Sometimes, when you try to open a file, you may receive an error ‘Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file’. This issue occurs due to one of the following reasons.
- When you do not have appropriate permissions
- The file or shortcut is corrupt
- The file may be blocked
- The file is not accessible; it could be present on an external hard drive not connected to PC or a network location
- Antivirus is blocking the file
How to resolve the issue?
In order to resolve the issue, try the troubleshooting steps below:
- Verify the permissions of the file/folder
To check the permissions of the file,
- Right-click on the file/folder and select Properties
- Select Security
- Click on your name under Group/User names to see the permissions you have.
- Click on Edit and check the boxes for permissions you need and then click ok.
Now try opening the file/folder. If it is still inaccessible, proceed to the next step.
- Check the location of the file
The file may reside on a network server or on an external hard drive that is not connected to the system. Check the path of the file and make sure that the location is accessible. To do so, right click on the file and select the Shortcut tab. Now, in the Target section, check the location.
- Check if the shortcut is corrupted
You may receive this error if the shortcut to the file is corrupt. You can recreate the shortcut to resolve the issue.
- Unblock the file
Your file may be blocked by Windows. To verify, you can check the Properties of the file. Windows may have blocked the file if it came from another computer. To unblock the file,
- Right-click on the file and select Properties
- In the General tab, select Unblock if available
- Check if antivirus is blocking your file
You can disable your antivirus and try opening the file. As soon as you are done, re-enable the antivirus immediately. It can be dangerous if you’re connected to the internet without antivirus enabled.
- Check if the file has not been moved or deleted
You can receive this error if the file has been moved or deleted. Go to the location of the file to verify that the file is in the same location.
If it has been deleted, check the Recycle bin folder. Just restore it back if you find it here. If you don’t find it in the recycle bin, it may be permanently deleted.
About Hi5 Software
If the file is important to you and you wish to recover it, there are data recovery tools available for this purpose. Hi5 software provides a file recovery solution to recover deleted files and folders from your system. It works in case of accidental deletion or even Shift-Delete operation. It can also recover large files that bypass recycle bin after deletion.
The tool scans your drive sector by sector to identify and recover files based on unique signatures. Your original data is not altered during recovery process as the software works on read-only mechanism.
In addition to recovering files from your system, it can also recover files from external hard drives, USB’s and memory cards etc. How to recover deleted folder from external hard drive provides a complete idea of the recovery process.
Steps to recover deleted files and folders using Hi5 Software
It is a simple to use tool with user-friendly interface. Your deleted files and folders can be recovered in a few simple steps.
Step 1: Download Hi5 Software on your system and run the application
Step 2: Select Recover Files from the main screen
Step 3: Then select Deleted File Recovery in the next step
Step 4: The software displays a list of all drives. Select the drive from which you’d like to recover files
Step 5: Once you click Scan, the software scans the drive and displays a list of recovered files
Step 6: You can preview them and save to the desired location.
