by David Hakala

File system errors can cause a variety of subtle symptoms, and not so subtle ones. Your system may “feel sluggish.” Your hard drive may seem to be thrashing a bit and the activity light stays on “too long.” Overt signs include files that take forever to load and the blunt message:

The file or directory filename is
corrupt and unreadable.
Please run the Chkdsk utility.

File system errors may be caused by power failures, viruses, an overworked crowded hard drive, and other things. The point is that allowing your system to continue running with file system errors is as dangerous as running a car without oil. Eventually, it will blow.
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