where do cross-linked files come from?

I know what they are, and how to get rid of them. But, when you see cross-linked files on your drive, what does it usually indicate? IE- what are the most common causes? Might it indicate that your HD is starting to fail? Or is it more likely something else?

those files usually appear as a result of some cold shutdowns

Hi, Crosslinked files use the same cluster and can come from as already said a bad shutdown. Can also be generated from an application that quits for some reason. :)

probably the best thing is not shut down the computer incorrectly. Or good ol scandisk will fix em up good.