[RESOLVED] Stop Windows XP checking hard drive(s) on start up

Here is my problem:

Two days ago, due to a sudden power outage while my PC (running Windows XP3) is on, my 2 hard disks on the PC, namely C: and D: are showing 'problems'.

D: has nothing much of major importance but old documents and files of no immediate use or urgency. (That is to say, not life-threatening... yet).

C: has Windows, and all my current work (files, etc). I cannot afford to lose them. However, I managed to have a back-up of it just before the power outage.

Now, whenever my computer starts up, it is doing the 'disk-checking'. Takes a lot of time. So I have decided to stop the disk checking by 'press any key within 9 sec' as instructed at Windows start-up. It works, but I am not sure what other collateral damages may have by my doing that.

Also, I have looked at the registry, namely:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree, and
\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager
in the BootExecute entry, it shows
autocheck autochk *

Drive D is found to have a Master File corruption (which is not my focal point in this thread).

Drive C is still working (I am using the PC to write this in this Thread).

How do I stop Windows from doing the disk-checking at start-up altogether, knowing that the problems are there

I am a NEWBIE... so help me by giving me intructions in detail, step by step.

Thanks a lot.

Did you ever let the chkdsk run to completion?

OneBigNewbie--If Steve R Jones' suggestion does not help, here is another idea
http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-72388.php
And have you looked into System Configuration Utility (msconfig) to see if chkdsk is in there and checked to run at boot?

At the Command Prompt, type "chkntfs /D" without the quotes. That often fixes the problem.

Sparks'

At the Command Prompt, type "chkntfs /D" without the quotes. That often fixes the problem.
works.

Thanks to all you good people.

You're very welcome :)