System Health and Diagnostic (Thinkvantage Toolbox)

[TrailRunner]

How many of you make use of this tool? What do you use it for? I'd like to get an idea of the pros/cons before I delete it from all of our Thinkpads.

Also, are there any other Lenovo installed tools that are typically removed?

[killer]

AFAIK it is based on PC Doctor for Windows. It is useful for system information gathering and diagnostics.

[Atreides]

AFAIK it is based on PC Doctor for Windows. It is useful for system information gathering and diagnostics.

You are correct that its based on PC Doctor (I think they make it?). Personally I think its one of the few pieces of Lenovo software that is truly bloatware, the information it gives you can easily be found elsewhere and it seems to spend most of its time trying to sell you things.

The PC Doctor boot diagnostic on the other hand is extremely useful. It's tailored specifically for different model Thinkpads and does an excellent job testing the hardware.

[keithsketchley]

It is PC Doctor, in varying versions. (Perhaps at http://www.pc-doctor.com/pcd_windows.php, with latest version of tests at http://www.pc-doctor.com/files/test_lis ... stlist.pdf (I haven't seen all those in the latest version from Lenovo.)

(Lenovo likes to rebrand - another case is "Multi Media for Think Offerings" which is just Roxio/Sonic RecordNow, Lenovo didn't even change all windows to say MMCTO. Too many bugs in product, with latest version I've tried I cannot see how to avoid installing DLA which causes problems with Windows Explorer. (DLA is the optical disc recording feature that use -RW media as if it were a giant floppy disk, various names have been used for the function.)

I am disappointed with it, because:
- UI churn
- obscure UI (e.g. does it run checkdisk (which on my Thinkpad I have to run from the Recovery Console mini-version of Windows)?
- some of it just regurgitates what Windows provides
- missing desirable features

It's hardware tests are useful, IIRC it does read the Smart or such diagnostics that IBM put in the TravelStar drives.

But you may be able to find a better source of most of its tests.

Oh, in your environment is it worthwhile, compared to a disk carried by a tech? Useful for user to do something directly and report to you?

[RealBlackStuff]

PC Doctor is no longer available, Lenovo stopped its contract with the company.
Apart from that, the Lenove laptops still have a way better value than the competition...

[keithsketchley]

Lenovo have switched to something else for Windows 8.

I don't know the difference, have not bothered to check what applies to Windows 7.