TechTool Pro 1.0.2
Review

TechTool Pro 1.0.2
MicroMat Computer Systems
Price $99.99
http://micromat.com/mmcs/

By Tim Robertson

 

I have been an avid user of MicroMat’s freeware program, TechTool. So when I decided to give TechTool Pro a try, I was pretty much looking forward to it.

My first impression was a good one. This things does it all! How did I ever live without this program? All these thoughts went through my mind the first few times I used TechTool Pro. But after a few times using it, I realized something. TechTool Pro should be called TechTest Pro, as that is all it is good for. Testing. It will not repair anything for you, unlike Norton Utilities. Sure, it can rebuild your Desktop file for you, just like the freeware version. You can ZAP your PRAM, again like the freeware version.

Now, before everyone who has this program writes in hate mail, let me explain. Yes, I like TechTool Pro. For what it does, it does it well. Better, in fact, than any other testing program I have ever used. If you want to know if your memory is good, TechTool Pro will tell you. Perhaps you think your floppy drive is going south? TechTool Pro will find out.

But, as I said, TechTool Pro would be better named TechTest Pro. If TechTool detects a problem, it cannot fix it. But TechTool Pro does not claim to be able to do that. However, if you are looking for a better Norton Utilities, keep looking.

Here is a short list of SOME of the tests TechTool Pro will do.

Mouse test: Testing your tracking and clicking.

Keyboard: This will ask you to press keys, and will report if any seem to be sticking or not working.

Floppy: A handy test to find out if your floppy drive is working. This requires you to create a “test disk” by using the “DiskMaker” program, which is included with TechTool. If you buy a floppy drive cleaning disk (sold separately), TechTool will clean your floppy drive. Also performs “read test” and “write tests.”

VRAM: Will test your Video memory.

Drives: Test various SCSI drives for such things as Random Read, Linear Write, Rezero Unit, Seek, and much more.

Serial Ports: Checks your serial ports or any problems. (Serial ports are your Modem, Printer, and other small round plugs in your computer.)

Clock: Tells you what your MHz is for your machine, and will perform two tests.

Cache: Tells you what level 1 and 2 Cache you have, and detects any trouble there.

FPU: Tests you FPU in your machine. Test include Add/Subtract, Square Root, Binary Scale, and more.

RAM: Tests your memory,

ROM: Tests your Read Only Memory.

And there are many more tests, including a monitor and modem test. (But no printer test?) As you can see, TechTool Pro does pretty much everything, as far as testing your system goes. If you don’t know much about the inner workings of your computer, and most don’t, then this is a valuable tool to have to help you diagnose a problem. Once again, though, I must say that TechTool Pro will NOT fix the problem for you. If it is a Disk related problem, Norton Utilities is the very best program you could own. (Apple’s Disk First Aid is a joke, and can’t fix a tenth of the problems that can develop with a hard drive.)

If you are having problems with your Mac, or use it often enough to be concerned with the well being of your Mac, then TechTool Pro is a wise investment. It is better to know if you have a problem than to NOT know. And even if you cannot fix it yourself, at least you can tell the repair man what the problem is.