Program to test motherboards for problems prior to installation

Hardware Hub Motherboards
1

Part of my job is to repair computers at my job (several hundred computers onsite). I end up replacing a lot of motherboards. I've noticed, regularly, that many of the replacement boards we get are faulty. However, I find this out only after they're installed. Then I have to turn around, take them out and replace it with yet another board.

I was wondering if there is a program that tests a motherboard for common problems before it's installed. For example: a program which is installed on a working computer. After you connect it to a replacement MB via USB the program tests the MB for common problems.

Has anyone ever heard of anything like that?

1 Like
2

You could make a bootable Linux USB and find a testing program.

What types of problems are the most common?

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The last one was a NIC error upon boot up, right after the BIOS. The error displayed was "NIC Error" ... No boot Device found....

We run mostly thin clients that are booted via an image.

*Edit

4

Hiren's Boot CD has a few testing programs in it among some other useful stuff. You can install it to boot off USB.

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/

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Can Hiren's be used to test a motherboard that is not currently installed on that computer? Maybe the MB to be tested is connected via USB?

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You'd have to get it set up enough to boot... Power, CPU, Memory, Keyboard, Mouse, Display, Network, etc.

7

Shucks! I was afraid I'd have to do that.

Thanks for the replies everyone!