How to Troubleshoot “A device that does not exist was specified” in Windows 10

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When an external device is connected to the system, you can see it in the File Explorer window. You can access the device simply by double-clicking on it. However, sometimes it turns out that the device is not available, even if it is recognized, and an error appears.

What causes the error message “A non-existent device was specified” in Windows 10?

There are several reasons for this error. Users who have encountered this problem claim that even a Windows update can cause the error. Basically, if your hard drive has been used for a very long time or it is old, then the resulting hard drive error is a common occurrence.

As the disk drive gets older, sectors get damaged and the disk deteriorates. Also, if you often format the disk while installing Windows, you may also get this error.

How to fix the “Specified non-existent device” error in Windows 10?

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Granting full rights to your hard drive

  1. Type File Explorer in the search box and press Enter to open File Explorer.
  2. In File Explorer, find your local hard drive C or D or E or F or any other local or external hard drive to open its properties.
  3. In the Security section, click Edit.
  4. Then select the Full Controls checkbox. You will see that the Edit, Read and Run, List folder contents, and Read automatically checkboxes are checked.
  5. Click Apply and OK to save your changes.

Check the state of your hard drive with the CHKDSK tool

  1. In File Explorer, right-click on the problem disk to open its properties.
  2. If Windows 10 tells you that the drive is inaccessible, simply open the local drive properties.
  3. Click Check under Tools.
  4. After the tool finishes, open the drive and see if you can access that drive or a folder on it without getting an error message.

Reboot your computer

  1. If you find an error in File Explorer or Disk Manager, you should reboot the device without turning it off.
  2. For some users, a simple reboot will get rid of the warning message.
  3. This eliminates system conflicts with the drive.



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Related posts:
  1. How to Resolve “A device which does not exist was specified” Error Message on Windows 10
  2. How to Troubleshoot ‘A Device Attached to The System is Not Functioning’ on Windows 10
  3. This device does not exist, does not work properly or has not installed all its drivers
  4. View Device Manager View non-existent devices in Windows
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