1. A processor-based system, comprising: a processor; system memory coupled for access by the processor; a non-volatile memory device coupled for access by the processor and containing boot code; and a failure detection circuit responsive during operation of the processor-based system following initial boot-up to generate a failure signal when a failure is detected; said processor operable to automatically respond to the generation of said failure signal by automatically resetting the processor-based system and executing a diagnostic routine stored within the processor-based system, the diagnostic routine capable of testing the processor-based system and logging faults found during the testing.