Laptop problem - "disk checking"?

My sister has just got an Acer laptop, and we already have problems.

It has been alright for the 2 wks since she got it, but now and during the last few days it always starts up with Disk Checking, regardless of how it was shut down. It obviously isn't diabolical yet... but it might be.

Does this appear to anybody as a dead hard drive? Should we be trying to do anything about it?

The laptop has XP installed on 2 partitions, and disk checking starts regardless of which you use, this is what makes me suspect a physical problem with the drive.

Any help appreciated!

Thanks,

ShMeE

Try doing a scan in windows - force it.

Let it run the scan through - if you cancel it automatically tries to do it the next time.