errors on module initiation (blank location/directory/filename, opendir error, etc) in private upload settings

I just uploaded and enabled the private upload module beta6 on a shared linux hosting package (1and1) with drupal 5.6. When I went to the module list to check the settings I first notice in green something very odd, it seems names of directories and files are missing:

* Added .htaccess file at
* Added test file: .

Also, next is a red warning (similar to http://drupal.org/node/200537):

warning: opendir(files_tf/private) [function.opendir]: failed to open dir: No such file or directory in
/homepages/blah/blah/blah/sites/my.site.com/modules/private_upload/private_upload.module on line 442

... then some more red errors later about writable ....

    * Public File Folder: 'files_tf'
    * Private File Folder: 'files_tf/private'
    *
      Please make sure directory files_tf/private exists and is writable.
    *
    *
      Private Upload will not work with file upload method set to private. Please enable Public File Transfer.
    *
      There are no old-style private files hanging around. Great.
    *
      'files_tf/private' is not a valid directory ().
    * There are 4 public files attached to private nodes. Click here to make them all private.
    * Uploaded files in db: '4' files attached to '2' nodes.

Which I figure I can sort out later... but I thought the "blank" directory and file names at the beginning were very odd.