The chkdsk, or "Check Disk" utility, is a windows program that examines disk drives for corrupted or damaged areas.
Usually, the program is used through the DOS command line interface, but there is a version provided by Microsoft that uses the graphical interface instead. To use this program, follow the directions below:
- Open My Computer (it will be simply, "Computer" on Vista.)
- Right-click the drive letter that will be examined. Left-click Properties out of the menu that appears.
- When the Properties window appears, click the Tools tab, then choose "Check Now"
- The menu that appears is the Check Disk menu. Choose the first option to fix any problems found during the scan. Choose both buttons to do a complete test on the disk.
NOTE: With both options checked, the process can take several hours to complete.