The chkdsk utility is a vital tool for Microsoft Windows that can be used to maintain a healthy hard disk drive, and also to act as a key part of the troubleshooting process if an error appears.

If you're using Windows XP, the chkdsk utility can be used to carry out error checking on any hard drives that you may have configured with your system. Whether you realize it or now, Windows XP makes use of chkdsk every time an error occurs that forces the computer to close down. Upon the reboot, Windows runs chkdsk in an attempt to determine whether the drive volume is damaged. It is also used to test for motherboard defects or to clarify in the event that a computer has shut down due to a power cut rather than an internal problem.

Either way, whether it's running behind the scenes or not, you should get in to a good habit of running the chkdsk tool regularly and searching out errors before they become a hindrance that affects the functionality of the system itself.

You can tell for yourself whether the chkdsk command has been called, as well as whether it has already marked the drive as damaged. Simply go to Start and then open up your command prompt. Enter the following:

fsutil dirty query c:

This should return the following message:

Volume - c: is NOT Dirty

Of course, the drive name will depend on what letter you've assigned to it. If the volume is not dirty, you can consider yourself in luck. The chkdsk has not found any problems with the last time it checked the computer, but that's not to say that you should neglect it. Experts suggest that you should maintain a good habit of running chkdsk at least once a month to ensure that you're getting the most out of your hard disk drive. Here's how you can run chkdsk manually.

Go to Start and select Run.

Type cmd and click OK.

Write: chkdsk c: /f /r (Remember to replace the driver letter with whichever you have assigned to the hard disk drive in question, though in most cases, it will be C)

The process above does two things. Firstly the /f command ensures that during the checking process, chkdsk automatically fixes the errors that it finds - where possible. Secondly, we have the /r command which is designed to look for bad sectors and amend them appropriately. It will also locate and recover readable information that may have been comprimised over time.

Once you've applied your settings in the command prompt, you will probably need to restart to see any change. This is because Windows makes it necessary that you reboot so it can lock down the hard disk drive and apply its changes. Once the reboot is complete, you should notice the changes coming in to effect.

Don't expect that to be staright away though! When Windows reloads, you will notice that it also hangs on the blue intro screen while the shkdsk changes are documented on the screen. Hold on tight because this can take up to 45 minutes.

Chkdsk can also be accessed from a graphical interface. To do this, go to My Computer, right click on the hard drive you wish to check.

Now go to the Tools tab and select Check Now. You will want to check both the boxes and select it to Start Now.