Professional Soft Collection 1.02/Professional Soft Collection 1.02.iso/test.all/qaplus/qafe501/help.dat

Text File | 1990-07-12 | 40.0 KB | 1,110 lines

$HELP:00000000000:Cursor/Function Key Usage
Movement and selection for the Main Menu, and all
but the Test Module and Test Group menus, utilizes
the following keys:

 ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
 ║  [Ret]/[Enter] = Select Item<R>              ║
 ║  [Down Arrow]  = Move Cursor Down            ║
 ║  [Up Arrow]    = Move Cursor Up              ║
 ║  [F1]          = Help                        ║
 ║  [F10]         = Local Menu                  ║
 ║  [Esc]         = Go Back to Previous Menu    ║
 ║  1st Letter (Menu Item) = Position & Select  ║
 ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Key usage for the Test Module Selection screen and
the Test Group screen is indicated below.

 ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
 ║  [Ret]        = Run Tests in Selected Module ║
 ║                 (or Run Selected Test)       ║
 ║  [Tab]        = Move to Test Group/Parameters║
 ║  [Space]      = Toggle Modules/Tests On/Off  ║
 ║  [Down Arrow] = Move Cursor Down             ║
 ║  [Up Arrow]   = Move Cursor Up               ║
 ║  [F1]         = Help                         ║
 ║  [F10]        = Local Menu                   ║
 ║  [+]          = Next Logical Unit            ║
 ║  [-]          = Previous Logical Unit        ║
 ║  [Esc]        = Go Back to Previous Menu     ║
 ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

$HELP:06000000000:Command Line Options
The following Command Line Options are available
by typing from within the QAPlus/fe directory:

  QAPLUSFE /XXXXXXX [Ret]   : Command form

    /CRC             : Internal CRC (Virus) check
    /B&W             : Force mono mode
    /SCRIPT=file[,R] : Restore Script Environment.
                       Adding the ",R" runs the
                       selected script (see below)
    /LOG=file        : Set log to specified file

$HELP:06100000000:Save Script
After you have selected the tests you wish to run,
and chosen the appropriate test parameters, you
may wish to save these values for future use.
This process is called "Scripting."  To accomplish
this, select "Save Script", which is the last item
on the "Options Menu" under the "Diagnostics
Menu."  Please note that you must complete your
selection of tests and test options before
choosing this item, as it will actually save the
Test Script that it sees at the time "Save Script"
is choosen.

QAPlus/fe will normally save the last-used values
into a default file as you exit the program, but
if you wish to reuse these same values at some
later time you should assign a Script File name.
If you do not use the procedure described at the
end of this section to call up a previously saved
Script File, QAPlus/fe will load the default
script saved upon the last exit from the program.

If, for example, you had selected the file name
"PCTEST1", QAPlus/fe would have automatically
added the extension ".QA".  To load and run
QAPlus/fe with this Test Script, therefore, you
would enter:

       QAPLUSFE /SCRIPT=pctest1,R  [Ret]

Adding the ",R" actually Runs the tests listed in
the named Test Script.  If this is omitted,
QAPlus/fe will simply load the program with the
test selection and test options selection as
previously saved in the chosen Script File.

Please note that it is not necessary to add an
extension to the Script File name, either when you
first save it or when you later call it up for
use.

$HELP:00100000001:Diagnostics Option
Selecting this Main Menu option gives access to
the Diagnostics Testing Menu.  The Diagnostics
Testing Menu allows Quick Testing of all major
system components; individual testing of different
system Modules; and access to various testing
Options. The available test groups (depending on
your system configuration) are:

  System Board
  Memory (System Board, Extended, Expanded)
  Video
  Hard Disks
  Floppy Disks
  Keyboard
  Com (Serial)Ports
  Lpt (Parallel) Ports
  Pointer Device
  Test All Modules

$HELP:02400000002:Report Option
Selecting this Main Menu option gives access to
System Information Reports and system and hard disk
Benchmark Testing.

$HELP:03600000003:Utilities Option
Selecting this Main Menu option gives access to the
QAPlus/fe utility programs including: COM Port
Debugger; RAM Chip Locater; Format diskette; Edit
CMOS; Hard Disk Utilities; QAFloppy (Floppy Disk
Alignment); and a DOS Shell (for temporary access
to the DOS prompt).

$HELP:04400000004:Exit Option
Selecting this Main Menu option Exits QAPlus/fe and
returns to the DOS prompt.

$HELP:00200000011:Quick Check Option
Selecting this Diagnostics Menu option performs a
Quick Test of all modules. The Quick Test uses a
group of preselected tests and does not use any
interactive or destructive tests.

$HELP:00300000021:Module Tests Option
Selecting this Diagnostics Menu option accesses
extensive, in-depth Module Testing.  This test mode
permits running either individual tests; tests on
just one Module (e.g. - floppy disk tests); or
groups of tests from specific Modules.

$HELP:00400000121:System Board Tests
For specific information on the System Board Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To move from the test module to its related Test
Group for individual Test Selection, first move the
cursor highlight bar to that module, then press the
[Tab] key.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:05100001121:System Board Tests
For specific information on the System Board Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To run an individual highlighted test press [Ret].

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:00500000221:Memory Tests
For specific information on the Memory Tests please
refer to the tests section at the beginning of the
QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To shift from Base Memory Tests (LUN 1) to Extended
Memory (LUN 2) or Expanded (LUN 3) press the gray
[+] key, or use the gray [-] key to reverse the
selection order.

To move from a test module to its related Test
Group for individual Test Selection, first move the
cursor highlight bar to that module, then press the
[Tab] key.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:05200001221:Memory Tests
For specific information on the Memory Tests please
refer to the tests section at the beginning of the
QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To shift from Base Memory Tests (LUN 1) to Extended
Memory (LUN 2) or Expanded (LUN 3) press the gray
[+] key, or use the gray [-] key to reverse the
selection order.

To run an individual highlighted test press [Ret].

To change parameters for a particular highlighted
test (where parameters are indicated on right
middle portion of test group screen, press [Tab].
When you have finished entering the revised
parameters, press [Esc] to return to the Test Group
menu.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:00600000321:Video Tests
For specific information on the Video Tests please
refer to the tests section at the beginning of the
QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To move from a test module to its related Test
Group for individual Test Selection, first move the
cursor highlight bar to that module, then press the
[Tab] key.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:05300001321:Video Tests
For specific information on the Video Tests please
refer to the tests section at the beginning of the
QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To run an individual highlighted test press [Ret].

To change parameters for a particular highlighted
test (where parameters are indicated on right
middle portion of test group screen, press [Tab].
When you have finished entering the revised
parameters, press [Esc] to return to the Test Group
menu.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:00700000421:Hard Disk Tests
For specific information on the Hard Disk Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

Please note that tests preceded by an asterisk (*)
(and marked in red on color screens) are
destructive tests and may result in data loss.

To shift from Hard Disk #1 (LUN 1) to Hard Disk #2
(LUN 2) press the gray [+] key, or use the gray [-]
key to reverse the selection order.

To move from a test module to its related Test
Group for individual Test Selection, first move the
cursor highlight bar to that module, then press the
[Tab] key.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:05400001421:Hard Disk Tests
For specific information on the Hard Disk Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

Please note that tests preceded by an asterisk (*)
(and marked in red on color screens) are
destructive tests and may result in data loss.

To shift from Hard Disk #1 (LUN 1) to Hard Disk #2
(LUN 2) press the gray [+] key, or use the gray [-]
key to reverse the selection order.

To run an individual highlighted test press [Ret].

To change parameters for a particular highlighted
test (where parameters are indicated on right
middle portion of test group screen, press [Tab].
When you have finished entering the revised
parameters, press [Esc] to return to the Test Group
menu.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:00800000521:Floppy Disk Tests
For specific information on the Floppy Disk Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

Please note that tests preceded by an asterisk (*)
(and marked in red on color screens) are
destructive tests and may result in data loss.

To shift from Floppy Disk A: (LUN 1) to Floppy Disk
B: (LUN 2) press the gray [+] key, or use the gray
[-] key to reverse the selection order.

To move from a test module to its related Test
Group for individual Test Selection, first move the
cursor highlight bar to that module, then press the
[Tab] key.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:05500001521:Floppy Disk Tests
For specific information on the Floppy Disk Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

Please note that tests preceded by an asterisk (*)
(and marked in red on color screens) are
destructive tests and may result in data loss.

To shift from Floppy Disk A: (LUN 1) to Floppy Disk
B: (LUN 2) press the gray [+] key, or use the gray
[-] key to reverse the selection order.

To run an individual highlighted test press [Ret].

To change parameters for a particular highlighted
test (where parameters are indicated on right
middle portion of test group screen, press [Tab].
When you have finished entering the revised
parameters, press [Esc] to return to the Test Group
menu.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:00900000621:Keyboard Tests
For specific information on the Keyboard Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To move from a test module to its related Test
Group for individual Test Selection, first move the
cursor highlight bar to that module, then press the
[Tab] key.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:05600000621:Keyboard Tests
For specific information on the Keyboard Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To run an individual highlighted test press [Ret].

If you select the Keystrokes test you will be
prompted to select the appropriate keyboard type
from a provided on-screen choice of keyboard types.
If you select the incorrect type you will get an
invalid Keystrokes test result.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:01000000721:COM (Serial) Port Tests
For specific information on the Com Port Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To shift from COM Port #1 (LUN 1) to COM Port #2
(LUN 2) or COM Port #3 (LUN 3) press the gray [+]
key, or use the gray [-] key to reverse the
selection order.

To move from a test module to its related Test
Group for individual Test Selection, first move the
cursor highlight bar to that module, then press the
[Tab] key.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:05700001721:COM (Serial) Port Tests
For specific information on the Com Port Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To shift from COM Port #1 (LUN 1) to COM Port #2
(LUN 2) or COM Port #3 (LUN 3) press the gray [+]
key, or use the gray [-] key to reverse the
selection order.

To run an individual highlighted test press [Ret].

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:01100000821:Lpt (Parallel) Port Tests
For specific information on the Lpt Port Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To shift from Lpt Port #1 (LUN 1) to Lpt Port #2
(LUN 2) press the gray [+] key, or use the gray [-]
key to reverse the selection order.

To move from a test module to its related Test
Group for individual Test Selection, first move the
cursor highlight bar to that module, then press the
[Tab] key.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:05800001821:Lpt (Parallel) Port Tests
For specific information on the Lpt Port Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To shift from Lpt Port #1 (LUN 1) to Lpt Port #2
(LUN 2) press the gray [+] key, or use the gray [-]
key to reverse the selection order.

To run an individual highlighted test press [Ret].

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:01200000921:Pointer Tests
For specific information on the Pointer Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To move from a test module to its related Test
Group for individual Test Selection, first move the
cursor highlight bar to that module, then press the
[Tab] key.

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:05900001921:Pointer Tests
For specific information on the Pointer Tests
please refer to the tests section at the beginning
of the QAPlus/fe Reference Guide.

To run an individual highlighted test press [Ret].

When you have finished test selection, press [Esc]
to return to the Test Module Menu.  To run the
selected tests for the highlighted module, press
[Ret]/[Enter].

$HELP:01300000A21:Test All Modules
By moving the cursor highlight bar to this item and
pressing [Ret]/[Enter] you will test all selected
tests from all selected Modules.  An item (Test or
Module) is selected for testing if there is a
diamond in parenthesis preceding the item.

$HELP:01400000031:Test Options Selection
Selecting this Diagnostics Menu item permits
selection of the QAPlus/fe Test Options, including:
Halt on Error; Beep on Error; Lap Count; Pause
Control; and Error Logging.

Please use [F1] at each individual menu item for
further Help information on that item.

$HELP:01500000131:Halt On Error Option
Your choices for this option are Yes and No.  The
default setting is No.  If you select Yes (Halt On
Error) you will be able to resume testing after the
halt by pressing any key.

$HELP:01600000231:Beep On Error Option
Your choices for this option are Yes and No.  If
both this item and the speaker have been enabled, a
beep sounds whenever a test reports an error.  The
default setting is Yes.

$HELP:01700000331:Lap Count Option
This parameter determines the number of times each
set of tests is executed. When selected, you may
enter a number from 0 to 9999.  The looping is
controlled on a block basis, not on an individual
test basis.  Therefore, if tests A, B, and C are
selected and the Lap Count is set to 3, the test
execution sequence will be A B C / A B C / A B C.
If you select 0, the tests run indefinitely.

$HELP:01800000431:Pause Control Option
The options for this item are Yes and No.  The
default setting is No.  This control tells
QAPlus/fe whether or not to pause between tests,
waiting for you to press any key to continue.

$HELP:01900000531:Error Logging Option
This menu item first provides four options:
Selecting None turns OFF error logging, and
selecting one of the other options turns error
logging ON.  The other logging options are printing
to COM1 (serial port printer); printing to LPT1
(parallel port printer); and saving to file on
default drive and directory called QAFE.LOG.

Once error logging has been enabled, a log is
created with the following: the date and time the
log was opened; the start and end times of each
module tested; detailed information about any error
found during the test execution; and the date and
time the log was closed.

Disabling the error log writes the date and time to
the error log along with a message that the log was
closed.  Any error log is automatically closed on
exiting the program.

The log file can be viewed using the DOS type
command or any ASCII word processor.  If you do not
rename the log the same file will be appended to
the next time you use the error log facilities.

$HELP:03700000013:COM Port Debugger
This utility program tests the RS232 serial
communications ports installed in your system.  It
allows you to manipulate and test the functionality
of each serial port (COM Port) by manipulating the
control registers and then watching the status
indicators for the proper response.

COM Debug constantly checks the serial ports to see
if register values have changed and displays the
contents of the registers.

With the advanced nature of COM Debug, a certain
level of understanding of communications
terminology must be assumed.

$HELP:03800000023:RAM Chip Locater
This utility program is an addendum to the memory
testing included in the Module Tests section of
Diagnostics testing.

Before this utility can be used, it must first be
properly configured for the computer you are
testing.  Please note that the Ram Chip Locater
does not currently support SIMMS or SIPPS.

When memory testing occurs, the testing provides
Memory Locations and Bits for the offending chips.
With this information entered into the RAM Chip
Locater you can determine exactly where the
offending chip(s) are physically located.

$HELP:03900000033:Format Diskette
This utility allows you to format a floppy diskette
from within QAPlus/fe.  On selecting this utility
your options will be:

  Format A:  high density
  Format A:  low density
  Format B:  high density
  Format B:  low density

$HELP:04000000043:Edit CMOS
The Edit CMOS utility permits you to set date and
time accurately in your computer system and to
modify all other aspects of the CMOS system setup.
Please note that the XT (or PC) does not have a
CMOS setup and the PS/2 CMOS is not currently
supported.<D>

$HELP:04100000053:Hard Disk Utilities
Please note that only certain Hard Disk Utilities
will show as available for the computer you are
testing, depending on the type of drive installed.
For example, Low Level Format is available only for
MFM drives and some ESDI drive/controller
combinations.  Only those supported by your drive
will show on the Hard Disk Utilities menu.

$HELP:04200000063:QAFloppy
This utility program is a floppy drive diagnostic
utility that allows you to:

Evaluate the performance of floppy disk drives;
Perform a variety of head alignment tests on floppy
disk drives; and Perform read/write testing to
check a drive's ability to read/write data without
errors.

$HELP:04500000073:QAClean
Diskette drive cleaning utility

$HELP:04600000083:QARemote
This option calls communications software to
connect QAPlus/fe to a remote host for remote
diagnostics.  To specifiy the program to be called
when QARemote is selected:

1) Before entering QAPlus/fe, enter the following
   environment variable (drive\path\program):

   SET QAREMOTE=c:\path\program.exe [Ret]

2) Enter "QAFE" at the prompt in the QAPlus/fe
   directory.  When QARemote is selected from the
   Utility Menu, then the specified
   "drive:\path\program" will be run.  For
   example:  To run the MODEMCOM.EXE
   communications program which is located in C:
   drive in the MODEMCOM directory you would type:

   SET QAREMOTE=C:\MODEMCOM\MODEMCOM.EXE  [Ret]

3) Please note that this proceedure will only
   call up "*.EXE" or "*.COM" executable files.  It
   will not call up a batch file.

$HELP:04300000093:DOS Shell
This utility permits you to exit to DOS and return
again to QAPlus/fe without having to reload the
program.

To return from the DOS prompt to QAPlus/fe, simply
type E-X-I-T.

$HELP:02500000012:System Information
The System Information provides a quick look of how
the system under test is configured.  Following a
detailed start-up system analysis, QAPlus/fe can
examine:

DOS Memory Map; Device Drivers; DOS Environment;
IRQ/DMA Assignment; and Hardware Configuration.

$HELP:03100000022:Benchmark Testing
Benchmark Testing provides disk and system
performance figures for comparison purposes and to
evaluate the performance of your computer.

$HELP:02600000112:DOS Memory Map
Memory Map provides a detailed breakdown of system
RAM by segment address, and its current allocation.
The memory address for each segment of memory
allocated is given in hex, and memory size is given
in bytes.

The term Owner refers to the program name or device
type using that memory, and the Type refers to the
use of the segment (e.g. - environment, program,
data, etc.)

$HELP:02700000212:Device Drivers
Device Drivers are programs that let the operating
system recognize devices that are not part of the
computer.

For example modems, or printers, or external disk
drives are considered devices.  Although they
aren't normally considered as separate physical
devices, even RAM drives and disk-caching programs
are devices as far as the computer is concerned.

Specific examples of device drivers you are likely
to encounter include:  ANSI.SYS, DRIVER.SYS,
RAMDRIVE.SYS, or HIMEM.SYS.

The Device Drivers screen provides a detailed
analysis of both internal and installable device
drivers.

The technical information provided on the Device
Drivers screen indicates starting location in
memory; a 16-bit code of flags that provide
information to the computer about the driver; use
by DOS or an installable device; the device driver
name; and technical characteristics of the driver.

$HELP:02800000312:DOS Environment
The DOS Environment identifies the COMSPEC file and
its location, and the prompt and path for the
system you are testing.  It also indicates the
address location of the Environment information and
its size.

$HELP:02900000412:IRQ/DMA
IRQ/DMA provides information regarding the internal
configuration of the computer you are testing.  In
the upper left portion of the IRQ/DMA<D> screen,
you will find the ROM Bios (Read Only Memory, Basic
input/output system) information.  If the BIOS
brand for the computer you are testing is not
reported at the upper left of this screen it should
not cause any concern or otherwise adversely effect
the various tests and performance evaluations
carried out by QAPlus/fe.

Below the ROM Bios the current version of DOS is
listed.  QAPlus/fe will recognize any DOS version
after 2.00.

Below the DOS listing is the DMA Channel Usage.
Direct Memory Access allows the computer
Input/Output devices to access memory directly,
bypassing the CPU.

At least one channel should be assigned to Floppy
disk drives.  On the right side of the screen you
will find a listing of the actual Interrupt
Assignments.

There are generally fewer IRQ's in an XT PC system
than in an AT system.  Most AT, 386 and 486 PC
systems are more flexible in IRQ allocation.

At a minimum, interrupts should be assigned to:
System Timer, Keyboard, and Floppy Disk.  If
installed there should also be interrupts for
various COMmunication ports (COM1, COM2, etc.),
Fixed Disk, and LPT1 (parallel printer port).

With current technology there is a maximum of 15
available interrupts, although generally fewer than
that will be indicated for most computers.

This information can be very helpful if, for
example, you are setting up a network and need to
assign it to an available IRQ, thereby avoiding IRQ
conflicts.

Many compatibility problems encountered when
installing new devices or components in a computer
can often be attributed to IRQ conflicts.

If you suspect an IRQ conflict, for example, a
recommended procedure is to first check the IRQ/DMA
Detection screen to see if both the items you are
concerned about are reported.  If you only see one
of them reported, shut down the computer, remove
one of the items, then check the IRQ/DMA Detection
screen again.  If you still see an item indicated
for the relevant IRQ you do have a conflict and
should reinstall the other item with a different
IRQ assignment.  Examples of this might be a mouse
and a COM1 serial port, both of which may be trying
to use IRQ 04.

Please note that, since QAPlus/fe can only
determine if an interrupt assignment is allocated
when the appropriate device driver is installed,
your report may be slightly inaccurate.  To help
avoid this problem, always install the appropriate
device drivers before you run this report.

$HELP:03000000512:Hardware Configuration
This report provides detailed information on the
physical configuration of your computer system and
its associated peripherals.  The information
categories are:

              Processor Type:
Processor types reported by QAPlus/fe include:
Intel's 8088, 8086, 80286, 80386SX, 80386, 80486;
and NEC's V20 and V30.  The V20 and V30 are
essentially clones of the 8088 and 8086
respectively.

            Numeric Coprocessors:
Numeric coprocessors are also known as floating-
point math coprocessors.  Those currently
recognized by QAPlus/fe include the Intel 8087,
80287, 80387SX and 80387 and the Weitik
coprocessor.

Note that the 80486 has a built-in math
coprocessor, which will be recognized as NPU
80486..

              Base Memory Size:
Generally the maximum amount of Base Memory
recognized by DOS is 640K bytes.  QAPlus/fe will
report this memory up to 640K, and how much of this
memory is available for use by DOS programs after
DOS, QAPlus/fe and any TSR's that may be loaded.

              Extended Memory Size:
If you are testing an AT, 386 or 486 class PC, you
may have more memory than the maximum 640K
accessible by DOS.  This memory is called Extended
Memory.  Memory in an AT or 386 PC between 640K and
1,024K (1 MegaByte) is sometimes called Shadow RAM,
or it may be used as Extended Memory on some
systems.

Note that if you have installed more memory than is
reported for any of the three types of memory
listed above, you may have improperly set the
switches on your system board (for an XT PC type
computer), or perhaps installed a memory expansion
board incorrectly, or your AT computer CMOS setup
may be inaccurate.  It is also possible, of course,
that you may have a defective or improperly
installed RAM chip.

              Expanded Memory Size:
Expanded memory, also known as EMS (or EEMS for the
Enhanced Expanded Memory Specification), was
designed to overcome the DOS 640K memory limit with
some programs and utilities developed to utilize
such Memory.

Expanded Memory works as sort of a paging memory in
which information is swapped in and out through a
16K or 64K window.  (EMS = 16K and EEMS = 64K.)

Note that if you are testing a 386 computer
utilizing software drivers allowing it to use
Extended Memory as Expanded Memory, the appropriate
software driver(s) must be installed in your file
and the computer must be booted up with this file
present for QAPlus/fe to find Expanded Memory.

                 Video Adaptor:
This tells you exactly what type(s) of video
adaptor card(s) are installed in the computer you
are testing.  QAPlus/fe recognizes the MDA
(Monochrome Display Adaptor); CGA (Color Graphics
Adaptor); EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adaptor); VGA
(Video Graphics Array); PGA (Professional Graphics
Adaptor); and the Hercules Monochrome Graphics
Adaptor (MGA).

If you have two monitors connected, both will be
noted.  If you are using an analog adaptor that is
also noted.

Video Mode, Switches and BIOS:  This section
displays the text mode (in hex) the primary video
adapter was in when starting QAPlus/fe.  It will
also show whether you are using a multi-video card,
or two Video Cards, Video Switches, and what Video
BIOS is being used in the machine you are testing.

             Video Ram Base, Size:
The newer VGA and enhanced VGA cards generally come
with a minimum of 256K of video RAM.  Depending on
the manufacturer this will, at a minimum, support
320X200 pixels by 256 colors and 640X480 pixels by
16 colors on an analog VGA monitor.  On some of the
extended VGA boards it will provide 800X600 pixels
on a multiscan monitor with sixteen colors or gray
scales, and sometimes even 1024X768 pixels at 4
colors with the appropriate monitor.  Memory
address location is given in hex.

                   Hard Drives:
This line will list the logical designation by
letter, the controller type (ESDI, IDE, or MFM are
recognized in release 1.0) and capacity of each
logical hard disk you have installed.

                  Floppy Drives:
Again, QAPlus/fe will itemize your installed floppy
disk drives and show their capacity.  Note that if
you have a 5 1/4" floppy disk drive of greater than
360K or a 3 1/2" disk of greater than 720K on an XT
PC type system, the program will only recognize the
drive as a 360K drive or a 720K drive
respectively.

If the number or type of drives reported is
incorrect, you may have improperly configured your
computer.  If you have an XT class machine, check
the switches on your system board to confirm if
they have been properly configured.  If your PC is
an AT, 386 or 486 class machine, the information
stored in its CMOS memory may be incorrect.  Use
CMOS Edit to make any required corrections.

                  Clock/Calendar:
If you are working on an AT, 386 or 486 class
computer with a functional battery backed-up CMOS,
this will be indicated here.  If the clock/calendar
is on a Multi-I/O card in an XT class computer, the
date and time will not be found by QAPlus/fe.

                 Parallel Ports:
This line displays a list of all parallel ports
installed on the machine you are testing.
QAPlus/fe will report up to two parallel ports and
their respective memory addresses.  They will be
listed as:  Lpt1, Lpt2 and Lpt3.

If you locate more parallel ports than are
reported, you may find that one or more ports may
be configured with the same I/O address and will
therefore not be recognized the computer.  If this
is the case, you must change the I/O address of the
unrecognized parallel port before it will appear in
the report and be functional in the system.

                  Serial Ports:
This item provides a roster of all serial ports
installed in the system you are testing.  QAPlus/fe
will report up to four serial ports and their
respective I/O addresses:  COM1, COM2, COM3, and
COM4.

If you locate more serial ports than are reported,
one or more ports may be configured for the same
I/O address.  If this is the case, you must
reconfigure the unrecognized serial port so that it
uses a unique I/O address.

$HELP:03100000022:Benchmark Testing
This section undertakes performance (or Benchmark)
tests of both the system and the hard disk(s).

$HELP:03200000122:System Benchmark Testing
When considered along with the Disk Performance
Benchmarks, the System Performance Benchmarks,
should provide a pretty good overall evaluation of
computer performance.  QAPlus/fe runs a total of
11 tests as part of its complete system performance
speed evaluations.  Note that the type of CPU
installed is listed in the upper right attributes
window along with an indication of the presence or
absence of a numeric coprocessor.

                    CPU Speed
The CPU speed is measured in Dhrystones (pronounced
dry stone - an industry standard benchmark for
measuring a computers' overall processing speed
using integer operations), and the clock speed is
also tested.

                   Video Speed
System performance is influenced by several factors
in addition to CPU speed.  For example, if an
application is running that must repaint the screen
frequently, the Video Speed is very important.

To test how fast a computer can display characters
on the screen, QAPlus/FE displays over 8,000
characters on the test screen using the standard
BIOS interface to your video display and records
how long it takes. The Video Speed is measured in
Characters Per Second. The Video Speed is most
strongly influenced by the speed of the installed
graphics card.

Typically, monochrome adapters will run faster than
color adapters.  Some video adapters permit a
significantly acceleration of display speed by
automatically copying the relevant screen device
driver into RAM on boot-up.  Although, this does
impose the trade-off of reducing available extended
memory, it can deliver dramatic improvements in
video performance.

Conversely, if QAPlus/fe is running under a graphic
environment like Windows or GEM, expect to observe
a noticeable reduction in video speed.  Unless you
are specifically testing the adverse effects these
graphics environments may have on video speed, we
recommend that you generally do not run QAPlus/fe
under such environments.

                   Math Speed
If there is a floating-point math coprocessor
installed in your computer or if you have a 486
computer, the type of coprocessor installed will
be listed.  The math performance is measured in
Whetstones (an industry standard benchmark for
measuring a computers' ability to compute floating
point numbers.)

If the computer you are testing has a math
coprocessor installed, these numbers will be 10 to
20 times faster than without one.  If there is no
math co-processor installed in the computer the
test will still run, but the results of the Math
Speed test will be significantly slower than with a
math co-processor installed.

$HELP:03300000222:Disk Benchmark Testing
The Disk Performance (Benchmark) testing is divided
into two categories: Physical Drive Performance and
Logical Drive Performance.  Logical drives might be
represented as, for example, DOS disk volumes C:
and D:, both of which are mounted on physical hard
disk #1.  Please see Physical Drive Performance
help and Logical Drive Performance help for further
information.

$HELP:03400001222:Physical Drive Benchmarks
Physical Drive performance is divided into the
following tests:

            Track-To-Track Seek Time
The trk-trk (track-to-track) seek time is the time
in milliseconds that it takes the disk drive heads
to move between adjacent tracks on a hard drive.
It results of this test represent the average of
both the forward and backward track-to-track seek
time.

              Full-Stroke Seek Time
The Full-Stroke seek time is the time in
milliseconds that it takes the disk drive heads to
move from cylinder 0 to the highest numbered
cylinder on the drive, then back to 0.  The results
of this test provide the average forward  and
backward full-stroke seek times.

                Average Seek Time
This indicates the average amount of time hard disk
heads require to move to a particular track.  This
measurement is a good indication of how a hard disk
will perform in real world situations, and is a
good value for comparing the relative speeds of
different hard disks.  In practice two different
methods of calculating Average Seek Time are
performed and reported by QAPlus/fe to insure a
high level of accuracy.

   Dos File Transfer Speed (Transfer Rate)
The other significant measurement of hard disk
system performance measures how fast a drive can
actually write and read data to and from the hard
disk.  QAPlus/fe rigorously tests this by
repeatedly writing and reading a file to a
specified number of sequential tracks, starting
with track 0, and timing how long the process
takes.  The result of this test is measured in
Kbytes/second.  The test takes into account both
the head switching time and the track skewing.

The following is a discussion of factors which
may influence the xfer rate (file transfer rate).

On a hard disk, interleave determines exactly how
the sectors on a track are to be arranged.  You
might reasonably expect that writing sectors
contiguously (with an interleave of 1) would be the
ideal.  This is not usually the case, however.

The dominant factor controlling how fast a computer
is capable of receiving data from the hard disk is
the ability of the CPU to process the received
data.  Because the hard disk spins so fast, the
computer has not finished reading the first sector
of information by the time the next sector is
available for processing.  Increasing the
interleave factor spreads the sectors apart on a
given track to allow the computer to be ready for
the next sector.  An interleave of 3, therefore,
means that sector 1 and sector 2 are separated by
two intervening sectors.  Therefore, if this PC
wants to read an ENTIRE track, the hard disk must
spin three complete revolutions.  Generally the
faster the computer can process data from the hard
disk, the lower you can set the interleave for the
hard disk.

With many XT systems you may have to use an
interleave factor of 5 or 6, whereas with a fast
AT, 386  or 486 machine you may be able to use an
interleave factor of 2 or possibly even 1 in
special cases, again dependent on CPU Speed.

$HELP:03500002222:Logical Drive Benchmarks
Any physical drive may be divided into a number of
"Logical Drives."  QAPlus/fe permits the user to
separately test each logical drive for its File
Transfer Rate.  You will be prompted for a valid
logical drive letter (i.e. - C:, or D:) and a
transfer block size.

The transfer block size must be specified in 128
byte increments up to 8192 bytes.  The default size
is 128 bytes.  This rate is calculated using both
sequential and random reads and writes, and the
rates are calculated by dividing the total number
of bytes transferred by the number of seconds taken
for the operation.