CHKDSK
------

Format:        CHKDSK [d:] [/F]

Purpose:       To  check  the  integrity of the data  on  the 
          disk.

Use:           The  integrity of the data structures  on  the 
          default  or  specified drive is  checked,  and  any 
          errors reported.

               CHKDSK  has the ability to try and correct any 
          errors  it  finds,  and it will do this if  the  /F 
          option is given.  If not given, then CHKDSK will go 
          through the same process as it would otherwise, but 
          will  not actually write the corrections  to  disk. 
          This  allows  CHKDSK  to be run first to  see  what 
          corrective action it might take if used with /F.

          Most  errors  (eg. "cross linked  files")  indicate 
          that something has gone wrong at some point in  the 
          past,  and  the disk has been partially  corrupted. 
          Any filenames that CHKDSK prints should  generally 
          be regarded as suspect and may be corrupted.

          One error that a disk may have is  "lost clusters". 
          This  occurs  when space has been allocated  for  a 
          file  and  probably  data has been written  to  the 
          file,  but the file was not subsequently closed for 
          some  reason.  A  common reason for this  is  if  a 
          program  has been interrupted by pressing ctrl-C or 
          ctrl-ESC,  but  it may also occur if a program  has 
          "crashed".  "Lost  clusters"  means that  the  disk 
          space  does  not belong to a file but also  is  not 
          free for use by other files.

               If CHKDSK finds "lost clusters", then it gives 
          the option of either just recovering the disk space 
          for use by other files,  or of converting the  lost 
          clusters  into  files (with filenames of  the  form 
          FILE0001.CHK,  FILE0002.CHK  etc.).  The files will 
          only actually be created of course if the /F option 
          was given.

               After checking the disk, CHKDSK will report on 
          various  parameters such as the number of files  on 
          the disk and the amount of disk space free.

               Note  that this is a  transient  command,  and 
          must be loaded from disk.

Examples:

     CHKDSK

               No drive was given, so the disk in the current 
          drive  is checked.  Corrections made to any  errors 
          found will not be written to disk.


     CHKDSK B:/F
     20 lost clusters found in 2 chains.
     Convert lost clusters to files (Y/N)? 

               The disk in drive B: is checked. Lost clusters 
          from  2 files were found,  and the option given  of 
          converting  these  to files on the  disk,  possible 
          allowing data to be recovered.
