error message = - 1401

Hi Joan, and a warm welcome to the forums! 🙂

errFSBadFSRef = -1401, /* FSRef parameter is bad

Likely error -1401 means a nonexistent file in this case.

Could be many things, we should start with this...

"Try Disk Utility

1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214

Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.

(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)

If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.

MAU 1.1.2 Update Log is the Microsoft Autoupdate Log. For me it is at the root (very top) level next to System, Users, etc. If this file is corrupt you should probably delete the whole thing, or at least move it elsewhere. It is also possible it is corrupt because it is residing on a bad sector and you can only stop SK from getting that error by getting rid of it completely (I had that happen recently).

I don't know what the file does or if getting rid of it does any harm. Since it is causing problems it may be bad anyway. I see mine hasn't changed since 2008 (but I have used MAU recently) so it may not be doing much.

I'd get EasyFind...

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/11076

Use it to search your whole drive for case insensitive & show invisibles...

MAU 1.1.2 Update Log

You can trash it from there.

I don't know what you mean by "at the root (very top) level" -- top level of what?

Click your hard drive icon once in the upper left corner of a Finder window.

Since I have deleted all the contents of the file "MAU 1.1.2 Update Log", it's probably not doing anything -- think so?

You changed the size of the file by deleting its contents but the file is still there, even if all it is is a name and empty space.

Sorry Joan, here's a direct download link to EasyFind 4.0 which runs in 10.3.9 & up...

http://www.devon-technologies.com/files/legacy/macosx1039/EasyFind.dmg.zip

From this page,

http://www.devon-technologies.com/support/faqs.php?p=default&cat=19

Freeware applications:

* EasyFind 4.0
* PhotoStickies 5.6
* ThumbsUp 4.3
* XMenu 1.8