Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. This is a rare error but if you are here it means that the rare happened. The full error message looks like this Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permission to access the item. The thing with this error is that even if it happens like once a year for a user or even more, when it does happen, it is kind of tricky to troubleshoot as the cause can be one of many possible problems. The best way to approach this is to take the most common possible cause which is what I will also cover in this article and if that is not the cause, go ahead and check the others which will take a lot more time and you wont have any additional information to use like a log or an event log to help you further. The details provided by any of the below mentioned logs or event logs are minimal, and it will show you the message that you also knew, the error message, nothing more. Sometimes, when you movecopy a file from a system to another, mostly when working with servers, the operating system will lock the file for security reasons embedded on Windows operating system. Due to the fact that the file is coming from another system, Windows will block it according to GPOs and security features embedded. When you will select properties for the file with the error, you will see as details something like the following message, which is in fact a note This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer. At this step, what you have to do is very simple. After you selected the file and opened the Properties for it that will display among the rest of the details the above bolded note, at the General TAB you will have a button called Unblock. Use it to unblock the file as you can see in the next picture, before and after the process. After you click it, it will look something like this Now, there is also the possibility that this wasnt your case. If youre running Windows 8. Start menu back, take a look at our list of the. By this, I mean the fact that there is no unblock button to click, no security note, nothing. In this case, you will have to check one of the following next possible issues 1. If we are talking about a shortcut, make sure the file still exists. Harden Windows 10 A Security Guide gives detailed instructions on how to secure Windows 10 machines and prevent it from being compromised. We will harden the system. Solution to the error Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permission to access the item. SmartPCFixer is a fully featured and easytouse system optimization suite. With it, you can clean windows registry, remove cache files, fix errors, defrag disk. Windows-Server-2012-r2-32-Bit.jpg?resize=669%2C500' alt='Antiviruses Pack For Ms Win 2012 Iso' title='Antiviruses Pack For Ms Win 2012 Iso' />Right click it, select properties and check the TARGET path. Copypaste it and try to access it via RUN menu or Windows Explorer Browser. If it does exist, and you can see it, this is not the problem. The file might be corrupted, try to obtain another copy from another source with the same file computer, web, etc. If we are talking about a shortcut, try the file. If the file is Ok, re create the shortcut. Check if security software is blocking the opening of the file. Some event might have triggered a blocking protection or a rule that blocks the access of the file. Temporary disable every protection software you have on your computer with right click and exit, quit or temporary disable for 5 minutes1. Check again if the problem persists. Compatibility mode. Check to see if any computability option is set, disable it or select an operating system similar to yours or that runs on a similar engine. Right click it and navigate to Compatibility TAB. Select the Compatibility mode you seem fit and try again. Security. On some operating systems like Windows 7 or Windows 8, sometimes even if you run it as an administrator, if the file doesnt have explicit rights assigned to your username, or if your username is not at least added to a group that has specific access, it wont work. Navigate to Security, check if your username is added to the list or at least a group that has your username. If not, use the ADD button to add your username first letters like 3 4 should be enough, then use check and it will automatically select it, confirm with Ok. MarkSelect your username in the list and check what type of access it has. It should be at least, by default Read Execute, and this is fine but you can also provide more, like for example Modify. Use the checkboxes to add more rights if needed, just mark them for Allow. After this, at least running as administrator should work, if that was the real problem6. Security on any operating system. Check as mentioned in step 5 if your username is added to security tab with the right access, which should be at least read and execute for the correct execution of most of the programs. If not, add it and try again. This applies to Windows Xp too. If none of this works for you, then you can tell me along with a few details on your problem, like what are you trying to run, did it ever work, and so on, and I will deal with your particular case. This means your problem is not a common one, and it might need a different approach along with a further dedicated attention. It also depends on how much you need that specific software. VN F 1. 9. 2. 21. Rating 4. 25 1. Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file, 4. Release Notes for Cisco Any. Connect Secure Mobility Client, Release 4. The Any. Connect client relies on the Windows Cryptographic. Service Provider CSP of the certificate for hashing and signing of data. IKEv. 2 authentication phase of the IPsecIKEv. VPN. connection. If the CSP does not support SHA 2 algorithms, and the ASA is. PRF SHA2. 56, SHA3. SHA5. 12, and. the connection profile tunnel group is configured for certificate or. AAA authentication, certificate authentication fails. The user. receives the message Certificate Validation Failure. This failure occurs for Windows only, for certificates that. CSPs that do not support SHA 2 type algorithms. Other supported OSs. To avoid this problem you can configure the PRF in the IKEv. ASA to md. 5 or sha SHA 1. Alternatively, you can modify the. CSP value to native CSPs that work such as Microsoft Enhanced RSA. AES Cryptographic Provider. Do not apply this workaround to Smart. Cards. certificates. You cannot change the CSP names. Instead, contact the Smart. Card. provider for an updated CSP that supports SHA 2 algorithms. Free Toshiba External Hard Drive Driver Download. Caution. Performing the following workaround actions could corrupt the. Use extra caution when. You can use the Microsoft Certutil. CSP values. Certutil is a command line utility for managing a. Windows CA, and is available in the Microsoft Windows Server 2. Administration Tools Pack. You can download the Tools Pack at this URL. Family. IDc. 16ae. Follow this procedure to run Certutil. Certificate CSP values. Open a command window on the endpoint computer. View the certificates in the user store along with their current. CSP value using the following command certutil store user. My. The following example shows the certificate contents displayed. Certificate 0. Serial Number 3b. Issuer CNcert issuer, OUBoston Sales, OExample Company, LSan Jose. SCA, CUS, Ecsmithexample. Not. Before 21. AM. Not. After 52. AM. Subject CNCarol Smith, OUSales Department, OExample Company, LSan Jose, SC. A, CUS, Ecsmithexample. Non root Certificate. Cert Hashsha. 1 8. Key Container F6. E9. BE8 B3. 2F 4. CCC8. 64. 55. FB. Unique container name 4. Provider Microsoft Enhanced RSA and AES Cryptographic Provider. Signature test passed. Identify the lt CN attribute in the certificate. In the. example, the CN is Carol Smith. You need this information for the next step. Modify the certificate CSP using the following command. The. example below uses the subject lt CN value to select the certificate to. You can also use other attributes. On Windows 7 or later, use this command. Microsoft Enhanced RSA and AES. Cryptographic Provider f repairstore user My lt CN carol. Repeat step 2 and verify the new CSP value appears for the.