[geeks4407]

A ballon keeps appearing and disappearing saying "Windows - Corrupt File, The file or directory \$Secure is corrupt. Please run the Chkdsk utility.

I run the chkdsk utility but the balloon/warning keeps returning.

What is the $Secure file? Is it a legitmate XP Pro file or malware or what?

I have run a search for $Secure on the MS knowledge support base but am not able to find anything.

How do I fix this?

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Hi geeks4407! Welcome to G2G!

Do you have your XP CD handy?

If so, place it in your CD ROM drive and follow the instructions below:

• Go to START-->RUN and type sfc /scannow (note the space between sfc and /scannow)
• Once the blue bar goes away, reboot your computer.

SFC - System File Checker, retrieves the correct version of the file from %Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache or the Windows installation source files, and then replaces the incorrect file.

Fenor

[Fenor]

Hi geeks4407! Welcome to G2G!

Do you have your XP CD handy?

If so, place it in your CD ROM drive and follow the instructions below:

• Go to START-->RUN and type sfc /scannow (note the space between sfc and /scannow)
• Once the blue bar goes away, reboot your computer.

SFC - System File Checker, retrieves the correct version of the file from %Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache or the Windows installation source files, and then replaces the incorrect file.

Fenor

[geeks4407]

Fenor,

I did as you suggested...twice...it didn't work.

I don't know if this has anything to do with it, when the SFC was running, it kept stopping. I found I had to click "retry" to get it going again. At first I wondered if I had the right disk in the CD ROM but it was the right disk...it is a genuine xp disk I got when I bought my computer. I don't know why it kept stopping and I had to keep clicking "retry" throughout the process.

In any case, got any more suggestions?

Howard

[Fenor]

From what I have read, the only options that have worked for people with this problem is reinstalling windows completely. But lets not be too hasty. First thing you should do before doing anything is backing up anything that is important on your computer to cd, floppy or flash/thumb drive. It's unlikely that anything will happen to the files on the computer, but better safe then sorry. Next thing I want you to do is a REPAIR INSTALLATION of windows. You will find a link in my signature showing you step-by-step how to do it. You won't lose any of your files/settings while doing this, and all your installed programs will work after doing this. You will need to redo all Windows Updates after doing the repair installation. Please note that some OEM Windows XP cds do not support the repair function, so if that is the case let me know.

Fenor

Edited by Fenor, 14 May 2006 - 08:53 PM.

[geeks4407]

Fenor,

I am trying to repair xp.

After pressing F8 I don't get a repair xp screen. Instead what I get is "The following list shows the existing unpartitioned space on this computer. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select an item on the list.

* To set up Windows xp on the selected item, press ENTER.
* To create a partition in the unpartitioned space, press C
* To delete the selected partition, press D.

My C drive is shown as C: Partition1 [unknown] 58643 MB (58643 MB free)

The above is NOT the screen you portray in your instructions...why not? I did as you said twice and both times the above came up....please advise.

Howard

[Fenor]

Do you have another computer with Windows XP on it at your house? If you do, what I want you to do is take the hard drive out of your computer and hook it up on the other computer. The easiest way to do this is to remove the IDE ribbon cable from the CD-ROM (or CD-ROM's if you have two of them connected to the ribbon) and connect it to the hard drive from the problem computer, remember to connect a power cable to it as well. Then boot up the computer. During boot up, a window should pop up saying that the drive needs to be checked for consistency and it will run a scan of it. Hopefully it will do this and fix any errors it finds. Once it's done with the scan and you are at the desktop, I want you to backup any important files that you would like to keep. MP3's, pictures, documents, etc.... Once you are done backing things up, shut down the computer, remove the hard drive and put it back into it's original computer. Boot up the computer and see if the same error bubble continues to appear. If it does, then try to do a repair installation again.

Fenor

[geeks4407]

Fenor,

I do have another desktop but it has XP Home and not Pro...so I assume that won't work. Or, is my assumption wrong?

The only other computer that I have that has XP Pro on it is an IBM notebook...no help.

Let me ask you another question...my current HD (with all the problems) is running out of space. I did buy a new disk to replace it which I had planned to do next week. But, in light of my current situation, perhaps I should do that now. Is there a way to install XP pro on the new HD and then transfer everything else from my problem drive onto the new one?

Howard

[Fenor]

It will work the same using the Home machine.

Fenor