@chorleydave
Chkdsk is a utility which checks the computers hard disk drives status for any cross-linked or any additional errors with the hard disk drive.
MS-DOS versions 2.x - 4.x used chkdsk.com
MS-DOS versions 5.x and beyond used chkdsk.exe.
Today it is recommended that you run Scandisk as it is a much more reliable and safe utility then chkdsk.
This program only runs in DOS
Microsoft ScanDisk is a program which is a disk analysis and repair tool used to check a drive for errors and correct any problems that it finds (new with DOS Version 6.2).
The ScanDisk program checks and fixes the problems in the following areas:
File allocation table (FAT)
File system structure (lost clusters, crosslinked files)
Directory tree structure
Physical surface of the drive (bad clusters)
DoubleSpace volume header (MDBPB)
DoubleSpace volume file structure (MDFAT)
DoubleSpace compression structure
DoubleSpace volume signatures
MS-DOS boot sector
ScanDisk can be used to check for errors on the following types of drives:
Hard drives
DoubleSpace drives
Floppy disk drives
RAM drives
Memory cards
The ScanDisk program cannot be used with CD-ROM drives, network drives, drives created by using the ASSIGN, SUBST, or JOIN commands, and drives created by using INTERLINK.
You cannot run ScanDisk when other programs are running. Also, you cannot use ScanDisk to repair disk errors if you start it from another program, or when Microsoft Windows or MS-DOS Task Swapper are running. However, you can check your disk without fixing errors by using ScanDisk with the /CHECKONLY option.
Brian