Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file error

Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file error.

Does your computer get the error “ Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file ” when you try to open the path to a file or device? Most likely, you do not have the necessary permissions to access the selected file, or the device you are trying to access is not connected to your computer at all.

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There are several reasons why Windows displays the above error. To fix the problem, follow a few general fixes below.

Change the File Permission

Windows may display the error “ Windows cannot access the specified device or file path ” when you try to open a file for which you do not have the required permissions. You can enable all permissions for the file and that should fix your problem.

Windows makes it easy to change file permissions, and you can do this without using the command line.

1. Open the folder containing the problem file.

1. Right-click the file and select Properties.

1. Select the Security tab at the top.

1. In the Group or Usernames section, select your account. and click the “Change” button.

1. Select your account in the new window that opens.

1. In the Permissions section below, uncheck any check boxes in the Deny column.

1. Select Apply and then click OK at the bottom. Do the same in the Properties window.

1. Try reopening the problematic file to see if the problem is resolved.

Plug-In the Removable Drive

If you are faced with the problem “Windows cannot access the specified path to a device or file” using a shortcut, the shortcut may lead to a file that was on a removable drive, and this drive is no longer connected to your computer.

In this case, Windows cannot find the actual file behind your shortcut and gives an error message. You can fix this problem by reconnecting the removable disk to your computer.

Once the drive is connected and you see it in File Explorer, run the problematic file and it should open fine.

Connect the Computer or NAS to the Network

Another possible reason Windows cannot open your file is if you saved the file to a networked computer or NAS device and that device is not currently connected to the network. Windows cannot find the file itself if you double-click the file’s shortcut.

The easiest way to fix this problem is to connect another computer that contains the file to your network. After backing up your computer or NAS on the network, launch the problematic file and it should open without issue.

Verify the Shortcut’s Actual File

If you cannot open a shortcut on your computer, chances are high that the file behind the shortcut itself is no longer available.

An easy way to check for a file behind a shortcut is to use an explorer window.

1. Find the shortcut in the explorer.

1. Right-click the shortcut and select Properties.

1. Select the Shortcut tab in the Properties window.

1. Select the Target field. Copy the full path to the file, but do not copy the actual file name.

1. Open an explorer window, select the address bar at the top, press Ctrl + V to paste the copied path, and press Enter.

1. When opening a folder, the current shortcut will not work if there is no file for the corresponding shortcut.
2. If you see a file, there might be a problem with your shortcut. Create a new shortcut to the file on your desktop by right-clicking it and choosing Send To> Desktop (Create Shortcut).

Unblock the File

When a file comes from an untrusted source, such as the Internet, Windows tends to block access to the file. This is to protect your PC from any potential threats.

Blocking untrusted files in this way can cause Windows to display the error “Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file” when you try to open an untrusted file.

You can tell Windows that the file can be opened and Windows will unlock the file for you.

1. Right-click the problematic file and select Properties.

Turn Off Antivirus

Sometimes your antivirus program detects safe files as suspicious and prevents Windows from reading the file, which triggers an error message.

To fix this problem:

Can you now access a file that was previously unavailable? If so, let us know how you fixed the issue in the comments below.

1. 1. Select the General tab at the top.

1. 1. At the bottom, check the “Unblock” box.
   1. Select Apply and then click OK.
   1. Double click the file and it should open.
   1. Temporarily turn off your antivirus software.
   1. Try opening the file to see if it opens.
   1. If it does, whitelist this file in your antivirus program so it doesn’t detect it as a threat. You can usually whitelist files and applications from the settings menu of your antivirus tool. You can also just google the name of your antivirus program and then whitelist the application and get the correct action.
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   Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file error

   Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file error