Windows cannot find

Question

Windows cannot find

weylricci 0

Windows cannot find (file name). Make sure you typed the name correctly and try again.

I get this message for any file that I double click on.

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Hi,

Seems like a Windows component corruption.

Does the issue persist in a new Local account?

Open the Settings app by clicking on the Start menu and selecting the gear icon.

Click on "Accounts."

Click on "Family & other users" in the left-hand menu.

Under "Other users," click on "Add someone else to this PC."

Select "I don't have this person's sign-in information."

Click on "Add a user without a Microsoft account."

Enter a username and password for the new account.

Click on "Next" and then "Finish."

The new local account will now be added to your Windows 10 PC.

Hope that helps, and rely on us for any further inquiries. All the best.

Answer 2

Reset the default app for one affected file type first; if files then open normally, repeat the association for the other affected extensions.

1. Test and repair a file association

Right-click an affected file and select Properties.
On the General tab, note the extension shown beside Type of file, such as .jpg, .pdf, or .docx.
Beside Opens with, select Change.
Choose the appropriate installed app, select Always, and try the file again. Microsoft documents this procedure for Windows 11 file-association problems.^1^

Alternatively, go to Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps, enter the extension in the search box, select it, and assign an app.^2^

Test several different types—for example, a photo, PDF, and text document:

Only one type fails: its default-app association was likely the issue.
Every type still fails, but files open from inside their apps: associations or Windows shell components remain affected.
Files do not open even from inside their apps: continue with system repair below.

2. Repair Windows components

Open Start, type Command Prompt, right-click it, and select Run as administrator. Run DISM first and SFC second:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannow

Wait for DISM to report that the operation completed successfully before running SFC, and do not close the window until SFC reaches 100%.^3^

Restart Windows afterward and test the same files again.

3. If all file types still produce the error

Use Windows 11’s non-destructive repair installation:

Back up important files as a precaution.
Connect the PC to power and the internet.
Open Start > Settings > System > Recovery.
Under Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now.
Select OK, allow the repair to finish, and restart.

This reinstalls the current Windows version, repairs system files and components, and preserves installed apps, personal files, and settings.^4^

If Reinstall now is absent, it can be unavailable on managed work/school PCs, Windows 11 versions earlier than the 2022 annual update, or systems without the February 2024 optional update or later. In that case, install available updates first; for a managed PC, contact its administrator.^4^

References