How to Fix the System Cannot Find the File Specified in Windows 10

User Author

Achilles.H

May 6, 2023

How to Fix the System Cannot Find the File Specified in Windows 10

When we create a system image backup or open a file, we may encounter the problem that the system cannot find the file specified, but do not worry too much, this is a relatively common problem, next we will explain the main causes of this problem and the corresponding solutions.

Part 1: Causes of the Problem that the System Cannot Find the File Specified

There are many reasons why the system cannot find the file specified, and we have identified several of the more common ones and listed them below:

  • 1. Missing or corrupted system files.
  • Some common causes of system file loss or corruption include Malware or virus infection; hard drive or memory failure; software conflicts or errors; improper shutdown or system crashes. To resolve this issue, you may need to run a system repair tool to fix the lost or corrupted files.

  • 2. Connection problems caused by poor contact.
  • Some common causes of poor contact include loose or disconnected wires; corroded or worn connectors or ports; incorrectly positioned components or devices. To fix this problem, you may need to check the physical connections and components involved in the connection.

  • 3. Registry exception.
  • Registry exceptions can cause a variety of problems with your computer, including slow performance, application crashes, and system errors. To fix this problem, you may need to clean and repair the Windows registry.

  • 4. Missing files in the driver.
  • Missing files in the driver can happen for several reasons, such as incomplete or corrupted driver installation; corrupted system files; malware or virus infection; hardware or driver problems. To solve this problem, you may need to reinstall the drivers or update your system files.

  • 5. Wrong file permission settings.
  • Wrong file permission settings can cause a variety of problems with your computer, including the inability to access or modify files, application errors, and system crashes. If the settings are not correct, you may not have permission to access or modify files. To resolve this issue, you may need to adjust the file permission settings.

    Although we don't know what the specific cause of your problem is, you can find out a more suitable solution for yourself based on your actual situation in the 10 solutions we provide below, I hope it helps you!

Part 2: How to Fix the System Cannot Find the File Specified in Windows 10

After knowing the main reasons why, the system cannot find the file specified, how can we easily and quickly solve such problems? Don't worry, we have provided you with 5 good simple, and effective methods in the following, choose the one that suits you to fix it!

Way 1: Modify Registry

The registry is an important database in Microsoft Windows, used to store system and application settings information, so we can modify the registry to fix the system cannot find the file specified.

Step 1: Press the key combination "Win+R" to open "Run". Then Type "regedit" and press "OK".

win r

Step 2: Find the location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion. And check if there is "RunOnce" under it. If not, please right-click "CurrentVersion" and select "New" > "Item". Then enter "RunOnce" as the name of the new item.

run once

Step 3: Check for "RunOnce", if not repeat the above steps.

Step 4: Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to see if the problem is solved.


Way 2: Install Windows Update

If you have not updated Windows for a long time, the error "The system cannot find the file specified" indicates that it is time to install updates. To do this, you must:

Step 1: Press the “Win+I” and then select Update and Security.

windows setting

Step 2: Click Check for updates and wait. If the list of available updates is displayed, install all updates.

update

Step 3: Repeat the same procedure several times to make sure that all required updates are installed.

Step 4: Do not forget to restart the system to complete the installation of the updates.


Way 3: Update a driver

If the error "The system cannot find the file specified " occurs in connection with a driver, you can try to update the driver as follows:

Step 1: Type “Device Manager” into the Windows search line and open it.

device manager

Step 2: Find the device you want to update the driver for and right-click on it. Select "Update driver" from the menu. The missing drivers can be updated in the Device Manager.

update driver

Step 3: Now close the Device Manager and restart your computer. Windows will then reinstall the driver.


Way 4: Check the System Log File

Step 1: Navigate to the C:/ Windows / INF directory and choose the setupapi.dev file.

inf setup

Step 2: Press Ctrl + F and type "File you want to recover" in Search. Press Enter to run the search. You should get the missing file.

find next

Step 3: Copy and paste it into the Windows / INF folder.

The missing files should isolate the faulty system drivers. Reinstall and reboot the system.

Way 5: Recovery System File Data

The problem of the system not finding the specified file may also be caused by missing or corrupted system files, for which you can use repair tools to fix the integrity of system files. iSunshare BitGenius can help you solve this problem.

iSunshare BitGenius is a powerful data recovery software that can recover lost data in Windows OS. It can recover different kinds of deleted or lost files including videos, photos, audio, documents, emails, etc.

Download: iSunshare BitGenius

Step 1: On the main screen, you can see three sections: Hard Disk Drives, Specify a location, and Customize a location. You can choose a location where you want to recover file data.

three location

Step 2: Click Start and the scanning process will begin.

click start

Step 3: After the Scanning is finished, you can see a folder list on the left.

folder list

Step 4: Click the lost-dir folder on the left, then you can find and select the folders or files you want to recover on the right.

lost dir

Step 5: You can also use the Filter on the top.

click filter

Choose the Filter Settings, Files Size, and Time Settings then click Apply.

filter setting

Step 6: The filtered result will be displayed on the right. You can click the files you want. Then click Recover.

click recover

Step 7: Data recovery is completed. You can click Yes to open the recovery folder for viewing.

recover completed

Conclusion

Since the reasons for the error "The system cannot find the file specified" may vary, you should try step by one to find a solution and see which one is appropriate or works best. Be careful here, all saved data and installed programs may be lost when repairing data. Therefore, be sure to create a backup beforehand.