How to Fix ‘The System Cannot Find the File Specified’ issue

Learn how to Fix ‘The System Cannot Find the File Specified’ issue in this guide. “The system cannot find the file specified” is an error that occurs quite frequently for users of Windows, particularly individuals who are using Windows 11/10. The error code 0x80070002 is often the one that occurs when this problem is present. The code, on the other hand, can change depending on the operating system specification, the type of failure, and other signs. Do not be concerned, my friends, if you are experiencing or getting the issue when performing tasks such as transferring files to another drive, installing software, creating a backup, opening and accessing files and folders.

This article will fully discuss and troubleshoot the issue of the system being unable to locate the file that has been specified. It is possible for such an error to be caused by a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to: missing or corrupted system files, missing driver files, anomalous registry keys, wrong file permission settings, and so on. But you shouldn’t be concerned because there are a variety of options that can simply cure it for you. Here are the ways how to Fix ‘The System Cannot Find the File Specified’ issue.

Causes of the ‘The System Cannot Find the File Specified’ issue

1. File or Path Not Found: The most straightforward cause is that the file or path specified in a command or operation does not exist or is misspelled.
2. Permissions Issues: If the user executing the command or application lacks the necessary permissions to access or modify the specified file or directory, this error may occur.
3. Corrupted System Files: System files essential for proper Windows functioning may be corrupted, leading to the inability to locate specific files.
4. Malware or Virus Infection: Malicious software can interfere with system files or hide them, causing the system to be unable to find the required files.
5. Incomplete Installation: If a program or application is not installed correctly or some files are missing, the system may encounter this error when attempting to locate those files.
6. Drive Letter Changes: If a drive letter is reassigned or changed, references to files using the old drive letter may result in this error.
7. Long File Paths: Extremely long file paths can sometimes exceed the limitations imposed by the operating system, leading to this error.
8. Registry Issues: Problems with the Windows registry, such as incorrect or missing entries related to file paths, can contribute to this issue.

How to Fix ‘The System Cannot Find the File Specified’ issue

Check the System Log file

1. Go to C:/Windows/inf and open the INF folder.
2. Then open the setupapi.dev.log or setupapi.dev file that you found.
3. To open the Find box, press “Ctrl + F” at the same time.
4. Put “cannot find the file” in the search box and begin the search to find the lost file.
5. After you copy and paste the Windows/inf folder, you need to restart the hard drive and start up Windows again.

Update the Windows

1. Press and hold the Windows and I keys together, then click on the “Update and Security” tab.
2. Now go to the “Check for Updates” tab, look for changes, and install them.
3. Restart the operating system when the process is done.

Uninstall the drivers

1. First, go to the Control Panel and choose Device Manager.
2. Then, broaden the category and find the device you want to get rid of.
3. To uninstall a device, right-click on its name and choose “Uninstall” from the menu that appears.
4. The last step is to check the box next to “Delete the driver software for this device” and click the OK button to confirm the removal.
5. When it’s done, the process restarts Windows OS.

Restore the Missing files

1. To begin, right-click the Start button and choose Command Prompt (Admin).
2. When you’re done, type “sfc /scannow” into the Command Prompt window and press Enter to do a full scan of the machine.
3. “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.” is shown on the Windows screen when the process is done.
4. When the process of restoring was done, restart the Windows OS.

Change the Registry

1. Hold down the Windows key and the letter R at the same time.
2. Type “Regedit” and press “Enter.”
3. Find the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version key in the “open registry” box.
4. Then, make the key bigger and look for the Run Once key. If the KEY doesn’t exist, it’s easy for the user to make one.
5. To make a new key, press the Current Version key and then select New Key from the menu.
6. Then, give the new key the name “RunOnce,” and Find *HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version* key in the left pane.
7. If RunOnce key has successfully been created, then close Registry Editor dialog box and restart Windows OS.
8. After completing the steps, the registry has already been changed.

Format USB Flash drive

1. Open This Window OS first, then right-click on the USB drive and pick “Format.”
2. Then, when the format window comes up, check the box next to Quick Format.
3. Also, press the Start button to begin the editing process.
4. Once you’re done formatting the USB, restart Windows OS.

Conclusion

In most cases, the error code 0x80070002 is shown when the message “The system cannot find the file specified” appears. This problem might occur on Windows 10 or earlier versions of the operating system. After the computer has been scanned and faults have been corrected, restart the computer and check to see if the error that states “the system cannot find the file specified” has been resolved.

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