Help! - how to complete hardware test on newly purchased Powerbook

Question

Hi All,
I am taking delivery of a 1.25Ghz 15" Powerbook tomorrow after a successful bid on a local online auction. As part of the terms of sale the PB is sold with "no operating system installed/hard drive formatted" and the PB is warranted to be in working order, although under the sale terms I have 5 days from delivery to return it if it is not in full working order.
I have purchased a retail version of OSX Tiger and plan to immediately install it onto the PB after running Disk Utility to "zero" the hard drive. After telephoning Applecare this week they are sending me the Apple Hardware Test disk for this model PB although unfortunately they advised that it may take up to 3 weeks for delivery (well outside the 5 day window I have to check the condition of the PB).
Outside of taking the PB to my local Apple Service Centre, can anyone recommend alternative diagnostic software or procedures I could carry out to check that this PB is in full working order before the expiry of the 5 day no return period?

Answer 1

1bogdan:
Congratulations! You have just gotten yourself a good computer.
Tech Tool Pro is a suite of diagnostic and repair utilities. It does Hardware Tests among other things. It seems that 5 days to check things out is a very short time.
That said, unless there are serious hardware issues, even Apple Hardware Test does not always pick it up right on the first or second or third run. You main concerns with this computer are:
1. hard disk drive - if there is a problem here you likely will not be able to successfully install and or run the 'Book.
2. Logic board - this may not show up right away, and AHT sometimes has difficulty picking it up.
After formatting and installing, I suggest you run Repair Disk in Disk Utilities.
Here is a suggested procedure for getting started with reformat, zero all data and re-install:
Formatting, Partitioning Zeroing a Hard Disk Drive
Warning! Be sure you have a tested backup of at least your Users folder and any third party applications you do not want to re-install before attempting this procedure.
Boot from the install CD holding down the "C" key.
Select language
Go to the Utilities menu (Tiger) Installer menu (Panther & earlier) and launch Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in left side bar.
Select Partition tab in main panel. (You are about to create a single partition volume.)
Select number of partition in pull-down menu above Volume diagram.
(Note: 1 partition is normally better for an internal HDD. External HDDs usually have more than one)
Type in name in Name field (usually Macintosh HD)
Select Volume Format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Click Partition button at bottom of panel.
Select Erase tab
Select the a volume under Manufacturer ID (usually Macintosh HD).
Check to be sure your Volume Name and Volume Format are correct.
Select on Security Options button (Tiger) Options button (Panther & earlier).
Select Zero all data. (This process will map out bad blocks on your HDD. However, it could take several hours. If you want a quicker method, don't go to Security Options and just click the Erase button.)
Click OK.
Click Erase button
Quit Disk Utility.
Open installer and begin installation process.
Choose to Customize and deselect Foreign Language Translations and Additional Printer drivers.
Check box to install X11 (optional).
Proceed with installation.
After installation computer will restart for setup.
After setup, reboot computer.
Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in left side bar.
Select First Aid in main panel.
Click Repair Disk Permissions.
Connect to Internet.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Update (PPC)
Computer will restart after updates.
Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in left side bar.
Select First Aid in main panel.
Click Repair Disk Permissions.
Please do post back with an update or further questions.
Good luck.
cornelius