Windows XP preload hard disk consistency utility

If your disk appears to have integrity issues (i.e. the OS has difficulty reading files), XP will automatically forgo booting into the explorer desktop and test the disk for errors. This utility is called chkdsk. You have the opportunity to stop this process, but it is not recommended - if you hard disk is starting to fail, you will want to know ASAP so you can transfer your files to a new drive.

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If the disk check freezes, you are out of luck. The hard drive officially has unrepairable errors. You will need to purchase another one or send it to the manufacturer for repairs. Before you do anything though, find someone who is experienced enough with computers to recover your data.

If you are tech savvy, you might consider purchasing a cheap hard drive enclosure with a USB connection. I've seen them for sale on the net for less than $4. Simply remove the afflicted hard drive from the computer and put it in the enclosure, then hook it up to another computer. You to read the disk and (hopefully) recover your files. A file recovery tool (like the free Recuva) may be helpful.

Signs of hard disk errors:

• strange noises coming from the hard disk
• notifications about file corruption problems during normal operations
• issues with start up, including error messages, screen freezing, or very long startup times
• program or operating system freezes during normal operations

I have found these links to be valuable:
How to Use Chkdsk in Windows XP
Consistency Check Stops Running
Recuva - Undelete, Unerase, File and Disk Recovery
How to Fix Bad Sectors on Your Hard Disk

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