HomeSoftwareHardware Diagnostics
Bootable x64 UEFIReleasedRuns Outside WindowsFree v1.7.16Business v1.7.15Free $0Business $39.99

Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics — Bootable UEFI PC Hardware Testing

Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics boots directly through UEFI and tests supported PC hardware without depending on Windows. Free includes the real diagnostic engine. Business adds the workflow, documentation, presets, screenshots, logging, and reporting used for professional jobs.

Compare Free & BusinessSee What Changed
Current Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics UEFI dashboard with automatic test profiles and system inventory
Current Business v1.7.15 dashboard. Free v1.7.16 is branched from the same current diagnostic engine and keeps the core diagnostic capability.
Native UEFI testingRuns before Windows and installed drivers
31 / 70 / 73 testsCore, Standard, and Extended automatic profiles
Modern hardware workActively tested and refined on current UEFI platforms
Free diagnostic engineBusiness adds professional workflow—not better test accuracy

Important boot requirement

Secure Boot must currently be disabled.

Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics is a custom UEFI application. The current release is not yet signed for Microsoft Secure Boot, so you will normally need to disable Secure Boot temporarily before starting it.

Before changing Secure Boot settings, verify your BitLocker or Windows Device Encryption recovery key and suspend protection when appropriate.

  • Save or verify the recovery key first.
  • Suspend BitLocker protection before firmware changes when possible.
  • Do not clear the TPM.
  • Do not delete Secure Boot or platform security keys.
  • Do not change unrelated BIOS or UEFI settings.
  • Re-enable Secure Boot after testing when appropriate.

Two editions

Free diagnoses the hardware. Business documents and manages the job.

The diagnostic engine is not deliberately weakened to force an upgrade. Free is a real diagnostic tool; Business adds the professional workflow around it.

Availablev1.7.16Free

Free

$0

Run the real Blackwire diagnostic engine and review the results directly on screen.

  • Core, Standard, and Extended automatic diagnostics
  • CPU, memory, storage, graphics, firmware, security, and stress testing where supported
  • On-screen test status, measurements, warnings, failures, and results
  • No Customer Info workflow
  • No report generation or persistent diagnostic logging
  • No screenshots, F12 capture, presets, or Preset Builder
  • Current download also includes previous Hardware Diagnostics versions

Free remains usable on its own. A small support message appears after startup to explain that Business purchases help fund continued development.

Download Free — $0
Professional Workflow
Availablev1.7.15Professional / Commercial

Business

$39.99

The same core diagnostic capability with the technician workflow and documentation needed for customer and business work.

  • Same core diagnostic engine and hardware tests
  • Customer information
  • PDF and diagnostic reports
  • Persistent logs and saved diagnostic evidence
  • Screenshot and F12 capture
  • Technician presets and Preset Builder
  • Saved and repeating diagnostic workflows / test loops
  • Current download also includes previous Hardware Diagnostics versions
Get Business — $39.99

The current Free and Business checkout URLs are unchanged. Both download packages include the current edition build and the older Hardware Diagnostics versions for compatibility and rollback.

Current release split

Free v1.7.16 and Business v1.7.15 share the same current diagnostic direction.

The Free build was branched from the same current diagnostic engine used by the Business release. Version numbers differ because the editions are packaged separately, not because Free uses a deliberately inferior diagnostic engine.

Compare features

Free vs Business

Same diagnostic purpose. Different workflow.

Business adds the features needed to document, repeat, and manage professional diagnostic work. It does not exist to make the hardware tests artificially more accurate than Free.

FeatureFreeBusiness
Current releasev1.7.16v1.7.15
Core hardware diagnosticsYesYes
Standard diagnosticsYesYes
Extended diagnosticsYesYes
Stress testingYesYes
On-screen resultsYesYes
Customer informationNoYes
PDF / diagnostic reportsNoYes
Persistent loggingNoYes
Screenshot capture / F12NoYes
PresetsNoYes
Preset BuilderNoYes
Repeating technician workflowsNoYes
Previous versions includedYesYes
Current activation requiredNoNo

Free is not a trial. It provides the current hardware diagnostic engine and on-screen results. Business is for technicians, repair shops, IT departments, refurbishers, MSPs, and other users who need reporting, records, screenshots, customer information, and reusable workflows.

Major improvements

Hardware Diagnostics has grown into a much more complete native UEFI diagnostic environment.

The newer releases focus on better hardware detection, clearer live evidence, safer storage handling, stronger graphics testing, better results, broader resolution support, and more useful professional workflow.

Improved hardware detection

Inventory and identification have been expanded across CPU, memory, motherboard, storage, graphics, PCI Express hardware, firmware graphics, and system hardware.

Expanded graphics diagnostics

Current builds add GPU/iGPU identification, PCIe graphics-link inspection, PCIe error evidence, option-ROM inspection, UEFI GOP validation, framebuffer testing, and longer technician-selectable graphics verification.

Improved memory diagnostics

Live memory testing now communicates installed memory, write and verification throughput, detected errors, and hardware information where firmware exposes reliable data.

Improved storage diagnostics

Storage detection and workloads have been refined across NVMe, SATA, and block devices. Optical CD/DVD/Blu-ray drives are automatically excluded from HDD/SSD read workloads.

Better stress-test interface

The live stability view now brings CPU workload, memory throughput, supported temperature and power telemetry, elapsed/remaining time, completion, graphs, verification, and errors into one screen.

Better resolution support

The UEFI interface has been refined across common firmware modes from 800×600 through 4K, with more appropriate layout, navigation, results panels, and text placement.

Improved results guidance

Results separate failures, warnings, skipped, unsupported, and not-run items more clearly. Detailed result guidance explains what was checked, why attention is needed, possible causes, and practical next steps.

Business workflow improvements

Business adds customer information, refined reporting, saved diagnostic evidence, reusable presets, category selection, repeat/loop counts, and stronger failure retention across repeated runs.

Current-generation validation

Actively tested and refined on modern hardware and UEFI platforms.

Ongoing development and field testing include current Intel and AMD platforms, DDR4 and DDR5 systems, NVMe and SATA storage, integrated and discrete graphics, current PCIe platforms, recent UEFI firmware implementations, and high-resolution GOP display modes.

Compatibility work on newer releases has specifically targeted hardware detection, graphics diagnostics, storage handling, UEFI behavior, display scaling, and modern platform differences.

This is active compatibility testing, not a guarantee that every motherboard, firmware build, or hardware combination in existence is supported.

  • Current Intel and AMD platforms
  • DDR4 and DDR5 memory systems
  • NVMe and SATA storage
  • Integrated and discrete graphics
  • Current PCIe and UEFI implementations
  • 800×600 through 3840×2160 UEFI GOP modes
Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics current hardware test category catalog
Current hardware test categories and the expanded native UEFI diagnostic catalog.

Automatic profiles

Start with 31 tests or run a broader 70- or 73-test plan.

Core is the first-pass check, Standard is the recommended repair-bench diagnostic, and Extended provides broader non-destructive validation.

31Core automatic tests
70Standard automatic tests
73Extended automatic tests

Free gets the automatic profiles.

Core, Standard, and Extended are part of the diagnostic engine. Business adds reusable technician presets, Preset Builder, and repeat/loop workflows for people who need to save and rerun custom plans.

  • Core — essential first-pass health check
  • Standard — recommended repair-bench diagnostic
  • Extended — broader non-destructive validation
  • Business — build, save, and repeat custom diagnostic plans
Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics diagnostic profile selection dialog
Core, Standard, Extended, and saved-preset selection in the current Business interface.

Hardware coverage

Test the major hardware areas from one bootable tool.

Tests are capability-aware: unsupported or unavailable measurements are reported as such rather than replaced with invented readings.

System and firmware

System inventory, firmware variables, SMBIOS information, PCI/PCIe evidence, boot configuration, and firmware integrity checks.

Processor

Identification, known-answer integer/floating-point/vector work, cache integrity, multicore execution, timer behavior, and related CPU checks.

Memory

Firmware memory-map validation, dynamic memory integrity, address-path checks, write/verify throughput, errors, and memory information where available.

Storage

NVMe, SATA, and supported block-device checks including health evidence, latency, read integrity, throughput, and thermal observations where supported.

Graphics

GPU/iGPU identification, PCIe evidence, graphics option-ROM inspection, UEFI GOP mode validation, display identification, and framebuffer pattern verification.

Security and platform

TPM and supported security/firmware checks that report what the platform exposes without clearing keys or changing protected configuration.

Live diagnostic evidence

See what is running, what was measured, and what comes next.

The current run screen combines the active workload, measurements, overall progress, next test, activity history, attention items, elapsed time, estimate, and status controls.

Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics current processor diagnostic with live measurements and progress
Processor diagnostics with live measurements and run progress.
Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics current memory integrity diagnostic with verification throughput
Memory integrity testing with verification rate and error evidence.
Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics current NVMe read integrity diagnostic
NVMe read integrity and throughput evidence.
Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics current UEFI framebuffer graphics diagnostic
UEFI framebuffer graphics verification in progress.

Optical CD/DVD/Blu-ray devices are excluded from HDD/SSD read workloads so an optical drive or inserted disc cannot accidentally enter long storage-read testing.

CPU + memory stability

Stress testing now has a purpose-built live dashboard.

Longer stability work can show CPU workload, memory verification throughput, supported temperature and power telemetry, elapsed and remaining time, completion percentage, verification counts, errors, and live graphs.

  • CPU workload and memory verification
  • 10 / 30 / 60 / 120 minute and continuous modes where available
  • Elapsed and remaining time
  • Completion percentage
  • Live graphs
  • CPU temperature and power where firmware exposes useful telemetry
  • CPU and memory error counters
  • Technician-controlled stop with prior failures retained

Use adequate cooling and supervision. Stop for any unsafe physical condition. Missing sensor data is reported as unsupported rather than guessed.

Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics current CPU and memory live stress test dashboard
Live CPU and memory stability testing with graphs, telemetry, verification, and timing.

Improved results

Warnings and failures now lead to useful detail instead of a color alone.

The Results page separates passed, warning, failed, not-run, skipped, unsupported, and locked outcomes. Select a result to see the observed evidence, what was checked, likely causes, and practical next steps.

Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics current results page with passed and warning test status
Current result summary with clear counts and per-test status.
Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics detailed test result guidance dialog
Detailed result guidance with observed evidence and recommended next steps.

Business workflow

Same diagnostic core, with the tools to manage a professional job.

Business adds customer information, screenshots, persistent logs, reports, reusable presets, and repeating plans around the diagnostic engine.

Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics Business customer information dialog
Business Customer information for professional documentation.
Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics Business presets page
Business Saved presets and reusable diagnostic workflows.
Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics current full system integrity diagnostic
Business screenshot Full-system integrity workflow and activity history.

Professional reporting — Business

Document what was tested, what passed, and what needs attention.

Business reporting separates actual failures, warnings, skipped tests, unsupported items, and tests not included in the selected plan so a customer or technician can understand what the report does—and does not—say.

Business documentation

  • Customer and system identification
  • PDF and diagnostic report output
  • Persistent logs and saved evidence
  • Failure, warning, skipped, unsupported, and not-run distinctions
  • Recommended next steps and technician-facing details
  • Saved screenshots when evidence needs to be captured

Free: The same diagnostic purpose and on-screen results, without the Business reporting, logging, screenshot, customer-info, or preset workflow.

Open Historical Sample PDF
Historical Blackwire Hardware Diagnostics Business PDF report sample
Historical v1.5.04 Business report sample retained as an example. Current reporting has been refined since this build.

Who it is for

Useful on a repair bench, in IT, or on a system you are troubleshooting yourself.

Testing outside Windows helps separate hardware failures from Windows problems, drivers, applications, malware, corrupted installations, and other operating-system issues.

Repair and service

PC repair technicians, computer refurbishers, electronics recyclers, hardware resellers, and system builders can test systems before repair, resale, or return.

IT and MSP work

IT departments, MSPs, field technicians, and system administrators can run repeatable checks without relying on the installed operating system.

Advanced home users

Use Free to investigate a computer that may have CPU, memory, storage, graphics, firmware, or stability problems without buying a professional workflow package.

Boot media and requirements

Designed for compatible x64 UEFI PCs.

Hardware availability and firmware interfaces determine what can be identified or tested. Unsupported information is reported honestly instead of being invented.

Current distribution

  • Free v1.7.16
  • Business v1.7.15
  • Bootable x64 UEFI media
  • Previous Hardware Diagnostics versions are included in the current download packages
  • Free provides on-screen diagnostics without Business workflow features
  • Business adds reports, logs, screenshots, customer info, presets, and repeating workflows
  • Current builds do not require product activation

System requirements

  • 64-bit UEFI firmware
  • Secure Boot disabled for the current unsigned build
  • Keyboard recommended; mouse support depends on firmware input support
  • Writable media required for Business screenshots, reports, and saved evidence
  • Specific sensors or hardware details depend on firmware and platform support

What it can do

Find evidence of repeatable hardware problems.

  • Boot independently from Windows
  • Test supported CPU, memory, storage, graphics, firmware, security, and system areas
  • Run automatic profiles and longer stability workflows
  • Show live measurements and explicit unsupported states
  • Help separate hardware evidence from Windows/software problems
  • Generate professional documentation in Business

What it cannot do

It cannot repair failed hardware or guarantee that every fault will appear.

  • Repair RAM, storage, Windows, or firmware
  • Remove malware, recover files, bypass passwords, or clear BitLocker
  • Clear the TPM, delete Secure Boot keys, or update BIOS
  • Perform every vendor-specific GPU or drive diagnostic
  • Report sensors or data that the platform does not expose
  • Guarantee that a passing component will never fail later

Frequently asked questions

Common questions before you start.

Is the Free edition a trial?

No. Free v1.7.16 contains the real diagnostic engine and on-screen results. It omits the Business customer-info, reporting, persistent logging, screenshot, preset, and repeating-workflow features.

Are the hardware tests different in Business?

Business uses the same current diagnostic direction and hardware-test purpose. It adds professional workflow and documentation rather than intentionally weakening Free to force an upgrade.

Are older Hardware Diagnostics versions included?

Yes. The current Free and Business download packages include the previous Hardware Diagnostics versions as well, so an older build remains available when compatibility or rollback is useful.

Does it run inside Windows?

No. It boots through compatible 64-bit UEFI firmware and runs independently from Windows or another installed operating system.

Why must Secure Boot be disabled?

The current UEFI application is not yet signed for Microsoft Secure Boot. Disable Secure Boot temporarily when required, keep recovery keys available, and re-enable it after testing when appropriate.

Does the program erase or format drives?

Normal storage diagnostics are designed to be read-only and do not intentionally erase, overwrite, format, partition, repair, or modify user files.

What are the automatic profiles?

Core currently includes 31 automatic tests, Standard 70, and Extended 73. The exact tests that can run still depend on the detected hardware and firmware capabilities.

Does it fully test every graphics card feature or VRAM?

No. It includes UEFI graphics and framebuffer diagnostics, identification, link/error evidence, and supported GOP checks. It does not claim to replace every vendor-specific GPU diagnostic or a complete dedicated VRAM test.

What happens when a sensor is unavailable?

The program reports unsupported or unavailable telemetry rather than inventing a temperature, power, ECC, or other reading that the platform does not expose.

Can a computer still have a problem after passing?

Yes. A pass means that specific test did not detect a fault during that run. Intermittent problems may require repeated, extended, or manufacturer-specific testing.

Are current builds activation-locked?

No. The current Free and Business releases do not use Blackwire product-key activation. A future Secure Boot-signed generation may use normal Blackwire licensing.

Current releases

Free v1.7.16 and Business v1.7.15 are available now.

The current release has been tested extensively on modern-generation hardware and UEFI systems, with ongoing field testing used to refine compatibility and diagnostic behavior across newer platforms. Previous Hardware Diagnostics versions remain included in the current download packages.

Choose Free or Business