Resolve 'Windows Cannot Find' Error in Windows 10 Quickly

Resolve 'Windows Cannot Find' Error in Windows 10 Quickly

Having trouble with the "Windows Cannot Find" error on Windows 10? Follow these solutions to resolve the issue quickly and get back to work.

How to Fix the "Windows Cannot Find" Error on Windows 10?​

1. Select the This PC Option in File Explorer​

  • Press the File Explorer icon on the Windows taskbar.
  • Select the View tab in the snapshot directly below.
open the view tab in file explorer
  • Press the Options button, then select Change folder and search options from its menu.
  • That option will open the window directly below. Select This PC from the Open File Explorer and go to the drop-down menu.

click on this pc
  • Press the Apply and OK buttons on the Folder Options window.
Selecting "This PC" as the default view can help eliminate navigation issues that might be causing the error.

2. Re-register Windows 10 Applications​

  • Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc or right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.
  • Run New Task: Click on File in the Task Manager and select Run new task.
  • Open PowerShell: Type Powershell into the box and check Create this task with administrative privileges. Click OK.
  • Enter Command: Copy and paste the following command into PowerShell and press Enter:Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
Re-registering apps can resolve issues related to corrupted or missing registrations that might cause the "Windows cannot find" error.

3. Run Windows Store App Troubleshooter​

  • Open Settings: Press Windows key + I to open the Settings application.
  • Navigate to Troubleshoot: Click on Update & Security, then select Troubleshoot from the left sidebar.
  • Run Troubleshooter: Scroll down, click on Windows Store Apps, and then click Run the troubleshooter.
Using the troubleshooter can identify and fix problems with Windows Store apps that might be causing the error.

4. Rename the Exe Files​

  • Locate Program Folder: Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder containing the problematic application. If you have a desktop shortcut, right-click it and select Open file location.
  • Rename Exe File: Select the executable file (.exe) of the application, press F2 to rename it, and give it a new name. Press Enter to confirm.
Renaming the executable file can bypass issues with file paths that include spaces, which might be causing the error.

Additional Fix: Address Issues with Spaces in File Paths​

  • Rename Folder: If your application is in a folder with spaces in its name (e.g., "C:\Program Files\CyberGhost 8"), rename the folder to remove spaces (e.g., "C:\Program Files\CyberGhost8").
  • Update Shortcuts: Update any shortcuts that pointed to the old folder name to reflect the new path.
Removing spaces from folder names can resolve issues where Windows incorrectly processes the file path, leading to the "Windows cannot find" error.

Reset Windows (Last Resort)​

If none of the above solutions work, consider resetting Windows:

  • Open Settings: Press Windows key + I to open the Settings application.
  • Navigate to Recovery: Go to Update & Security, then select Recovery from the left sidebar.
  • Reset This PC: Under Reset this PC, click Get started and follow the instructions to reset Windows.
This method should be used as a last resort as it reinstalls Windows and might remove some of your files and programs.
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