Scandisk: This is a maintenance procedure built into the Windows operating system that checks the hard drive to determine if there is physical damage or damage to the file system. If the computer reports that it has corrupted, damaged, or missing files and the programs no longer operate properly, then this is the first step to try and fix the problem. Also, if the computer seems to be running slower than usual, sometimes this procedure will provide a fix. It is a good idea to perform this operation often.