Can’t find the specified file when trying to rename a file or folder in Windows 11

If you cannot rename a file and get Can’t find the specified file error while renaming a file or folder in Windows 11/10, here is how you can fix the issue. It is pretty common when you move files from one folder to another and try to rename a folder at the same time. However, there could be other reasons too. That is why you need to follow this step-by-step guide to get rid of this issue.

Can’t find the specified file. Make sure you specify the correct path and file name.

It displays a Try Again button. However, it doesn’t do anything fruitful at all.

Can’t find the specified file when trying to rename a file or folder

To fix the Can’t find the specified file error on Windows 11/10, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the file/folder exists
2. Restart Windows Explorer process
3. Sign out and sign in to try again
4. Create RunOnce key
5. Delete registry keys

To learn more about these steps, continue reading.

1] Make sure the file/folder exists

It is the first thing you need to check before heading to other solutions. As mentioned earlier, you might get this error when moving the file from one folder to another while renaming it. That is why you must check if the file or folder exists in the respective folder where it should be. If it doesn’t, you must find the file or folder in the new location to rename it.

2] Restart Windows Explorer process

Restarting the Explorer process might be handy for you in this situation. If you get some issues with the File Explorer, you may fix it by restarting this process. To restart the Windows Explorer process, follow these steps;

• Press Win+X to open the WinX menu.
• Select the Task Manager from the menu.
• Find out the Windows Explorer process.
• Click the Restart button.

After that, check if you can rename the file and folder or not.

3] Sign out and sign in to try again

At times, some internal background processes might cause this issue. You might need to sign out of the account and re-sign into it in such situations. For that, click on the Start Menu, click the profile picture, and select the Sign out option. Then, select your account again and enter the password to log in.

4] Create RunOnce key

Your computer’s registry must have the RunOnce key in the predefined location. If it doesn’t have the key, you might get the issues we are discussing. To verify or create the RunOnce key, follow these steps:

Press Win+R to open the Run prompt.

Type regedit > press the Enter button > click the Yes option.

Navigate to this path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Check if there is a key named RunOnce.

If not, right-click on CurrentVersion > New > Key.

Name it as RunOnce.

Restart your computer.

After that, try renaming the file or folder.

5] Delete registry keys

There are five registry keys that might cause this issue on your computer. They are as follows:

• {A302545D-DEFF-464b-ABE8-61C8648D939B}
• {A990AE9F-A03B-4e80-94BC-9912D7504104}
• {2112AB0A-C86A-4ffe-A368-0DE96E47012E}
• {491E922F-5643-4af4-A7EB-4E7A138D8174}
• {7b0db17d-9cd2-4a93-9733-46cc89022e7c}

You need to delete them from the Registry Editor to get rid of the issue. For that, open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions

After that, right-click on each subkey > select the Delete option > click on the Yes button.

At last, you need to restart your computer.

How do you solve The system cannot find the file specified?

If you face The system cannot find the file specified error on your Windows PC, then it may happen if some system files are corrupted, files required for a particular software are missing, etc. To solve this problem, you need to run the built-in System File Checker tool, re-install the driver software, check for driver updates via the Optional updates section of Windows Update, etc.

How do you fix Windows cannot access the specified device path or file?

To fix Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file error in Windows 11/10, first, check if you have permission to open the file or device for which you get this error. If not, take full ownership of that drive or file to solve it. You must also ensure that the specified file is not deleted and its shortcut is not corrupted. Also, ensure that the location you are trying to access is available. You may also need to disable your antivirus tool and check again temporarily.

Why is Windows not letting me rename folders?

Windows might not let you rename folders due to ownership and permission issues. If another PC created the folder on an external drive, your account may not have the necessary permissions. To resolve this, take ownership of the folder and ensure your account has full control, allowing you to rename it.