As a mechanical device, your hard drive develops imperfections over time. Problems that can develop include bad sectors, directory errors, cross-linked files and lost clusters.
Microsoft has provided a utility called CHKDSK (short for “check disk”) that can detect and repair the errors listed above. Below, I have provided links to CHKDSK instructions for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Windows XP: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
Windows Vista: http://www.winvistatips.com/vista-chkdsk-t126028.html
Windows 7: http://www.w7forums.com/use-chkdsk-check-disk-t448.html
A couple of caveats:
- It may take a while for CHKDSK to run … just be patient.
- You will not notice that your PC is working any faster after the utility is run. However, your drive will be in better shape because current or developing errors will have been repaired.
