QA+FE ServiceCenter® Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much time does it take to run the tests?
   The amount of time it takes to run the tests is highly dependent on the specific configuration of the system being tested and the number of test groups (and number of tests within each group) that are being run. Certain test groups, such as LPT, COM, MBD, and SYS run in a matter of a few seconds. On the other hand, performing an extensive series of memory and/or hard drive tests on a system with a large amount of RAM and/or large/multiple hard drives can result in test times that range into hours. You may select or exclude individual test(s) within a group, or entire test groups, as your needs or time requirements dictate. This allows you to screen an entire system or concentrate on one particular area of the system to facilitate troubleshooting.

2. Can your software tell me if a video monitor is bad?
   Yes, but only through the visual appearance of the various tests you see on the screen. In most cases you will be able to determine individual color problems or video mode incompatibilities that can usually be solved by a small adjustment or switch or mode setting at the monitor or video adapter. Consult your monitor, video adapter or system documentation for more details on video modes and compatibility. No diagnostic software can test the monitor directly. The monitor is connected through a video adapter that keeps computer and monitor signals separated. There is also no standard for the internal workings of various monitors beyond sending video signals from the video adapter. Diagnosing internal monitor problems should be done only by qualified technical personnel and requires the use of special test equipment to probe the internal parts of the monitor.

3. Your software indicates that my system always/sometimes fails a test, but I have no problems running my other software.
   Eurosoft products are designed to follow the timing and programming parameters set forth in industry standard guidelines and documentation relative to PC and compatible systems. They have been tested and proven on the majority of name brand and clone PC systems. In cases where there appears to be an incompatibility, it is usually due to a slight deviation in hardware timing or component selection, the use of unexpected register or hardware addresses for some devices, or different but compatible efforts of BIOS designers that may interfere with normal, expected timing or register values.
   We will consult with system vendors towards exact determination and correction of these items, based on our tests and findings. When and if we are able to test the actual hardware system ourselves we can determine many of the anomalies and advise of the situation.
   Unfortunately, there are many system manufacturers who have not documented their systems well, or who are now out of business, or the components are obsolete, and many times the only choice in repairing a system is replacement of major components.
   In a few cases we find we have to change the way we do certain tests because of the differences in so many types of systems. Assessing and enhancing the methods for testing various hardware items requires that we have hardware available to us to evaluate. This work leads us towards better tests, and often provides an opportunity to improve the quality and compatibility of many products.

4. Why aren't all the test groups listed in the Tree View of QA+Win32? For example, I do not see the MDM group?
   The most likely reason why a test group does not appear in the tree view is that either the driver or the device is not installed. QA+Win32 will only display tests for drivers and devices that it detects.

5. When testing my graphics card I am unable to test 3D Animation and 3D Effects. Why?
   There are two possible reasons for not being able to run these tests. Either Direct X is not installed or an old version is installed; or the Graphics card does not support these tests.

6. I tried running the CD Audio test and I don't hear anything and the test fails! What's wrong?
   You first need to determine whether the CD Audio plays outside of QA+Win32. If the CD Audio test fails, then typically, the CD Audio also will not run outside QA+Win32. The issue usually is the result of: either the CD Audio being muted in the Volume Control, the driver has not been installed or installed properly, or the speakers aren't plugged in. If the CD Audio works outside of QA+Win32 but not within it, then you may want to contact technical support for assistance.

7. When I select the memory testing module it is not possible to test all of the memory, why?
   When Windows is loaded, certain hardware devices and driver pointers are assigned to specific memory addresses. Therefore it is impossible to fully test the memory in a windows environment.
   The memory between 641K and 1024K is not tested, as this is where BIOS and other system resources reside.

8. I am running Windows NT, but I am not able to see the IDE group in the tree view.
   The IDE group will not be displayed in the tree view. This is because neither Windows NT/2000/XP support IDE. As a result, the IDE group doesn't appear in the tree view.

9. If a test fails, does that mean there is something wrong with my system?
   No, not necessarily. A test failure could be the result of a loopback not being connected during the COM and LPT tests or a video card may not be supported. The important thing is to acknowledge each failure while trying to determine the cause or reason for it. Again, technical support is available if you have questions or concerns regarding a test failure.

10. I have installed QA+DOS to my hard drive but I am unable to open the Release.txt file, why?
    Please note that with the QA+DOS setup that once setup is complete, you are given the option to view the Change file. Since installation typically occurs from the CD, the path for the Change file leads to the CD, as a result, you will get a message that: “Cannot open file c:\QADOS\App\Release.txt file” when you run from your hard drive.