CheckIt [Ckt], at list price of about $50, is a Win 95 program for analyzing, recording, and troubleshooting PC operations. It comes on a CD, with a tutorial, a 26 page user's manual, a 30-day full-refund offer, free updates via the Internet, and an unload capability. Also included is a separate program dubbed E. Support, which contains an extensive set of vendor-contact resources. Installation of the software was straightforward, required 10M of hard drive space.

Basically, Ckt may be thought of as having four major features: 1) it can determine, record, and display the operating specifications of the major PC components; 2) it can test the performance of these PC components and designate success or failure; 3) it can troubleshoot problematic components and indicate some possible solutions; 4) it can record sequential system configurations and corresponding hardware, software, and performance changes.

When Ckt is activated, there is a 75 sec wait until the software scans a PC and gathers its system data. The result is a window containing a set of icons which allow the use of any one of Ckt's features. A wealth of system information on all of the basic components in a PC is provided. Information ranges from a System Summary (same stuff as in the old DOS MSD) to details on video, printers, motherboard, modem, operating system, resources, etc. One piece of system information furnished, called Active Tasks, shows the TSR software which is automatically loaded by Windows (and various other programs like Norton's Utilities, CheckIt, FreeSpace, the Internet Browsers) but which is not evident to a user. These TSR's take up RAM whether or not the programs are used and also increase Windows boot-up time. Using Active Tasks, I've been able to eliminate some of this TSR RAM baggage for programs I only use occasionally.

There are three degrees of tests in Ckt: Quick Check, Light Hardware Testing, and Amplified Hardware Testing. The Quick Check checks some thirty PC hardware and operational elements and lists those that are functioning properly and those that are not. Highlighting a listed nonfunctioning item, allows a user to activate the Ckt TroubleShooter and to be presented with some possible fixes. None of my items were designated as bad, but I highlighted my modem and punched the TroubleShooter. To my surprise, Ckt scanned away and ended up with a page full of data showing changes in my communication and Fax programs made recently.

Light Hardware Testing is a fast set of tests on the drives, ports, and motherboard. The Motherboard Test tested four functions of the CPU: the DMA, Interrupt Controllers, Time Clock, and three functions of the Numerical Processor. All my items passed.

The Amplified Hardware Testing involves extensive testing of the memory, modem, motherboard, video, and drives (like the Norton-Utilities drive tests). The Memory Test is a DOS program, which closes Windows down for the test; my RAM and video memories checked out OK. The Video tests were especially interesting and useful to try. These are a set of seventeen interactive tests that calibrate the monitor: grid, horizontal straightness, vertical straightness, distortion, flicker, moire pattern, glare, interlacing, etc. It was interesting to play around with my monitor controls and tweak up my display.

The Tutorial in Ckt ran so fast on my 100 MHz system that even when repeated three times it was impossible to follow.

There are other programs which achieve substantially the same things as CheckIt. But this software works nicely, and the more one plays around with CheckIt, the more one appreciates it.