How to Fix 'The Virtual Disk Manager Could Not Find the Specified File' Error in Windows 10/8/7

"Solving 'The system cannot find the specified file' (8 Fix Methods)"

If you encounter the "System cannot find the file specified" or "The system cannot find the file specified Virtual Disk Manager" error while using Windows Backup, you can resolve this issue by checking if your System partition is set as the active partition. To do this, simply open Disk Management, right-click on the System drive (usually C:), and select the "Mark Partition as Active" option.

Please provide the English content you want translated, and I'll do my best to translate it into Chinese.

Overview - Diskpart encountered an error: The system cannot find the file specified.

I have a USB flash drive that might be having issues, so I tried cleaning it using the DISKPART command's CLEAN. Then, I created a simple volume and attempted to format it. (All of this was done through Windows Disk Management.) I got an error message saying the system cannot find the file specified. When I plug in the drive, I hear a beep as if it's been recognized, but nothing shows up in My Computer. How can I format this disk to use it again?

"System cannot find the specified file."

If you run into a situation where your computer shows the "System cannot find the specified file" error when trying to format a disk, partition, or external storage device, don't stress. There are solid ways to fix this issue and get your device formatted and working properly again. Just follow these steps to get rid of the error on your PC.

How to Fix the 'Virtual Disk Manager' Error: The System Cannot Find the Specified File

Here, we've compiled 8 effective solutions to fix the “The system cannot find the file specified Virtual Disk Manager” error. Try them one by one, and you'll get your device back to its read-write capability.

Solution 1: Format Disk Partition with Free Partition Management Software In the Windows operating system, you can use free partition management software to format a disk partition. Here's how to do it using AOMEI Partition Assistant as an example: 1. First, visit the AOMEI website (https://www.aomeitech.com/) to download and install AOMEI Partition Assistant. 2. After installation, launch the software. You'll see a user-friendly interface displaying all disks and partitions on your computer. 3. Select the partition you want to format, right-click on it, and then choose "Format Partition" from the drop-down menu. 4. In the pop-up window, you can choose the file system (e.g., NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT) and allocation unit size. If unsure, you can usually stick with the default settings. 5. Confirm your selection by clicking "OK," and then click "Apply" in the main interface to execute the changes. Note that formatting will erase all data from the partition, so make sure to back up important files beforehand. This method is suitable for users who don't want to use the built-in disk management tool or require more advanced features.

When you can't format the drive on your computer, you can turn to a professional partition manager tool – AOMEI Partition Assistant. The free version of AOMEI Partition Assistant Free allows you to format devices that might be unformattable via Windows Explorer or Disk Management.

Please download and install this free partition manager on your Windows PC to fix the "cannot format" issue on your hard drive partition or storage device:

Step 1. Run AOMEI Partition Assistant, right-click the hard drive partition you want to format and choose "Format".

Step 2. In the new window, set the "Volume label," "File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT)," and "Cluster size" for the partition to be formatted, then click "OK."

Step 3: You will see a warning; click “Yes” to continue.

4. Click “Perform 1 Task” to proceed with the changes, and then click “Apply” to start formatting the hard drive partition.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to format a hard drive with a video tutorial, in American English: 1. **Get Ready:** - Make sure you've backed up all important data since formatting will erase everything. - Connect the hard drive to your computer, either via USB or built-in. 2. **Open Disk Management Tool:** - On Windows, right-click the Start button and choose "Disk Management." - On macOS, open "Disk Utility." 3. **Find the Drive to Format:** - In Disk Management or Disk Utility, locate the drive you want to format. It'll usually show as an unallocated or allocated volume icon. 4. **Choose Formatting Options:** - Right-click the drive and select "Format" or "Initialize." - In the pop-up, choose a file system for the drive: - Windows: NTFS (recommended), FAT32 (for multi-system sharing), exFAT (large file support) - macOS: APFS (recommended), FAT32 (good compatibility, but no files over 4GB), HFS+ (older Apple systems) - Compatibility: For sharing between Windows and macOS, use exFAT or FAT32. 5. **Assign a Volume Label:** - Type the name or label you want for the hard drive. 6. **Confirm Formatting:** - Read the warning, confirming that you've backed up data. - Click "Format" or "OK" to start the process. 7. **Wait for Completion:** - Formatting can take a few minutes to several minutes, depending on the drive size. - Don't interrupt the process; it could damage the drive. **Video Tutorial:** Since this is a text guide, I can't provide a video directly. But you can search for these keywords on YouTube or other video platforms to find relevant tutorials: - "Format Hard Drive Windows Tutorial" - "Format Hard Drive Mac Tutorial" - "Format External Hard Drive Step by Step" Make sure to choose videos from reputable channels and sources for accurate instructions.

All you need to do is wait for the process to finish, and you will have a formatted hard drive partition or USB that you can use to save data once again.

Solution 2: Check and fix disk partition errors to resolve the issue

If you don't wanna download and use third-party software to fix the "The system cannot find the file specified" error which prevents you from formatting the disk partition, you can simply run the CHKDSK command manually to get rid of this issue from your disk partition.

Step 1: Press the Windows key, and then type cmd.

Step 2. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step 3. Type the following command: chkdsk E: /f /r /x

"E" stands for the drive letter of the partition you want to repair or fix.

Also read: FIX: CHKDSK is not available for RAW drive/USB/SD Card

Solution 3: Run CHKDSK as an Alternative to Fix The System Cannot Find the File Specified

Please download the CleanGenius utility and install it on your computer. Now, let's proceed to scan and fix file system errors on your device.

Step 1: Click "File Display" to proceed.

Step 2: Select the target device and check the box next to "Check and repair file system errors." Click "Run" to start fixing the problematic device.

When the repair is finished, click here to open and use your device.

Solution 4: Check the system log files, if the system cannot find the specified file

If you receive the error message "The system cannot find the file specified" when attempting to access a file or folder, try this solution.

Step 1: Browse to the C:/Windows/inf directory and open the Inf folder.

Step 2. Locate and open the setupapi.dev or setupapi.dev.log file.

Step 3. Press "Ctrl + F" and type "file not found" in the search box.

Step 4. Press “Enter” to run the search. You should find your missing file.

Step 5: Copy and paste the file into the Windows INF folder.

Step 6: Reinstall the driver, then restart your system.

Fix 5: Modify the Registry to Solve “The system cannot find the file specified” Error

According to user feedback, you can fix this error by modifying a few settings in the Registry.

Step 1: Press "Win + R," type "regedit," and press Enter. If prompted for permissions, click "Yes."

Step 2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion and check if there is a RunOnce key. If it's not there, create it manually.

Step 3: Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion, and check if there is a "RunOnce" entry. If not, create it manually.

Step 4: Exit the Registry Editor, restart your computer, and then try installing the hard drive driver again.

Fix “The system cannot find the specified file” Error by Checking the Registry

Fix 6: Update your hard drive driver

The "System cannot find the specified file" error during program startup can be resolved by updating your disk drivers.

Step 1: Click on "This PC" > "Manage" > "Device Manager."

Step 2: Expand the "Hard Disk Drives" section.

Step 3: Right-click on the drive and select "Update Driver."

Fix 7: Uninstall and reinstall certain programs

If you receive this error when opening certain programs, you can resolve it by uninstalling and reinstalling the program.

Step 1: Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features.

Step 2. Click on the problematic program and select "Uninstall."

Step 3. Go to the Microsoft Store, download the app again, and reinstall it.

Fix 8: Install Windows Updates to Resolve “The system cannot find the file specified” Error

If you encounter this error during a system backup, try the following solutions to address the issue where the system cannot find the specified file.

Step 1: Click “Start” and type “Update.”

Step 2: Choose Check for Updates.

Step 3: Windows will display any available updates. Click on "Install now" to update your version of Windows.

"Diskpart encountered an error: The system cannot find the specified file."

You can get a complete guide on how to fix the “The system cannot find the file specified” error in Windows 10. A disk partition manager software can format your drive and also adjust/ resize partition on hard drive to manage disk space. You can always turn to the tool Partition Master for help.

Frequently Asked Questions about Virtual Disk Manager: The system cannot find the file specified

If you have questions about this error, please look up your issue in the list here to find an answer:

**1. How do I resolve the "System cannot find the specified file" issue?**

• Format the disk using the Partition Master tool.
• Run CHKDSK to check and fix file system errors on the device.
• Inspect for system lock files.
• Modify the registry and create a "RunOnce" value.
• Update hard drive errors.
• Uninstall corrupted programs.
• Reinstall Windows updates.

2. Can I format a USB drive with the 'System cannot find the file specified' error?

Yes, when encountering the "Virtual Disk Manager: The system cannot find the file specified" error while formatting a USB drive with Diskpart, first run the CHKDSK command to check and fix any file system errors within the device. Afterwards, proceed with the Partition Master tool to complete the USB formatting, making it usable again.

How to fix the "Access is denied" error in Diskpart?

When you encounter the "Diskpart encountered an error: Access is denied" error, you can try any of the three methods listed below:

1. #1. Run Command Prompt as an administrator and repeat the hard drive operation.
2. #2. Remove the write protection and gain full access to the target disk.
3. #3. Use a third-party disk management tool, such as Partition Master, to manage, format, wipe, or perform other operations on your device.