1. In a computing system that includes one or more processors, and a system memory, wherein the computing system is capable of using the one or more processors to instantiate in the system memory an instance of an application program and a system consistency management module, a method for the system consistency management module to selectively performing consistency checking, the method comprising the following an act of identifying a plurality of data fields of state information corresponding to the instance that are to be subject to consistency checking, the plurality of data fields representing less than all of the state information corresponding to the instance; an act of identifying an event that will prompt the consistency checking; an act of determining that the event has occurred; and in response to determining that the event has occurred, an act of performing the consistency checking on the plurality of data fields.