Smoother wrote,

downloaded and activated fine on my XP SP2 2.8ghz system, let the program scan, got a false reading with my memory type, I have 2 DDR sticks, this program states i have 2 SDRAM sticks, thats the only problem I see at the moment.

Now I am getting confused, because I always knew and believed SDRAM is more of an implemementation rather than a memory module type. So if the program reports DDR SDRAM it should mean a Double Data Rate stick with the Synchronous Dynamic RAM feature, meaning it's speed is synchronised with the computer's system bus.

I think SDRAM can be SDR SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, DDR2 SDRAM. The syncronous feature is just an implementaion in RAM types. I may be wrong though.

About the program it's just among the best hardware tools for IT professionals and PC Power users as it may be overwhelming for the average PC user. I personally give it a 5 star.

Installed fine on XP sp3 32bit. Plugged 2 usb flash drives in 1G and 2G but detected it both as 2G. Thats the only downside of it as far as I can recall. Overall a very great SW.

Free Alternatives

WinAudit

Fresh Diagnose

Belarc

SIW

HWInfo

SiSoftware Sandra Lite

PC Wizard
Final Verdict
For what it does, Astra32 is one of the best. I give it a thumbs up and recommend it to anyone that needs it. However, if it was not free on GOTD I would never pay for Astra32 because there are tons of free software that do the same thing. If I had to pick my favorite out of all the ones I listed under "Free Alternatives" it would have to be Fresh Diagnose. The only problem with Fresh Diagnose is it does not have a portable version; if you are looking for a free portable diagnostic tool, WinAudit is for you.

I have collected approximately 10 different "system information" utilities. Almost all of them run from a boot CD (or live CD) and so are not running in a Windows environment. Because of this, they often either miss-identify or fail to correctly detect Window's applications and Windows specific hardware devices. Network information is an example of one of the areas where these DOS based applications fail to work correctly. Sound cards are also frequently misidentified by these programs -especially the Windows specific functions that have no counterpart in the DOS environment.



Today's offering, Astra 32, runs from in a Windows environment and does a better job in identifying those areas mentioned above. Many of the DOS based system identification programs I have list between 10 and 25 pages of information. However, this is not very helpful when much of the information reported is incorrect. I see a synergistic effect running a Windows based program such as Astra 32, along side of one of the better DOS system information programs.

Installed just fine, but first run hung on IDE7 examination.....not just that app....everything, mouse & all. I had to power-off/on and bring it up again. Tried it then (clean system after reboot), but same thing, only it was on IDE5. I pulled out a USB stick was all, so it doesn't seem to handle my IDE drives.

I'm running Vista Home Premium on a Dell Inspiron 531S, 3G memory with WD50 500Gig HD, a WD 500Gig external USB HD, and a LaCie 8G USB stick. I had a second stick in on the first try, but pulled it before the second.

Thumbs down!
I see no reason to hang that way, so I immediately uninstalled it.

Installed on xp sp3 fine, but...
Ran, program froze. Opened task man, showed unresponsive, ended task.
Forced my system to shut down. Restarted to system recover from critical error.
Looked for their log file, not there.
Tried running again.
Same result.
Scanned system, everything running fine.
tried again, same result.
Guess it doesn't like my system.

Windows Vista-64 Intel Toshiba laptop. On install hangs on "IDE-8". Left for 1 hour, no disk activity. Keyboard frozen, requires hard power down. No ctrl-alt-del. No uninstall (doesn't show in uninstall software). I see others have the same experience.

Just thinking of trying this out. I have windows vista 64 and am thinking about upgrading to windows 7 (in a week or ao). If I do upgrade, will I lose this GAOTD and all others that I have installed on my computer?

Wow, the details this software give is rather staggering. Ran great and seemingly reported everything correctly on all my Vista 64 machines! What is even more staggering is that #22 is still using Win-98. I dont even remember what Win98 looks like. Just to think, I got ride of Win-XP because it seems really out of date to me, and am now looking forward to Windows 7. This must be really good software for it to still work on the antiquated Win98! I used to use Belarc Advsier, but this shows way more info!! Well worth the $40. This is tremendous that today ti is free!!

Installation on XP and Vista Home Premium 64 went flawless. This is how all software installs from all vendors should be (painless). Good software provides very detailed info on the hardware!

nr.51: so sorry to hear that. maybe i would get BSOD also if i didn't brutally switch PC off...

#3: "Reviewed by: CNET Staff... While it isn’t for the common man, this 14-day trial will definitely make life easier for system administrators and the tech support guys."

With Thanks for posting their review, Dan, CNET gets that comment very wrong...

While the info you get from Astra32 [& similar] is useful for tech folk trying to fix a problem, how are they going to get it unless they have your PC/laptop? Answer: When/If you give it to them, *Because* you ran one of these reporting apps.

When I put a system together I like to list all the hardware numbers, including IDing stuff like the audio & network chips on the motherboard, & tuck that list in the m/board manual (also like to tape a copy inside the case). It definitely comes in handy. Astra32 lets you do the same sort of thing. And it's much better to have this stuff before there's a problem, like Windows won't start, making most apps useless. Knowing the hardware can even make a big difference (re) installing Windows, when you might need to have added drivers available

* * *

#36: "PCI/AGP Device: indows has stopped this device because it has reported problems (43) What do codes mean? There are no explanations given, so help is LIMITED!"

It means "It didn't work". :-)

If during scanning Astra32 locks or crashes your system, you can turn off a particular scan/test (in this case PCI/AGP), optionally contact the developers, or uninstall. Otherwise when/if you're unsure what caused an error message, you can try Googling on the error message, & often you'll get some good info. You can also look at your Windows system logs, again using Google as/if needed.

* * *

#44: "...use Lavalys Everest Ultimate Edition and Belarc Advisor. These two are free..."

Everest is free for trial or if you do the TrialPlay thing: [www.lavalys.com/eshop.php?ps=UE]

* * *

#47: "When testing for PCI/AGP Device,computer crashes. Ctrl+Alt+del does not bring the task manager to disable prog nor to restart computer."

FWIW when I broke the program by trying to run it uninstalled (checking for portability), I found that it took a while for Ctrl+Alt+Del to work in win7 64 RC... Task Mgr (already running) didn't help at all.

i installed this to my computer(XP SP3), but i get BSoD when i start it:(

Today's GOTD, Astra32, is a nice app that unfortunately needs to be installed for full capabilities -- the license we're given doesn't extend to the portable version you can download at the developers' site. Testing this morning in win7 64 RC, installation &/or running Astra32 registers it's kernel driver with Windows; without an install I had to disable some of the [less important] reports/tests to keep Astra32 from seemingly locking up [it *may* have come back to life eventually, but after several minutes I gave up]. In itself registering the driver is not a problem, but means the GOTD version at least of Astra32 is just not going to be portable -- a shame since that's how or where IMHO it would be most useful, to gather info on an unknown PC/laptop. As their web site says: "The benefits for PC repair technicians and system administrators are obvious"

When you start Astra32 it gives you a chance to check/uncheck just what info you want it to report, which is a nice touch, potentially cutting down on the time it takes to scan the system, & cutting down on clutter from stuff you're not interested in -- it also allows the app to run & do some scanning on systems where not every test is compatible. The info or data itself seems good, though you'd have to use it on several known systems [or physically double check hardware] to be able to tell if that accuracy is consistent. If it has any weakness (besides not being portable), it's that Astra32 is more of a technician's tool used once on an unknown PC/laptop, & assuming you record that info, you probably won't ever need to run it on that system again -- if you add or replace hardware, you'll certainly know what it is.

Yes, Astra32 does perform some testing, but personally I'd consider that more a nice convenience -- IOW I don't know that it would ever be my top choice as the Go-To app for Dxing problems. For hard drives for example many (most?) manufacturers have their own tools that are required before you can return a drive.

For the average user, if you're not exactly sure what's in your PC/laptop, do a backup or at least set a restore point, install Astra32, run it, & keep the results. At that point you can either keep it around, or un-install it to get rid of the extra driver... not a big deal IMHO, but some feel that every time you add something, that's something that could turn into a potential problem some time down the road.

oh, my Win XP comp FROZE during detection:(
Twice

So uninstalled!

I'm a Everest Ultimate user so I do not need this program.
I often use it as a tool to recognize unknown hardware (mostly to find correct drivers for it) on systems which I service/repair.
I know it's not legal, but in my country nobody cares about that.

CRASH!!

When testing for PCI/AGP Device,computer crashes. Ctrl+Alt+del does not bring the task manager to disable prog nor to restart computer.
Had to physically hod down the computer switch to shut it down.

My computer:
Processor Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 2500 MHz
CPU Clock 2493.8 MHz (7.5 x 332.5 MHz QDR)
Level 1 Cache 4 x 32+32 kB (data+instr.)
Level 2 Cache 2 x 3072 kB

OK.. found part of my answer. There is a 'stand alone' version that can be placed on a usb drive, ipod, external HD, floppy or burned to CD and run from there, but I don't think this free giveaway version allows that.
If someone already knows for sure, please correct me.

@21 and @25: You need to read more closely. He called it a "piece of carp"--probably meaning he thought there was something fishy about it.
:)
Again, for those who are complaining that your $50 piece of software is better, so what? It's FREE today!
Hello? Come back from your home planet and visit us here on Earth.
Confine your comments to this dimension!

I suggest just use Lavalys Everest Ultimate Edition and Belarc Advisor. These two are free and available. I prefer Belarc. No need any installation at all.

Setup never even loaded.. no interest in tryiing to figure out why..

Just a reminder to NIS 2010 users, temporarily disable your SONAR protection before trying to install this, otherwise NIS blocks the setup.exe files from running merely because the Norton Community doesn't have enough experience with the program to rate it as safe.

Can this be installed on a USB drive? It would be really sweet to be able to install on one usb drive and then run the utility on my other PCs and laptop without having to install it on each one.

I downloaded (using Mozilla Firefox 3.5.3), installed, and activated the program w/out any problems on my system, which is an HP Pavilion d5200t (running under Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit) w/4Gb RAM, 1000Gb RAID HDD, NVidia GeForce 9800 GT video card w/512Mb memory, and a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi audio card.

Following the program's advice, I closed all of my apps (except my security programs and the sidebar, which has my CPU load monitors). While I ran the program it REALLY exercised my quad processors, but never used more than 15Mb of memory. It successfully finished in what I felt was a reasonable amount of time. It gave a very detailed and accurate report except for one MAJOR issue: for some reason, under the heading of storage, while it showed the presence of my Blu-Ray optical drive, and correctly stated the logical drive letter assignments, it didn't provide any information about the twin serial access 500Gb Hitachi HDDs in my RAID!

I consider that to be a major flaw (sorry Ashraf, you need to consider doing your testing on something besides a laptop). Also, once the program produced its summary report (and I produced a small .txt report), the minimise button didn't work (although the exit button did).

To the developers, I think your normal price is too high - for a program that looks like an old utility that originally ran under DOS, $29.95 is too high, even after you fix the bugs.

Still, thank you GaotD staff for providing us with this opportunity – I will still be coming here every day.

Installed --and detects the operating system correctly-- under Windows 7 RTM x64.

However, a bug perhaps:

Shows the installation date as: January 01, 1970.

I installed Astra32 on my Windows 7 64-bit installation with no problems, it came up as registered with no free updates. Launching it I saw no problems, but it did sit for a few minutes without responding (and the system did not respond). This may have led other 64-bit users to think the system had locked up. Mine resumed after 2 or 3 minutes and gave a very detailed readout about my system-- including items I had previously had a difficult time getting information on. It was so detailed in fact, that I canceled sending the report to the developers (they have a small note when you close the program asking for a report). This software works as advertised and does a very thorough job of it, even on Windows 7 and 64-bit systems. Be patient, however.

Thanks GOTD for a super useful program!

Clicking Setup.exe shows the GOTD message: Failed to Connect. Please try again later.

This has been happening for some 3 hours now.

My firewall is in Rules Mode and I have tried the Mirror site as well.

I am seeking a solution and advice, please.

PCI/AGP Device: indows has stopped this device because it has reported problems (43)

What do codes mean? There are no explanations given, so help is LIMITED!

Installed with no problems on Vista Ultimate 32. Detailed results with clean layout that was easy to browse.

Two suggestions: Provide font control; was difficult to read the small, fine print even on my 17" monitor. Provide support for mouse autoscroll from third button; some pages are quite lengthy and this simple feature would help.

Overall, does what it says and swiftly, but not sufficiently differentiated from several previously mentioned free alternatives to justify the expense. Perhaps interactive function linking to settings to allow adjustments of reported devices?

ASTRA32 installed and ran without any problem on XP SP2 system. But make sure to run it only after closing all other programs, otherwise it may hang. The information it gives is bit overwhelming, but quite useful.

Some instances where this may be useful...
• Motherboard details while installing / upgrading drivers.
• Existing memory chip details while adding extra memory.
• Existing hard disk interface types while adding new hard disk.
• Video/Graphic controller details while installing games.
• CD/DVD drive supported features while buying blank CD/DVD.
• Installed Windows hot fixes while installing new software / service pack.
• Drives trouble shooting.
• Verifying USB device types.
• Saving the hardware details in file / report for reference.

Few things missing...
• Keyboard and mouse details
• Sorting of installed programs list

-Guru

WoW, for a mere 2.3 MB, this stuff sure packs a wallop! Currently, we are using the excellent Norton SystemWorks (NSW) - here is our review of NSW - http://www.welloiledpc.com/nortonsystemworks.htm.

While NSW is LARGE and slows down the system (running in the background all the time), Astraa is light on resources, though it does not have the complex capabilities of NSW.

Am planning to keep it for a few days and see what it does more closely (especially vis-a-vis NSW), before retaining/ removing it...

@ 6 & 8 - AIDA32 became Everest. Aida was free and could be used on single PCs or networked PCs, Everest Ultimate is for single pc use and costs $40, Everest Corporate is for networked PCs and cost is based on number of licenses purchased.

Since AIDA32 hasn't been updated, it will not provide complete info on newer components and software, and links may not be provided for unrecognized drivers... but I still use it on my older PCs.

Another very good free utility is PC Wizard http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php and it is periodically updated.

To Delta - #29. Same to me. Maybe trying to acess software in the first time without the Comodo Internet Security permission.In the second time installation is OK.

I installed and got a I/O Error 32 when the software was checking for key availability. I tried again and it worked fine.

Just a question:
Does ASTRA32 work with Windows 7?

I have a dual mouse system and if I select the mouse I am not actively using, ASTRA32 crashes.

I reported this bug a few years ago and they still have not fixed it. Not only that, they never acknowledged or responded to my email, not even to ask for more details about my system or the issue.

It is as if the developers do not care about their software, as long as it works well enough on enough machines to make a profit. They will not improve it to work on the rest. They are not even the slightest bit interested in trying.

I know...what do you expect for free? But not everyone is getting this software for free. At the time I had first tested it out and found that bug, I was testing with intent to purchase.

If I pay for software, I expect a certain level of support, and this company will not do that. They do not care.

I Also have DDR 2 ( 4 * 1 GB ) and ASTRA indentified it correctly as well as the manufacturer. Hey folks, please don't piss on this very fine software that's given to us for FREE by the software makers.

@ Ralph : I am also using Windows XP Pro SP3 and ASTRA works just fine. I think it´s something with your PC that causes it to hang.

I don0t think ASTRA32 is "a piece of crap", ASTRA is a very fine utility and I want to thank the software makers for giving it for free.

I am very impressed with the amount of info ASTRA gives.

Hangs my WinXP SP3 machine every time. Can't even Ctrl-Alt-Del to taskmgr to kill it. Log file is blank. Uninstalled.

This may be one of the biggest winners of all time.

I have downloaded it but GOTD site is busy so not yet installed, but
I was given the opportunity to install SOFTWARE INFORMER which said 78 of my programs have updates available and provides an ALL-AT-VIEW launcher for all of them.

However, as I have W98SE I know some updates will not run so if you use it and have an older OS - do take care.

A definite MUST try.

Really extensive hardware report. Software report valuable but, as stated by others, Belarc gives more detailed info. Exported reports are also well formatted, only the "Quick navigation" links in the HTML version do not function on my system (Vista SP2, FireFox 3.5.3).

@5 &11: EVEREST Ultimate Edition might be better, but then, it costs 40 bucks and today ASTRA32 is free... and 11, please mind your language: you may not like ASTRA, but that doesn't give you the right to call it a piece of "crap"...
@2: in my case ASTRA correctly identified DDR2-666 SDRAM and even noted it came from Qimonda, which I didn't know (and is rather unimportant ;-). Anyway DDR whether in plain, -2 or -3 flavors are just the newer evolutions of... SDRAM

TNX GAOTD for this useful and impressive program. Worked out of the box for me on WinXPHome SP3.

These things are great for a new computer that comes with glossy brochures but tells you nothing about memory number soundcard maker & Hard Drive serial Number ( useful if computer get`s stolen) I use the paid-for Si-soft sandra & if this current one lists wrong memory data it`s pretty duff, and a waste of time.

Nearly all these devices won`t work if you`ve disabled or removed WEM by the way

Thank you for this offering, GOTD and SysInfo Labs. It looks very useful at first glance, though I have not had time yet to evaluate it carefully. I will compare it to my current favorite, the always-free and very comprehensive System Information for Windows. I'll also have to check out Fresh Diagnose (thanks for the recommendation, Ashraf). I hope this is helpful.

Win XP sp3 32bit: download and installation was fast and easy (no messing with registration info). Information was gathered quite fast, and was accurate; but some info could have been a little more detailed. I compared Astra32 with Belarc Advisor and found them both to contain useful info that varied from each other, and will continue to use both applications. Thank you for providing this useful software.

Installed on win7 Ultimate x64 and works fine.
Everest is much better. ;-)

#12 Kevin
In the system requirements it supports both 64 & 32 bit

Similar to Software Information for Windows. A good alternative if you miss today's giveaway. It's really quite thorough, though not as well laid out. There's a no-install version as well (the standalone english version)

http://www.gtopala.com/

Seems to be a bit more all-inclusive than Astra32. It'll even show you what passwords you have stored in Firefox!

Use EVEREST Ultimate Edition better than this carp