Subject: how to "automagically" diagnose the crap out of a PC.
I don't have all the answers or a confirmed solution, but it's a start.
What seems to be required is an automated application launcher. All of the necessary apps are on the CD already, except for the mystery app.
>If anyone can remember the software suggested several! months ago by K.Rose, it would be awesome! I have googled several times, but with no positive results.
Kevin Rose from TSS recommended a program ages ago that I'm sure would do the trick, but I cannot remember it. I know I made a note of it at the time on a napkin... I can see him demonstrating it in my mind, but I can't recall the specific program.
Application description:(the name/author/publisher eludes me)
The caller asked for a program that would automagically launch specified apps at a certain time in order to check email, newsgroups, run other essential apps, etc., on his work PC before coming into work and not having to do it all manually. What a slacker!, but a very useful request!
Kevin Rose suggested an excellent program (much more sophisticated compared to the Win scheduled task manager) that would record interactions with a specific app including mouseclicks, keyboard input and user/name passwords as required. This app was demonstrated on the show and seemed like a very good solution to the callers' problem.
So far, this sounds like a keylogger? Maybe. The mystery app would then allow you to run the program again using the input provided from the previous run on a specified schedule. It would automatically fill in any keyboard input and mouseclicks as if you were directly operating the program(s). It would execute the program again as if you were controlling it based on your previous input.
I hope this (hopefully free) application is still available. If it were part of the project, the scripts (or however it works) could be placed in the startup folder of the CD for automatic system testing. If implemented, it should be an enable/disable plugin at build time, e.g. "Is this a standard project CD, or do you intend to test the crap of any computer that needs it?" The "interaction" scripts should be available at the time of launch, meaning that the user who needs this functionality should generate the necessary custom scripts himself using the mystery app and place them where they need to be prior to launching PEBuilder. Default scripts should be provided for convenience.
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Another thing to consider, seperately from the above, is placing shortcuts to the required apps in the startup menu that would run automatically on boot provided that there are command line options, as needed, to get them going. This might be another build time plugin selection option.
Apps found to have the required capabilities:
Softpedia:Visualcron Visualcron looks very interesting; freeware for personal or business use!
Snapfiles:Event Manager Professional; it gets five stars, but requires a purchase of $45.95
Automatic Mouse looked interesting, but does not seem to provide the required functionality? ; shareware
Web search
As far as adding documentation for "how to" on the FAQ is concerned, I think if a user needs help with an app, they should check the provided links to the application in the list of tools. A direct link to the software providers' help page might be helpful and may be considered for addition to the list of tools There are a limited selection of apps that hail from abroad that may require translation - I know there is at least one Russian app ("smallcd" ) that could benefit from translation, or an english "how-to." Other than that, I think users may need to brush up on their browsing skills and learn more about the awesome tools that they have been provided.
What if this mystery app were combined with my suggestion to "
automate this!" Just a thought....
