Technical Support Coordinator, BAKA Computers

Back in August, Apple announced a collection of software utility updates intended to replace versions already in users' hands. The Macintosh Software Utilities Update, version 1.0, includes Apple HD SC Setup 7.2, Disk First Aid 7.2, and MacCheck 1.0.4. The utilities are intended for users of System 7.1.

MacCheck has shipped with the Performas for a while; it provides a diagnostic tool that users can refer to while speaking to a technical support consultant on the phone. It gives a profile of the hard drive, a logic board test, and a file system verification test (to find corrupted directories and system files).

The new Apple HD SC Setup utility offers better flexibility in formatting hard disks larger than 1 GB. Apple also released it with the recent Hardware System Update 2.0.

Disk First Aid 7.2 adds new repair capabilities and a completely new user interface. Version 7.1 did not always agree with MacCheck's diagnoses, and often could neither find nor repair problems that MacCheck pointed out to a confused user.

The free update disk is available immediately from AppleLink, via anonymous FTP from <ftp.apple.com> (using the path /ftp/dts/mac/sys.soft/utils), and from other online services, user groups, and dealers. Questions may be addressed to Apple's help line, 800/SOS-APPL, to MACCHECK on AppleLink, or maccheck@guest.apple.com on the Internet.

Apple notes that the recent new Macintoshes and the ones introduced this fall, will probably include Disk First Aid 7.1.1, rather than 7.2. Apparently the fall machines' disk-completion deadline was in July, and Disk First Aid 7.2 was not ready.