There are at least two kinds of errors you can check for, disk errors and
registry problems. To check for disk errors and have them corrected go
Start/Run/ input CHKDSK /F.
To check Windows protected files run SFC /SCANNOW.
You should run at least the disk check, but it probably isn't the source
of your problems. To repair Windows boot from the Windows disk, bypass the
first repair to go to setup, and then choose the repair install option.
Your best diagnostic aid is to recall what you did before the problems
started. If you installed a new driver, you can roll back those changes.
srdiamond