For this week’s Freeware Frenzy, I’ll be examining a set of programs that analyze and report on your computer. Two of the apps run the gamut of hardware and software, one focuses on your big three; CPU, RAM and Motherboard, while the last focuses on Windows processes. So for anyone out there who needs a way to look inside a computer, without a lot of tedious research or a screwdriver, these week’s column is for you.
Belarc Advisor
Belarc has no setup options; it will install, prompt for license agreement and then scan your system. My system scan took about two minutes. Your browser will fire up and display all kinds of system information. Hardware information is not overly detailed, but covers CPU, Ram, hard drives, optical drives, video card, network, and peripherals. You’ll also find Users, the OS and virus protection. Every part of my system came up correctly, (building your own systems keeps a person familiar). The only issue I noticed was that my ram slots were all supposedly empty but still managed a total of 2GB.
Scrolling down further, you’ll find a list of all of the installed Microsoft update files and any that are missing. Each update is broken down into categories such as Office or Media Player and comes with links to the Microsoft knowledge base should you wonder why update KB926436 was needed. (It prevents remote code execution if you were curious) The next section of the report shows licenses and software keys for some of your programs, including the Windows key. Lastly you’ll see a full list of all of your installed software, their version numbers and a link to show the installation location.
CPU-Z v1.39
CPU-Z has no installation to speak of, just unzip the folder and run the executable file. A simple interface pops up categorizing CPU, Cache, Mainboard, Memory and SPD in tabs along the top. My CPU was recognized properly, with name, speed, socket and cache. CPU-Z is very frequently updated, so even brand new systems should be recognized correctly. Similarly to Belarc, my motherboard came up with an odd model, but after a bit of research, this is the fault of Gigabyte, the motherboard manufacturer, not the program’s. The BIOS version was correct, and you’ll also find a small entry for your graphics interface. The memory tab shows your total memory, speed and timings, while the SPD tab tells you timings on individual sticks. SPD stands for Serial Presence Detect, and reads a small chip on the ram that holds information about the memory chips and speeds. Interestingly, Corsair sticks show a model number, but Mushkin sticks do not.
So to sum up, CPU-Z is simple and easy to use for your big three; motherboard, CPU and ram. These of course are the key pieces to know about any computer if you are planning to upgrade.
System Info v1.66
System Info requires no installation either, simple run the siw.exe file. SIW is something akin to mash up of Belarc and SiSoft Sandra (review here: http://www.pcmech.com/show/opensource/922/); displaying both hardware and software information. Each bit of information is categorized in a long tree on the left, while the main panel shows each area in detail. You’ll find that for each category, SIW will need a moment or two to scan the system. I would have liked an option for a full scan at first, then not waiting at all while working within the program, but the information detailed in SIW is worth a few seconds wait.
Software covers everything from installed programs (all of them), the operating system, drivers, processes, DLLs and file associations (which programs open which file type). Included in these are installation paths and version numbers; helpful when checking for driver updates. Running Processes can be useful when tracking down spyware on your machine. For more on this, check out Autoruns below.
On the hardware side, you can cover the entire system component by component, even reading temperature sensors; something many new builders can be concerned with. I found the readings to concur with those in the BIOS, something not all programs can boast. Overclocking anyone?
Finally, Network covers your open ports, IP addresses, networked computers and shared files. Sure critics might say that all of this information is a part of Windows already, and it sure is, but certainly not laid out so simply and accessibly in one program. You would otherwise dig through dozens of windows and buttons to find the information SIW can give you in one click. Why stress? Further, SIW has links to various Microsoft control panels such as the Event Viewer, along with reboot/shutdown and ram usage in the Tools menu. With all of the information SIW can find, it is a serious contender for the only system information tool you’ll ever need.
Autoruns v8.6
For the final application, Autoruns gives an in-depth look at, you guessed it, programs that run on your system automatically. Organized into categories and tabs, you can check up on programs associated with everything for Internet Explorer to Logon, to DLLs, to Services and Drivers. You’ll have plenty of information on not only a cryptic file name but a description, publisher and path, which is vital to working on troublesome programs and files.
To conclude, I hope that all of the programs listed here will help users, both new and seasoned to learn about their computers, solve any nagging issues and be ready for that next big upgrade.
