Dell System Diagnostic, or something else?

Hi,

decided to run a system diagnostic on my Dell PC today - just because it had never been done on this particular PC. Received a msg telling me Microsoft .Net Framework 4 Full would be required in order to install the Dell Diag. We have the lesser version .Net Framework 4 Client Profile. Was about to install the full version over top of Client Profile when it occurred to me that perhaps there was a better System Diagnostic tool out there anyway.

In fact it looks like there are quite a few. So I am here for recommendations. Would prefer not to pay for one if possible but certainly don't want to be cheap since this is our primary PC. Or should I install the Full Version of .Net Framework 4 & stick with the Dell diag?

Perhaps a little more info:

I ran something called Free PC Health Scan on the Dell website which then called into play iolo System Mechanic & it found a number of issues. Two items removed from startup which I already knew about & was going to remove myself when was certain there would be no negative repercussion. But what concerns me:

1) are the over 100 registry entries it flagged - I do run CCleaner several times throughout the week to remove old/left over/invalid registry entries. But apparently iolo found around 104 that need to be removed? & yes I know we're not supposed to muck about with registry but have been letting Norton, McAfee & CCleaner do their thing for a number of years now & to my knowledge have not damaged a registry yet. No longer run Norton or McAfee, have installed only Microsoft Security Essentials & Malwarebytes at this time.

2) Also indicated there may be some data corruption on the HD. It was a bit ambiguous on that point.


This is when I decided to run the diag.

iolo System Mechanic is not free, guess just the PC Health Scan was. Found some Dell threads where users had run System Mechanic on brand new Dell machines & because of all the Dell bloatware System Mechanic found all kinds of problems - on brand spanking new PC's.


Thank you

fireberd said:

Dell used to have hardware diagnostics on the hard drive, accessed by F12 at power on? Have they stopped that?

F12 - That's too simple !!

I knew that, I really did. Have used it several times. Must have just slipped my mind. Nothing knew, quite often don't remember why I walk from one room to the other anymore.
Anyway it passed with flying colors - the short test. Guess I had become addicted to the pretty 3D looking space graphics in the Dell System Diagnostic.

Thanks

Hi SandeepP,

Last weekend I did do just that, ran hardware diags (F12) & installed Microsoft .Net Framework 4 Full so that I could run the Dell Diags as well.

No problems were found, as I suspected. I believe fireberd is correct when he referred to System Mechanic as "snake oil" :)

thanks

Factory preinstalled Win7 is corrupt to begin with, larded with bloatware and useless duplicate utilties that have better versions built into Win7, and cause problems. That's why most tech enthusiasts will not run such an install but prefer to Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

Stick with the steps in the blue link and you'll get and keep a perfect install.

gregrocker said:

Factory preinstalled Win7 is corrupt to begin with, larded with bloatware and useless duplicate utilties that have better versions built into Win7, and cause problems. That's why most tech enthusiasts will not run such an install but prefer to Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

Stick with the steps in the blue link and you'll get and keep a perfect install.

Hi gregrocker,

Wow what a great forum, the Dell & HP Community forums could learn a thing or two from Windows Seven Forums.

This PC originally had Vista with a free upgrade to Win 7, which was avail four months later. What a mess the upgrade process is, never again. Always going with the clean install going forward.

So yes I did perform a clean install & left Dell bloatware on the CD. Thought about putting the Dell Dock back on but even that was a little too gimmicky. PC runs great. Guess that's why I was surprised the iolo System Mechanic found so much stuff.

I do keep the PC pretty clean but there always seems to be something. Just recently discovered older versions of Java need to be uninstalled as they present a security risk.

thank you

You do not need System Mechanic or any other gimmicky system cleaner or optimizer with Win7 - it will only cause problems. What you need to get and keep perfect performance is to Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 following the steps in the blue link. It discusses how to judge reimporting any Dell software.