I've got a similar problem [which is pertaining to MS pre-sp2 Hotfix updates] , fresh install of WinXP on an NTFS partition. There's 9 different folders on the C: drive, which have random jibberrish for names [example: "fjstklvshnz"] . Trying to delete them in Windows gives error "Access denied". Booted machine in Knoppix, and these folders each have sub-folders named "sp2/update/update.exe"; each "update.exe" file is 267kb in size. Knoppix cannot delete these files or folders. Also, the Windows program ZTREE cannot log the contents, with pop-up notice "access denied". Windows Explorer reports their size, as being zero bytes. Chkdsk reports: no errors.