, 6571, 6573, 6575, 6576, 6577, 6560, 6581, 6583, 6585, 6586, 6587, 6598, 6589, 6875, 6876, 6877, 6885, 6886, 6887, 6888, 6898, 6899
	Model	Various
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