Microsoft Diagnostics

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Microsoft Diagnostics
Other namesMSD, MSD.EXE
Developer(s)Microsoft
Operating systemMS-DOS, OS/2, Windows
LicenseProprietary commercial software

Microsoft Diagnostics (MSD) was a software tool developed by

plug-and-play USB
or other new technologies that appeared around 2000.

In

PC DOS 6.1 and above, QCONFIG.EXE provides similar functionality.[4][5] Commercial alternatives include Manifest MFT.EXE from Quarterdeck's QEMM
.

History

MSD.EXE first shipped with

MS-DOS 6,[1][2][3] and on the Windows 9x CD-ROMs. Because OS/2 and Windows NT
contain code forked from DOS at the DOS 5 level, the versions of MSD.EXE included here correspond to that of that era (i.e. version 2.0).

MSINFO32.EXE
.

Usage

Users generally started the program from the DOS Command Prompt using the command MSD.EXE.[1] Starting the program under a DOS window in either Windows or OS/2 shows only the DOS details allocated for that DOS session, not for the machine in general.[1]

Scope

Aspects of the system for which MSD.EXE provided technical information:

  1. computer brand and processor information[1][2][3]
  2. memory (total, EMS, and XMS)[1][2][3]
  3. video (type such as VGA and manufacturer)[1][2][3]
  4. network[1][2][3]
  5. operating-system versions[1][2][3]
  6. type of mouse (if installed)[1][2][3]
  7. disk drives (and partitions), excluding CD-ROM drives etc.
  8. LPT ports[1][2][3]
  9. COM ports[1][2][3]
  10. IRQ status[1][2][3]
  11. Terminate-and-stay-resident programs[1][2][3]
  12. device drivers[1][2][3]
  13. other adapters[1][2][3]

Successor software

Microsoft replaced MSD.EXE with MSINFO32.EXE.[7] This has similar features, but targets more recent machines. It first appeared in MS-Word, and later was distributed with Plus! for Windows 95 and Windows 98.[7] MSINFO32.EXE under Windows XP stores system history from WMI in the XML files in Windows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Datacoll.[8] In the interest of backward compatibility, WINMSD became a loader for MSINFO32.

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 3-89360-306-9
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 3-87791-495-0
    . 9-783877-914953.
  3. ^
    ISBN 3-8158-1026-4
    . 9-783815-810262.
  4. IBM Corp.
    83G9260, S83G-9260-00, P83G9260. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  5. ISBN 978-3-89362-404-1
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 3-86063-235-3
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 3-8158-1097-3
    . 9-783815-810972.
  8. ^ "Description of Windows XP System Information (Msinfo32.exe) Tool". Microsoft. 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-12. System Information in Windows XP provides a new view of changes to the computer. ... History Information is provided by WMI, and is stored in the Extensible Markup Language (XML) data files located in Windows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Datacoll.

Further reading

  • Cooper, Jim (2001). Special Edition Using MS-DOS 6.22, Third Edition.
    ISBN 978-0789725738
    .
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