I get the " The system cannot find the file specified (0x80070002) " error, which prevents Windows 10 from starting the backup. Upgraded from Windows 7. Everything else works 100% fine. Trying to backup to an internal drive dedicated to backups. Help would be appreciated. Thank you." Windows 10 is among the most updated versions of Windows, and undoubtedly, users enjoy using it. However, even with a seamless experience, there are some errors. Users have encountered some errors, particularly when the command fails. Windows reported the error: "the system cannot find the file specified." If you are a Windows 10 user and are facing this issue, you are on the right page. Here we are discussing this error in detail, which will help you to know how to fix it seamlessly. Let’s explore the best methods available!

 display the system cannot find the file specified
  1. Part 1: Overview of the Error "The System Cannot Find The File Specified"
  2. Part 2: How to Recover Data from Windows with "the System Cannot Find the Specified File" Error?HOT
  3. Part 3: Encounter the System Cannot Find the File Specified When Logging in Windows 10
  4. Part 4: Encounter the System Cannot Find the File Specified While Accessing a Hard Drive
  5. Part 5: Encounter the System Cannot Find the File Specified While Accessing Files/Folders
  6. Part 6: Encounter the System Cannot Find the File Specified While Launching Programs
  7. Part 7: Encounter the System Cannot Find the File Specified When Installing Drive

Part 1: Overview of the Error "The System Cannot Find the File Specified

Several reasons are there, due to which you may notice "The System Cannot Find The File Specified". Some of the common ones are as follows:

  • There is an issue with registry files.
  • Issues with the drivers.
  • File issues related to the old image.
  • An issue related to Window Update.
  • File is corrupted.
  • Drive has a faulty sector.
  • There is a problem with the connection.
  • Backup services are not working properly.
  • The system file has gone missing.

Part 2: How to Recover Data from Windows with "the System Cannot Find the Specified File" Error?

Sometimes it happens that during fixing the error "the system cannot find the file specified," the user loses all the files. If you don’t want to face this, use Tenorshare 4DDiG for data recovery. This tool is an all-in-one solution for all the users who are facing this issue and want to fix it without losing data. It is compatible with 1000+ files, which means no data will be lost.

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Part 3: Encounter the System Cannot Find the File Specified When Logging in Windows 10

If you are facing the system cannot find the file specified when logging into Windows 10, do know it is a common error, and with the help of SFC scanning, this can be fixed easily. The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Right-click on "Start" and open "Command Line." Here, select Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2: In the command prompt, type "SFC/scannow". This will scan the system and fix all the errors.

Type SFC/scannow to scan the system and fix errors

Step 3: Once completed, restart the system to see if the system cannot find the file specified in the Windows 10 error has been resolved.

Part 4: Encounter the System Cannot Find the File Specified While Accessing a Hard Drive

If you receive "The system cannot find the file specified," While accessing a hard drive, please note that there is some problem with the hard drive and this can be fixed by running the CHKDSK command. The steps for it are as follows:

Step 1: Right-click the start button, type "CMD" into the search box, and then select "Command Prompt as administrator".

click run as administrator

Step 2: Through the Command Prompt Window, "Input CHKDSK x:/f/r" and click "Enter".

Finish repairing the corrupted file

Step 3: Wait until it repairs the corrupted files, and after it exits the same way by pressing the Enter key to leave this command.

Part 5: Encounter "The System Cannot Find the File Specified" While Accessing Files/Folders

Facing the problem of "The system cannot find the file specified"" error while accessing files or folders,you can solve it by the following ways:

Method 1: Check the System Log File

Do follow the same steps as we have mentioned in Part 2.

Method 2: Verify RTHDCPL in the Registry Key

Step 1: Open the run dialog box by pressing "Windows + R" and mention regedit. If it asks for permission, click "Yes".

Step 2: Navigate to the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ folder and look for RTHDCPL.

Step 3: If it is not there, check for the "Run" property again and set the Admin-user permission as "Full Control".

Step 4: Click "Ok" to continue.

 look for RTHDCPL

Method 3: Look for Files via Regedit

Step 1: Pressing Windows+R and typing "Regedit" and clicking "Yes" to the prompt.

Step 2: Now move to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion and check if there is "RunOnce". You will need to add it yourself if it is not there.

find the runonce folder

Step 3: After that, move to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion and check whether there is a "RunOnce". You will need to add it yourself if it is not there.

access local machine runonce folder location

Step 4: Quit the registry and restart the system.

Part 6: Encounter "The System Cannot Find the File Specified" While Launching Programs

When you are facing "The system cannot find the file specified", While launching programs, follow the below mentioned methods to fix it:

Method 1: Update the Drivers

Step 1: Move to "My Computers/My PC", look for "Manage" and move to "Device Manager".

Step 2: Expand the category of "Disk Drives" and choose the respective disk, right-click on it.

Step 3: Choose "Update Driver" and wait for a while until it gets updated.

 Choose Update Driver

Method 2: Reinstall the Program

Step 1: Exit the program and for it, right click on the taskbar and select "Task Manager" and in the process tab, hit on the respective program and click on "End task".

Step 2: Move to Windows settings and select "Apps" and the "App & features" option. Here, choose the program creating the problem and uninstall it.

Step 3: Return to the Microsoft Store and repeat the installation. Once you see the completion of the installation, you can restart the system.

Uninstall faulty programs

Part 7: Encounter the System Cannot Find the File Specified When Installing Drive

In general, the Windows cannot find the file specified error majorly takes place when there is a problem with the drivers and the file is missing. But do know that there are some other possible reasons too, so one cannot consider it the only reason. But don’t worry, there are solutions to fix it. Solutions to conclude.

Method 1: Run the Antivirus Software to Scan Your Computer

If a virus has occupied a place in your system, it will cause so many errors. Well, in that case, running antivirus software to scan your computer is advisable. This will clean out the system and help in resolving the issue that is arising.

Method 2: Check the System Log File

The steps to check the system log file are as follows:

Step 1: Move to "C:/Windows/inf" and in the respective folder, look for "setupapi.dev" and double click on it. If the same file is not there, you can check for "setupapi.dev.log."

find setupapi.dev to double click access setupapi.dev location and find the same file

Step 2: Hold Ctrl+F, and in the find box, search for "cannot find the file".

search for cannot find the file

Step 3: The missing file will appear, and it will be dropped into Windows/inf.

Step 4: Now, you must reinstall the drivers.

Method 3: Install the Driver Using the Inf File

Users who have downloaded the drivers from the manufacturer’s website hardly notice this issue. If it happens, follow these steps:

Step 1: Get the downloaded driver file and, in the same folder, look for a ".inf file." Choose the file accompanied by "Setup Information".  Click
 the file accompanied by Setup Information.

Step 2: Here, do a right-click and install it again.

Click the right mouse button and click Install

Note: If the installation is not acceptable, you will receive a pop-up indicating that. This happens because not all Inf files are self-installers.

Unsupported installation window pops up

Method 4: Reinstall the Drivers

Reinstalling the drivers can also help. For it, the steps are:

Step 1: Navigate to Device Manager and find the device you want to uninstall. Right-click on the selected folder and click on the uninstall option.

Uninstall selected folder

Step 2: Confirm the uninstallation and also check the "Delete the driver software for this device" box.

Step 3: Press the OK button. Wait a while, and then install the drivers again.

click ok botton and install it again

Conclusion

The error message "the system cannot find the file specified" is a common error and one can easily resolve it. But be sure to adopt the right method because utilising the wrong method will cost your data. Well, to be on the safe side, use the Tenorshare 4DDiG Windows data recovery. This tool will keep the data intact and resolve the issue too.

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