Disk checking a big external USB hard drive

i'm using windows xp home.

ihave a WD 1 terrabyte external usb hard drive.

i 'think' it needs checking.

i do the usual tools check now thingy and tick both boxes and agree to having it done on the next reboot.
i reboot and it does bot get checked.
is there a command to make it be checked then and there?
if so what do i type in the box?

windows calls it F:

best
pete

Look closely at all the utilities on the Western Digital website... They can be helpful in testing and diagnoses.

Is the WD 1 TB a Green, Blue, or Black... The Green is known as having reliability problems and the Blue is not far behind.

thank you it's black. it gave me a fright the other day because it suddenly said it needed formatting, but i used the old standyby of switching off the main pc and unplugging the WD and when i restarted and reconnected it to the hub it was and is right as rain. i just 'thought' in my my ignorant way that a disk check might be in order.
i'll now try to find the western digital site, but i'm such a dope i probably won't understand a word. tpo me computers are magic. i don't understand them at_all

it's a western digital elements.

i can't see any utilities on the web site

Are you just looking at running a standard Windows disk checker across it?

yes i am unless you recommend something else.

when i tried nothing happened when i rebooted the pc but maybe it means restarting the WD?
like i say, i'm a dolt about these things

Where did you go to start the disk checker, did you go into my computer, right click your WD drive and select properties? Or did you go to it via control panel?

Unless you're willing to pay money for something that only does a teeny tiny bit more then no, the Windows Disk Checker would be my personal choice =]

no i'm skint (broke). given it doesn't do anything when i reboot the pc , is there a disk check command i can run to do it there and then?
what would i type, or copy and paste into run?
the drive is F:

Mailpup has just posted a link to a Western Digital Disk Checking utility that I had forgotten about. Follow the instructions on the web page after following the link and you should be running a disk check in no time =]

i went the same way i would if i checked C: i don't know about the control panel method.
see? thick as pigsh1t me

i don't know how to find what mail pup wrote, it didn't get sent to me

i can't see a blue highlighted link on, or near what you kindly wrote, maybe it's my brain damage
it's not the thing that says system specs is it? i 'hate' have this brain malfunction. i'm assuming it's there but i just cannot see it

gosh that is so kind and patient of you, i'm sorry to be such a dolt.
only trouble is a chap at WD thinks is probably US and says back it all up to cd's, probably very wise idea.
do any of these onnline backup services actually work?

i downloaded the checking file but can't unzip it.

it seems to want to open it with win rar which i can't afford
i have 7 zip but get told it's not a proper win32application.

my c: drive is 80 gig but full.

it says 'invalid menu handle'