Received the error message “Windows cannot access the specified device”? Check this tutorial to learn the causes and fixes.
When I try to install a program, I get “Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file.”
I have gone into properties to check if I’m able, and everything seems to check out there. I’ve also disabled my virus check program, and still, I get this message.
- Question from Windows10 forum
After you have downloaded the software, when you execute/open a program/file, an error message pops up: ”Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item.”
Now you cannot open, read, or modify the item you want to access. That’s perhaps a relatively stressful issue. But there is no need to panic; you will get help from this tutorial, describing the possible triggers, and also, the solutions will be listed.
You may encounter this error in the following situations. Check if your circumstances can fit these potential causes.
Corresponding fixes are gathered below as well.
Check if any solution can help you out. If the method fails, please move on to the next one.
If the file or folder has been removed from your device, then the path to it will not be available anymore, and when you try to start it, you will see “Windows cannot access the specific device, path, or file”.
Check if the item you want to access is still on your device; if not, you need to restore it. The usual fix will be to seek it in the Recycle Bin and restore it. It is the first course of action you could carry out.
If it is not in there, you might have permanently deleted files or emptied the Recycle Bin. In this case, you could restore previous versions of files, recover them from your backups, or, without a backup, rely on a professional data recovery tool, which is also a preferable option to solve the problem with ease.
AOMEI FastRecovery would be the best choice. This tool scans the hard disk for deleted and missing files very quickly, which can save you from trouble in minutes.
Don’t hesitate; download and install it to get your deleted files back with ease.
Step 1. Open FastRecovery after installing. Then, click Deleted Files Recovery to get started.
Step 2. Hover the mouse over the hard drive containing deleted files, and click Scan to start the quick scanning process and display all recoverable data.
Step 3. Under the Type section, specify a data type (e.g., Images) and expand it to see all data formats. You can sort them or search the name to locate files quickly.
You can also locate deleted files by Path if you remember this.
Click the Deep Scan button if the Quick Scan fails. Deep Scan searches every sector of the disk to find more files.
Step 4. Select the deleted files you want and then click Recover to recover files from external hard drive. Please select a new location to save them, as restoring to the original location may result in data overwriting.
You will be asked to upgrade to the advanced edition of AOMEI FastRecovery to enjoy unlimited data recovery. The free edition supports up to 500MB.
If the item is still there, but you just cannot read, edit, or execute it, there might be other problems. Check if the system blocks it. If so, you need to unblock the file. Windows might block some items from other devices to segregate them and protect your machine.
Step 1. Right-click the file and select Properties.
Step 2. Under the Generab tab, look for the error message, “This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer”, and tick Unblock.
Step 3. Retry and see whether the system can access the device, path, or file.
Antivirus programs can also prevent you from accessing an item when detecting possible virus threats. For instance, Windows Defender automatically deletes files if it suspects them of being viruses or threats.
If you are using or running an antivirus tool right now, try to disable it for a while. But what is notable is that the shutdown of your antivirus software might put your machine at risk of a virus attack.
So it is suggested to enable it as soon as the “Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file” issue is fixed. Temporarily disabling will be okay.
Permission settings could be one of the possible causes. It controls and decides whether you can access the files or folders. Try this method if there isn’t anything to do with the antivirus software, and your file/folder/program is not blocked.
Step 1. Right-click the file and select Properties.
Step 2. Under the Security tab, select the user name you are using under the Group or user names and click Edit.
Step 3. Specify the Read/Write permissions and click OK. Try again.
If the shortcut has become corrupted, it will be inaccessible. You could recreate one to fix it.
Tap the Windows key, locate the program you want to access, and drag it to the desktop. See if it can work properly. Or, you could delete the shortcut first and then rebuild one.
After that, see if the shortcut can work now.
In this tutorial, the possible reasons and corresponding solutions to the issue “Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file” are given with detailed instructions.
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