Running the System Diagnostics 5-7Output Device for Status MessagesOrdinarily, all status messages appear only on the screen.This parameter allows you to direct status messages toeither a printer or a file, in addition to the screen. If youchoose the File option, status messages are written to afile named result. This file is automatically created on adiskette in drive A when you run the diagnostics. If theresult file already exists on the diskette, then new statusmessages are added to it.The result file is an ordinary American Standard Codefor Information Interchange (ASCII) text file. You canaccess the result file with the MS-DOS® type commandas follows:1. Select Quit to exit the diagnostics and return tothe operating system prompt.2. At the operating system prompt, type the follow-ing command line and press :type resultThe contents of the file appear on the screen.After running particular diagnostic tests and viewing thestatus messages generated by the tests in the result file,you can erase the contents of the file so that it is clear forthe next set of messages generated. Otherwise, the nextmessages are added at the end of the previous ones in thefile.Output Device for Error MessagesOrdinarily, all error messages appear only on the screen.This parameter allows you to direct error messages toeither a printer or a file, in addition to the screen. If youchoose the File option, error messages are written to theresult file used for status messages. This file is automati-cally created on a diskette in drive A when you run thediagnostics. If the result file already exists on the dis-kette, then new error messages are added to it.The result file is an ordinary ASCII text file. You canaccess and review the result file with the MS-DOS typecommand as described in the previous subsection, “Out-put Device for Status Messages.”After running particular diagnostic tests and viewing theerror messages generated by the tests in the result file,you can erase the contents of the file so that it is clear forthe next set of messages generated. Otherwise, the nextmessages are added at the end of the previous ones in thefile.Test LimitsNOTE: The diagnostics program sets default limits on alltests. The only reason to change the default would be tolimit the amount of testing done.The RAM Test Group, the Video Test Group, the DisketteDrives Test Group, the Serial/Infrared Ports Test Group,the Parallel Ports Test Group, and the SCSI Devices TestGroup allow you to designate limits. Whether you selectTest Limits for a highlighted test group (from the mainscreen) or a subtest (from the Subtest menu), you set thelimits for all the subtests in that test group. When youselect Test Limits, a new screen appears and the KeyHelp area lists keys to use with the new screen.How you change a value for the limits of a test group orsubtest depends on the type of parameter associated withit. Different keys are used to change values for differenttypes of parameters. For example, memory address limitsspecified for the RAM Test Group are changed by typingin numbers over the digits of a given limit or by pressingthe plus (+) or minus (–) keys to increase or decrease thegiven limit. In contrast, to set limits for the Serial/InfraredPorts Test Group, you use the to togglebetween Yes and No.After you are satisfied with the limits, return to the mainscreen of the diagnostics by pressing the key. Thevalues you selected under Test Limits remain in effectduring all the test groups or subtests you run, unless youchange them. However, the values are reset to theirdefaults when you restart the diagnostics.AboutAbout in the main screen lists all of the subtests for theselected test group and displays information about thesubtest that is highlighted.Key-HelpKey-Help in the main screen always displays a list of keycontrols available for the particular category you haveselected.
