How the new Windows Vista’s CHKDSK utility works

Vista Users – Beware, Shutdown before You go out

Microsoft has done good job in bringing out many exciting new features in Windows Vista. Along with that, it has given a big blow to the defaulters. In earlier ms-dos based systems, there was no disk check for improper turning off the computer. Microsoft brought out a disk checkup, perhaps, from Windows 95 onwards, for abnormal system shut downs. The abnormal shutdowns are due to power failures. If you think that the disk check is for punishment given by the windows operating system, you are wrong. Then what is the need of scanning the disk every time, whenever the system does not shutdown properly?

Computer programs are executed in a hardware component called RAM (main memory). Basically these programs reside on the hard disk (Storage device) of our computer. The programs developed are brought out from the hard disk, loaded into memory and are executed. This process involves several files, not only the program’s files. If the computer goes off in the middle of this process, the files will get cross-linked, locked, etc. and are in the corrupted form. If the corrupted file gets involves in future, the program won’t run properly and terminates abnormally. Therefore, Microsoft introduced disk checkups to ensure that the intermediate files are in good condition.

History of Check disk Utility in Windows Operating Systems

If you look back at the history of Windows, it was from Windows 95, it was scandisk program that ran in case of improper shut downs. Windows 98 also followed the same path. But, from Windows ME till now it is the chkdsk (stands for Check Disk) became the standard program to check the disk in the event of power failures.

The MS-DOS variant of this program was used to get information about free space, bad sectors etc. The program was used by few people at that time. The program did not have user interface in the same way in which the scandisk had. Microsoft has developed check disk and included the features of scandisk and removed scandisk from operating system completely, when it introduced Windows XP.

How the new Windows Vista’s check disk works

Let us see now, how the new Windows Vista’s check disk works. This time, Microsoft has a bad news for you, regarding the test that is being performed. Unlike in the previous versions, where the test ended so, quickly, it takes more time this time to complete the disk checkup. The disk checkup in Windows Vista is divided into 5 stages. As the check disk progresses, information on each stage beginning completion etc. will be displayed, in the same way as in Windows XP.

Disk check in Windows Vista is time consuming

The interesting point to be noted in while performing a check is that, the disk check in Windows Vista is time consuming. In my system, it took nearly 30 minutes to complete the process of testing. It is as good as saying old wine in new bottle. The First of the five stage process tests files, such as large files, bad files and EA Records. The second stage checks for indexes, Index entries, and unindexed files. In the third stage, security descriptors will be checked for errors. In the fourth stage USN Journal, file data get tested. These four stages will end within few minutes. But the last stage could consume quite a long time. In this stage, the disk will be tested for free space verification.

5 staged check disk not upto the mark

The 5 staged check disk needs a good replacement in the coming future, whether it is in beta 1 or beta 2. Otherwise, people will throw their computers out in the days to come.

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