This file contains important information about this release of the MacTest Pro Application and Test Modules. The information in this file supercedes some sections of the MacTest Pro Users' Guide (073-0326-B).
You should also review the updated Macintosh® Family Diagnostics Reference Guide (073-0301-E) . Information which pertains to all tests has been added to the "MacTest Pro Disk Configurations" section. Information which pertains to specific tests has been added to the sections on individual tests.
This release of MacTest Pro includes six revised floppy disks, one new disk, and the revised Macintosh Family Diagnostics Reference Guide. The seven disks replace all previous versions of all disks. The new Reference Guide replaces all previous versions of the Reference Guide. The MacTest Pro User's Guide has not been revised.
Users of previous releases of MacTest Pro will notice that some of the disk and module Finder names are now more generic (eg. "Macintosh CPU Tests Volume 1"), since each module now tests so many different machines. However, the disk labels now include a complete list of the systems and components that can be tested using that disk.
Diagnostics have been added for the following new Macintosh products: Color Classic™, LC III, PowerBook™ 165c, Macintosh Centris™ 610 and 650, and Macintosh Quadra™ 800. A new bootable disk, "PowerBook Duo Tests Volume 1", has been added to the diagnostic disk set to allow the PowerBook Duo's to be tested more conveniently.
Several new features have been added to the "Communication Ports Tests" module. Minor bugs have been fixed in the "MacTest Pro" application program, and in the "Floppy Drive Tests", "Display Test Patterns", "Hardware Info" and "Software Info" modules.
Many of the older Macintosh products that are equipped with 1.4MB floppy drives can now be tested using MacTest Pro. Tests for the Macintosh II, IIx, IIfx, IIcx, and SE/30 machines are now included in the "Macintosh CPU Tests Volume 1" module, which replaces the old "LC/LC II/Classic II/IIvx/IIvi/Performa" module.
*** WARNING ***
You must keep the existing 800K diagnostic disks in order to service Macintosh systems that do not have 1.4MB floppy drives.
Five of the seven disks are BOOTABLE (startup) disks. Each bootable disk contains the MacTest Pro application and Macintosh System v7.1, as well as System Enablers and test modules for the CPU's and/or peripherals listed on the disk label.
Two of the seven disks are nonbootable (ie. they do not contain System files). These two nonbootable disks contain the MacTest Pro application, all the test modules, MacTest Pro Help, and the READ ME FIRST file. See the Reference Guide for instructions on copying the MacTest Pro application and test modules onto a hard disk.
*** WARNING ***
To prevent untrained users from running diagnostics, you must REMOVE all MacTest Pro files from your customers' hard disk before releasing the machine back to them.
The application memory partition for MacTest Pro is set at 800K, so that MacTest Pro will run from a bootable disk on a machine that has only 2 MB of RAM. All MacTest Pro tests (except Quadra tests) will run with the application memory set at 800K. However, Test Info and the Help menu will not be available.
The optimal size for the application memory partition is 1024K. If the machine you are testing has more than 2 MB of RAM, you may set the application memory partition to 1024K (or higher, depending on the amount of RAM installed on the machine). See the Reference Guide for instructions.
If a Macintosh Quadra or Centris is connected to a network, the diagnostic tests will produce UNDESIRED SIDE-EFFECTS, such as slow network performance. These side-effects will persist until the Macintosh Quadra or Centris is disconnected from the network, restarted, and then reconnected to the network. Therefore, you should disconnect the Quadra from the network BEFORE running diagnostic tests. See the Reference Guide for instructions.
MEMORY USAGE ON MACHINES WITH BUILT-IN VIDEO (IIci and IIsi)
There may not be enough memory available to run the MacTest Pro application on a Macintosh IIci or IIsi which has 2MB RAM and which uses built-in video. See the Reference Guide for instructions to increase the amount of available RAM.
Significant changes have been made to the "Communication Ports Tests". This section includes new information about how to run these tests.
FOR ALL COMMUNICATION PORTS TESTS:
(a) Run all "Communication Ports Tests" from a hard drive. Limited testing can be run from a floppy, but it is more efficient to run from a hard disk.
(b) Before you launch MacTest Pro, set AppleTalk to the state required for the test you want to run. Network tests require AppleTalk to be active. Loopback tests require AppleTalk to be inactive.
(c) On Quadras and the original Macintosh Portables, the maximum number of loops has been set to 1000.
FOR NETWORK TESTS ONLY:
(a) AppleTalk must be active, and you must be connected to a network.
(b) For Minimum Network tests, another network device such as another Macintosh, a file server, or printer must be connected to the network.
(c) For Network File Transfer tests, a server must be connected to the network, mounted on your desktop, with a designated target/test folder. Click on the ‘Setup’ button, scroll down to access text fields, and enter the name for the file server, file server volume, and the test folder. Verify spelling and case.
(d) For Network tests, make sure your target file server volume and volumes/machines to be tested have different names.
(e) Conduct Network File Transfer tests for a Macintosh Plus on a dedicated network if possible. The dedicated network should include only the Macintosh Plus to be tested and the target file server.
FOR LOOPBACK TESTS ONLY:
(a) AppleTalk must be Inactive.
(b) For all Macintoshes with both a modem and printer port, use a peripheral cable to perform the SCC Loopback test. Plug testing of the individual ports is disabled on two port machines.
(c) Use an SCC Loopback plug for Macintoshes with one serial port. Disconnect all cables, then connect a known good Loopback Plug to the port you wish to test.
(d) On Macintoshes which have internal modems, such as PowerBooks and Portables, the SCC Loopback Tests will fail if the modem port is configured to the internal modem. Use the PowerBook or Portable Control Panel to select “External Modem”.
The "Workarounds & Known Bugs" listed here are either new with this release, or else they represent issues that all MacTest Pro users must be aware of. If you are a new user of MacTest Pro, you should also read the "Known Bugs & Workarounds" sections in the Reference Guide.
• • • NEVER run MacTest Pro from a file server. • • •
• • • When diagnosing problems on a Macintosh PowerBook 100, if component tests loop longer than 30 minutes, a PRAM failure may be reported. DO NOT REJECT a logic board based only on this failure report. • • •
• • • When launching MacTest Pro from a bootable disk, you may NOT SAVE the log file to another floppy. This can result in a SHUTDOWN of the machine due to minimal System installations on the bootable disks. • • •
• • • Before running RAM tests on a Macintosh IIfx, make sure that RAM is installed in Bank A. (This is the default factory setting.) • • •
• • • The SCC test is NOT included in the "Macintosh CPU Tests Volume 1" module.• • •
• • • When testing the Macintosh II, the machine may crash during looping of the SCC Loopback or Min/File Transfer Network test. DO NOT REJECT the logic board based only on this failure. • • •
• • • If you run the Floppy Drive Test from a bootable diskette, and you intend to open the log window before/during testing, then the bootable diskette MUST BE LOCKED. Otherwise, the bootable diskette could be reformatted by the test. • • •
• • • Certain problems which you may encounter running the MacTest Pro application may be resolved by removing the MacTest Pro Preferences file. If you are running MacTest Pro from the hard disk, then this file is typically located in the Preferences folder, within the System Folder. • • •
