Brief Hands-On Reprt--TechTool Pro v4.0.3
New in Version 4.0.3
* Corrected reported issues with eDrive creation.
* Corrected reported Directory Maintenance issue.
* Corrected Wipe Data routine while booted from eDrive.
* Corrected reported Finder Info issue.
* Enhanced support for PowerPC G4 7447 testing and detection in Processor test.
* Enhanced support for PowerPC G5 970FX testing and detection in Processor test.
* Updated Video Memory test to detect Radeon 9800 XT.
* Enhanced Optimization routines for more thorough pre-flight checks.
* Allowing Directory Maintenance/Optimization on one volume at a time while booted from CD.
* Added TechTool Pro 4 Help Italian localization.
* Added Safari web browser to the eDrive volume.
* Added dialogs for Data Recovery routine during scavenge routine.
* Corrected localization issues for French version.
* Global updates for new machines.
Version 4.0.2
* Added French, Italian and Japanese localization versions.
* Additional support for third party ATA PCI cards.
* Enhancements to Wipe Data feature.
* Enhancements to File Structure and Finder Info tests.
* Enhancements to Directory Maintenance and Optimization features.
* Enhancements to Data Recovery feature to find data on volumes with bad blocks.
* Improvements to Diagnostics Setup feature.
* Improvements to Volume Structure detection and repair routines.
* Additional support for eDrive creation routine.
We posted a Hands-On Review of TTP 4.0.1 on December 4, 2003 and liked it, except for problems booting from the 4.0.1 CD - several iterations needed before it would boot and overly long delays after startup commenced. In collaboration with the MM technical staff, we subsequently determined the problems lay with the version of Panther 10.3 on the CD that Apple licensed to developers, not with the application itself. The boot problem went away with the issuance of the TTP 4.0.2 CD which included a developer version of Panther 10.3.2. We reviewed TTP 4.0.2 on March 19 this year and thought subjectively that it ran faster than the initial release.
We downloaded TTP 4.0.3 updater on two machines, a 1GHz G4 Cube, which is the machine on which we ran the prior versions, and a Tangerine original iBook which we recently upgraded with an 80 GB hard drive. This is the first TTP 4 updater we have downloaded. The TTP 4.0.2 update was initially available only by CD; MM later posted a download updater. We downloaded and ran the updater on both machines successfully.
We have some observations. As we have previously noted, a significant feature of this application is its ability to run from a so-called eDrive which is installed from the CD only on a separate 4 GB partition. Having the application reside on one's hard drive is primarily to facilitate booting into the eDrive which is normally invisible on the desk top. This is counter to other disk utilities with which we are familiar, when one has to boot from a CD in order to run a disk utility to test hard drives and repair problems. MM in fact doesn't recommend booting from the TTP 4 CD except in emergencies. [Since our last review MM has posted more information on its FAQ web page about when and when not to boot from a CD to use TTP4.] It also means that one needn't buy or burn a new CD each time the application is revised, if the eDrive application can be updated. But, if the TTP4 application that is most important resides on the eDrive and the eDrive is invisible on the desk top, would an updater that downloads to the hard drive update the eDrive? Answer: Yes.
In fact, the updater is quite intelligent. It found both the eDrive and the hard drive application folders and asked that one be selected for updating. On one machine we selected the eDrive application first. After completing the update successfully, the updater asked if there was another TTP4 application to update. With a "Yes" response, the updater found the added app on the hard drive without further help. We tried the selection process in reverse on the second drive; the procedure worked the same. After updating both applications, we told the updater it wasn't finished to see if it would try to update again. It didn't. Instead it advised that all applications had been updated.
If you loose track of whether you have updated both applications, just keep trying until the updater itself signals completion of all tasks.
We then ran the updated application on the Tangerine iBook . While it ran somewhat slowly - understandable since the Clamshell has only a 300 MHz G3 processor which might be offset by our new hard drive having only 2.3 GB of data on it - it was not deathly slow and completed its assigned tasks in good order.
If you already have a prior version of TTP 4 on your hard drive and eDrive, we recommend the updater.
Dana Baggett
New England Editor
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