C64 Dead Test, Diagnostic & Troubleshooting

Lest there be any confusion, the purpose of these (and the original) manuals is to provide instructions to help diagnose problems with a Commodore 64. Any Commodore 64 owner needs to be prepared for the computer not to work, and that goes for new builds (like a SixtyClone DIY) as well as an original machine. Therefore, an essential piece of your toolkit must be both a Dead Test and a Diagnostic cartridge. Today, such cartridges are available from numerous vendors and are typically "all-in-one" requiring a simple jumper change to be either a Dead Test or a Diagnostic cartridge. In order to conduct a full diagnostic test, a loopback harness is required that connects to the keyboard connector, user port, cartridge port, and joystick ports to allow signals to be tested. There are a few options when it comes to procuring a harness and vendors can be found with a simple Google search. This manual will provide instructions on how to use the Dead Test and Diagnostic software and provide further troubleshooting information to delve deeper into problems you may experience.