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FIX: The system cannot find file specified on Windows 10/11
29 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Computer errors can prevent you from running your favorite applications or from accessing yourfiles.
Speaking of errors, users reportedThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror onWindows10.
According to users, they are getting this error while trying to access certainfiles, so today we’re going to show you how to fix it.
How can I fix The system cannot find the file specified on Windows 10?
Solution 1 – Change your registry
According to users, you can fix this error simply by making few changes to your registry.
Modifying the registry comes with certain risks, therefore we strongly advise that you export your registry andcreate its backup, just in case. To modify the registry, do the following:
After your PC restarts,The system cannot find thefilespecifiederror should be resolved completely.
Once again, we have to mention that modifying the registry can lead to certain issues, so be extra cautious and be sure to create a backup.
If you can’t edit your Windows 10’s registry, read this handy guide and find the quickest solutions to the issue.
Solution 2 – Open the Libraries folder
According to users, you might be able to fix this problem simply by navigating to the Libraries folder.
This folder is hidden by default inWindows10, and in order to access it, you need to do the following:
Users reported that accessing the Libraries folder fixed the issue for them, so be sure to try this simple solution.
If you need more info on how to enable Libraries in Windows 10, check out this simple guide.
Solution 3 – Install the latest updates
According to users, this was an issue in the past, but you can easily fix it by installing the latest updates.
Windows updates often fix both hardware and software errors, therefore we strongly suggest that you install the latest updates.
Windows10 usually installs the updates automatically, but you can also check for updates manually by following these steps:
Windows10 will now check if updates are available. If so, it will download and install the updates automatically.
If you can’t open the Setting app, take a look atthis articleto solve the issue.
Having trouble updating your Windows? Check out this guide that will help you solve them in no time.
Solution 4 – Format your USB flash drive
Users reportedThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror while inserting theirUSB flash drive. This issue can also appear with any removablestorage, and in order to fix it, you need to format your drive.
To do that, follow these steps:
By disabling theQuick Formatoption all yourfileswill be completely removed and unrecoverable.
Some users are also suggesting to useImageUSBsoftware.
This software will format your drive and fill it with zeroes thus fixing this problem. Keep in mind that this process can take a while, so you’ll have to be patient.
If you encounter the Windows cannot format this drive error, follow the quick steps fromthis guideto solve the issue.
Solution 5 – Use chkdsk
If you’re gettingThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror, that might be because thefileis damaged or corrupted. To fix this problem, you need to runchkdskcommand and scan yourfiles.
This is relatively simple, and you can do it by following these steps:
chkdsk is giving you headaches? Check out this quick guide to fix any issues with it.
Solution 6 – Use WinRAR
According to users,The system cannot find thefilespecifiederror appears when trying to delete a specificfileor folder.
If that’s the case, you might be able to fix the problem by using WinRAR. To fix the problem, do the following:
Yourfilewill be moved to the archive and the original will be deleted from thehard drive. Now you can just delete the archive to completely remove thefile.
Solution 7 – Delete ProfileImagePath key
The system cannot find thefilespecifiederror can occur while using Windows Backup, and it will prevent you fromcreating your backup.
According to users, you might be able to fix this problem by deleting certain values from your registry.
Changing the registry can lead to stability issues, so before you make these changes, we strongly advise you to back up your registry andcreate a System Restore point.
To delete this key from the registry, do the following:
After deleting the problematic profile, closeRegistry Editorand check if the issue is resolved.
As we already mentioned, modifying the registry can lead to certain issues, therefore we strongly recommend that you create a backup before making any changes.
Can’t access the Registry Editor? Things aren’t as scary as they seem. Check out this guide and solve the issue quickly.
Solution 8 – Enable Automount
If this problem appears while usingWindowsBackup, you can fix it by usingdiskpartandautomountcommands.
Diskpart is a powerful tool for hard drive management, so be extra cautious while using it.
By using this tool you can cause damage to your system, so keep in mind that you’re using this tool at your own risk. To run diskpart onWindows10, follow these steps:
If the issue still persists, you need to do the following:
After your PC restarts, check if the issue is resolved. Once again, diskpart is powerful tool, and if you’re not careful you can deletefilesor make your system unbootable, so be extra cautious with it.
If you’re having trouble accessing Command Prompt as an admin, then you better take a closer look at this guide.
Solution 9 – Check if your system partition is active
The system cannot find thefilespecifiederror can occur while usingWindowsBackup. To fix the issue, you need to check if your system partition is set to active. To do that, follow these simple steps:
Disk Management won’t load on Windows 10? Count on us to solve the problem.
Solution 10 – Change shadowcopy storage area
IfThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror appears on your PC, you can fix it by changing the shadowcopystoragearea size.
This can be a risky procedure, so we advise you tocreate a backupjust in case.
To change shadowcopystoragearea, you need to do the following:
If the issue still persists, openCommand Promptagain and entervssadmin delete shadows /allcommand.
Solution 11 – Add a printer manually
Few users reported that this issue occurs while trying to add aprinter. If you have the same problem, you might want to try adding the printer manually.
This is a simple procedure, and you can do it by following these steps:
According to users, this error occurs while installing HP printers, but if you have this problem with any other printer, be sure to try this solution.
Solution 12 – Copy the files manually
Apparently this error can occur while trying to install certain devices, and users reportedThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederrorwhile installing an Epson scanner.
Few users were able to solve this issue simply by finding the missingfileinWindowsfolder and copying it to the appropriate location.
According to users, they fixed the problem with their device by finding theusbscan.sysfileinWindowsfolder and copying it toWindowsinfsetupapi.dev folder.
This solution only works for particular devices, and you’ll mostly need to transfer a differentfileon your PC.
We have to warn you that making changes inWindowsfolder can be dangerous, so be sure to create a backup if you plan to make changes toWindowsdirectory.
Can’t use copy paste in Windows 10? Follow this guide and fix the issue quickly.
Solution 13 – Uninstall all HP applications
According to users, this error appears while installing a printer driver on some HP laptops.
If you’re gettingThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror, you might be able to fix it by uninstalling all HP applications. To do that, follow these steps:
Need more info on how to uninstall programs and apps in Windows 10? Take a look at this guide.
Few users reported the same problem, and according to them, the error is caused by McAfee antivirus. To fix the issue, you need to disable McAfee by following these steps:
Solution 14 – Change the drive letter for System Reserved partition
The system cannot find thefilespecifiederror can appear while trying to useWindowsBackup. If that’s the case, you might be able to fix the problem by revealing System Reserved partition.
We have to mention that changing System Reserved partition settings can lead to certain issues, so keep in mind that this procedure isn’t risk-free. To make the necessary changes, follow these steps:
CloseDisk Managementand check if the issue is resolved. We have to mention that System Reserved partition will remain visible, so don’t make any changes to it.
This isn’t the best solution, but it’s a solid workaround that might work for some users.
Solution 15 – Delete the Config value from the registry
According to users,The system cannot find the file specifiederror can appear while trying to reinstall network driver. If that’s the case, you need to openRegistry Editorand delete a single value from it.
Before making any changes, we advise you to checkSolution 1to see how to back up your registry. To remove the problematic key, do the following:
If you need to undo any registry changes in Windows 10, check out this guide and learn how you can do it.
Solution 16 – Use download manager
Few users reported that this problem appears while trying to install downloaded applications.
If you’re gettingThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror while trying to install certain application, you might want to redownload the setupfile.
Users reported that using a download manager such asInternet Download Managerfixed the issue for them so we advise you to try that.
Sometimes your download can become damaged or corrupted, so be sure to try using a download manager.
Looking for the best download managers for Windows 10? Check out this list with our top picks.
Solution 17 – Check if necessary services are running
This error can appear with almost any software, and users reportedThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror while usingVMware.
To fix the problem, you need to start appropriate VMware services, and you can do that by following these steps:
Another way to start VMware services is to use Command Prompt. This method is faster, and you can perform it by following these steps:
If the issue still persists, you might have to completely reinstall VMware and check if that solves the problem.
Solution 18 – Check if your USB port is powered
Apparently this issue appears while usingWindowsBackup feature. To fixThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror, it’s advised to connect any external hard drives to powered USB ports.
Few users reported that you can fix the issue simply by connecting anexternal hard driveto a different port.
It seems thatWindowsBackup feature requires externalstorageto be connected to a powered USB port.
After connecting the device to a different USB port, check if the issue is resolved.
USB not working in Windows 10? Don’t let that ruin your day. Fix it quickly with the help of this guide.
Solution 19 – Remove Windows.old folder
According to users,The system cannot find thefilespecifiederror can appear due to Windows.old folder.
Windows.old folder appears if you upgrade yourWindowsor if you perform aclean installofWindows10.
This folder holds your previousWindowsinstallation, and it allows you to restore it.
Windows.old folder can cause this error to appear while usingWindowsBackup feature, and to fix the problem, you need to remove Windows.old folder.
This is relatively simple, and you can do it by following these steps:
After removing Windows.old folder from your PC, check if the problem is resolved.
If you need more info on how to delete the Windows.old folder onWindows10, check out thisdedicated guide.
Problems deleting all your junk files? Follow this guide to solve Disk Cleanup issues and save your drive.
Solution 20 – Restart Windows Backup service
If you’re gettingThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror messagewhile trying to runWindowsBackup, we recommend that you restartWindowsBackup service. To do that, follow these steps:
Some users are also recommending to removeSamsung Magiciansoftware from your PC. +If you have this software installed, remove it and check if that solves the issue.
How can I fix The system cannot find the file specified error?
Solution 1 – Move the problematic file
According to some users, you might be able to fix this problem simply by moving the problematicfileto a different folder.
Users reported that moving the problematicfileto the root folder, such asC:for example, fixed the issue for them. This is a simple workaround, but it might fix the issue for you, so feel free to try it out.
Can’t move a certain file in Windows 10? Follow this guide and solve the problem easily.
Solution 2 – Remove problematic software
Some users reported thatThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror appears every time they start their PC. This can be quite annoying, and according to users, you can fix this problem simply by removing the problematic applications.
It seems that this problem is caused by Apple software, Real Player and Spybot Search & Destroy. If you have any of these programs installed, we advise you to remove them in order to fix this problem. To do that, you need to follow these steps:
After uninstalling the problematic applications, you can runCCleanerand use it to remove any remainingfilesrelated to these apps. Lastly, restart your PC and check if theerror messageappears again.
If you want to get rid of any software leftovers from your Windows 10 PC, this guide will certainly help you do that.
Solution 3 – Use bcdedit command properly
Several users reportedThe system cannot find the file specifiederror messagewhile trying to run bcdedit command in Command Prompt. This usually occurs if you’re not starting this command properly. To fix the issue, you need to do the following:
Solution 4 – Show file extensions
Sometimes you might getThe system cannot find the file specifiederror messagein Command Prompt if you don’t know thefile’s exact extension.
By default,Windows10 hides file extensions from the user, and this can sometimes lead to certain problems. For example, let’s assume that you have a file calledfile.txt.
This might look like a normal text file, but let’s see what happens if we enable file extensions forfiles. To do that, simply click theViewtab and checkFile name extensions.
Now let’s see how ourfile.txtlooks like. After revealing the file extensions, the full name of thefileisfile.txt.txt.
If you try to accessfile.txt.txtinstead offile.txtin Command Prompt, you’ll see that it works without any issues. There’s also another way to check the file extension of yourfilesin Command Prompt.
Simply navigate to the desired folder in Command Prompt and enterdircommand.
List of all directories andfilesin that folder will now appear. As you can see, you can now easily find the full name and extension of anyfilein that directory.
This isn’t an error, and it’s more of a beginner’s mistake. In the future, before trying to access a certainfile, be sure to check for its full name by using thedircommand or by revealing file extensions.
Need more info on how to show file extensions in Windows 10? Take a look at this useful guide.
How can I fix The system cannot find the file specified error in uTorrent?
Solution 1 – Delete the problematic torrent
If you’re gettingThe system cannot find the file specifiederror while using uTorrent, you might be able to temporary fix it by using this solution. To fix the problem, follow these simple steps:
Keep in mind that this is just a temporary workaround, so it’s quite possible that the sameerror messagewill appear again.
We also have to warn you that this method will completely delete the torrent and all associatedfilesfrom your PC.
If you’re getting the System cannot find path uTorrenterrorin Windows 10, followthis articleto solve the problem.
Solution 2 – Check the torrent’s download folder
SometimesThe system cannot find the file specifiederror occurs if your download folder path isn’t correct. To fix this issue, be sure to manually select the download folder for each torrent.
To do that, follow these steps:
Alternatively, you can set a default download folder for all torrents by doing the following:
After doing that, theerror messageshould be completely resolved.
Solution 3 – Perform a Disk Cleanup
According to users, you can fixThe system cannot find thefilespecifiedin uTorrent simply by performing a Disk Cleanup.
Sometimes temporaryfilesor old Windows installations can interfere with uTorrent and cause this error to appear.
Several users reported that Disk Cleanup fixed their problem, so we suggest that you try it out.
Regarding Disk Cleanup, we already explained how to perform it in one of our previous solutions, so be sure to check it out.
While performing Disk Cleanup be sure to select all available options in order toremove all unnecessary and oldfiles.
Can’t get rid of the temporary files? After following these easy steps, you’ll delete them like a pro.
Solution 4 – Delete uTorrent installation manually
SometimesThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror can appear if your uTorrent installation is corrupted.
According to users, uTorrent isn’t available on the list of installed applications, and it starts on its own.
If you have the same problem, and you can’t remove uTorrent, you need to follow these steps:
Can’t open Task Manager? Don’t worry, we’ve got the right solution for you.
How can I fix The system cannot find the file specified?
Solution 1 – Use Chromebook Recovery utility
According to users, this error can appear while trying to format specific USB flash drives.
It seems thatThe system cannot find thefilespecifiedaffects USB flash drives that are used as Chromebook recovery image holders.
In order to fix the problem, users are suggesting to use Chromebook Recovery utility to erase the USB drive.
After doing that, the flash drive will start working inWindows10, and the error will be resolved. To fix the problem, follow these steps:
After doing that, you’ll be able to format the flash drive once again from your operating system. Keep in mind that this solution only works with USB drives that are used as recovery media for Chromebook.
Solution 2 – Use clean command in diskpart tool
If you’re havingThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror while using your USB flash drive, you might need to use diskpart to fix it.
This process will remove allfilesfrom your flash drive, so create a backup if you need to.
To clean the USB flash drive, do the following:
Now your USB flash drive is clean from anyfiles, and in order to use it, you need to format it. To do that, follow these steps:
As you can see, this process is relatively simple, but you need to be extra cautious while usingdiskparttool.
Solution 3 – Make changes to your registry
The system cannot find thefilespecifiederror appears for some users while inserting a USB flash drive to their PC. To fix this problem, you need to make some changes to your registry.
Before making any changes, we advise you to create a backup of the registry, just in case.
In some rare cases %SystemRoot% variable might not work properly, and that will cause this error to appear.
After making the necessary changes and replacing the value with the absolute path, the issue should be resolved.
Solution 4 – Format the drive on Mac or Linux
If you can’t access your flash drive onWindowsdue toThe system cannot find the file specifiederror, you might need to format it onMacorLinuxfirst.
According to users, they solved the issue simply by connecting their flash drive to any Mac or Linux computer and formatting the drive using FAT32 file system.
After formatting the drive, connect it to yourWindows10 PC and follow theSolution 2to clean the drive usingdiskparttool.
Solution 5 – Disable automount
In one of our previous solutions, we mentioned how enabling the automount feature can fixThe system cannot find thefilespecifiedwhen inserting a USB flash drive.
However, it seems that in some cases you can fix this error by disabling automount in diskpart. To do that, you need to follow these steps:
After disabling automount, you should be able to format your removablestoragewithout any errors. After you’re done, you might want to enable the automount feature.
To see how to do that, check out one of our previous solutions.
Solution 6 – Delete and format all partitions
This solution will delete allfilesfrom your hard drive, so if you’re going to use it, be sure toback up all your importantfiles.
Since this solution will delete allfiles, we suggest that you use it only with a new PC that doesn’t have any importantfilesstored on it.
Users reported that after reinstalling their operating system they are unable to initialize their additional hard drive.
According to them, they are unable to initialize it due toThe system cannot find thefilespecifiederror message.
If you have this or any other similar issue, you can fix it by using Partition Wizard software.
Simply create a bootable flash drive with this tool and start your PC from it. After the tool starts, you need to delete all your partitions on the drive that you can’t initialize and format them again.
After that, initialize partitions as GPT.
If you want to convert MBR to GPT disk without data loss, check out thisawesome guide.
Want to create a Windows 10 bootable UEFI USB drive? Follow the steps from this article and do it in no time.
Once again, this solution will delete allfilesfrom the problematic drive, so be sure to use this solution as a last resort or only with a new PC or an empty hard drive.
The system cannot find thefilespecifiederror can affect your PC in many different ways. This can be an annoying error, but we hope that you solved it by using one of our solutions.
If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below and we’ll surely check them out.
More about the topics:System Errors,System Files
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
