Unrecoverable disk error on file "Normal"

[Ingeborg]

I am running OS10.3 on an iMac (2002). A few days ago, when loading Microsoft Word, I got the following error message:

"There is an unrecoverable disk error on file 'Normal'. The disk you are working on has a media problem that prevents Word from using it. Try formatting another disk, or save document to another disk."

I am no computer nerd and have no idea what this means. I tried to load Word from its original disk, but got the same message so I assume the problem is on my hard disk? Does this mean I have to reintall the OS?

Does anyone know how to correct this problem? I would be very grateful -- but PLEASE, do use simple language and not tech talk!

Thank you very much!

[Ray Libby]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=There+is+an+unrecoverable+disk+error+on+file+&btnG=Google+Search

or

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&q=There%20is%20an%20unrecoverable%20disk%20error%20on%20file%20&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wg

[islandmon]

Don't you just love the internet !

This error has been around in one form or another since day uno...

and used to be a signal to run FSCK -y via terminal.

Since the modern OS does file system self-checking at boot this legacy error message usually means simply a broken directory filepath link not 'an unrecoverable disk error'.