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Error Description: Can't format disk partition and Windows cannot find the file specified
"Hey, do you know how to format a disk or partition when Windows tell you that it was unable to complete the format or the system cannot find the file specified? I’m having such a problem that my computer won’t allow me to format a hard drive partition or an external USB flash drive.
And the system keeps telling me that it cannot find the file specified. So does anyone know how to fix this issue and complete the formatting process?"
If you are having a similar problem as shown below that the computer doesn’t allow you to format a disk, partition or an external storage device with ‘system cannot find the file specified’ error, don’t worry.
Reliable methods are available to help, and you can follow to remove this error from your PC so to format your devices back to work again.
Quick Fix: Format disk partition with free partition manager software
When you are unable to complete the format process on your computer, you can refer to professional partition manager software - EaseUS Partition Master for help.
The free version - EaseUS Partition Master Free allows you to directly format devices that you may not be able to format with Windows Explorer or Disk Management tool. Download and install this free partition manager software on your Windows PC and apply it to fix 'unable to format' issue on your disk partition and storage devices now:
Step 1: Run EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the hard drive partition you intend to format and choose "Format".
Step 2: In the new window, set the Partition label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3), and Cluster size for the partition to be formatted, then click "OK".
Step 3: Then you will see a warning window, click "OK" in it to continue.
Step 4: Click the "Execute Operation" button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click "Apply" to start formatting the partition on your hard drive.
All you need is to wait for the process to complete and then you’ll get a newly formatted hard drive partition or USB for saving data again.
Manual Fix: Check and remove disk error, uninstall/reinstall drivers and format disk partition
If you prefer a manual way to fix ‘can’t format disk partition’ error when the system cannot find the file specified than downloading and applying a third-party software for help. You can just follow tips in the below to remove this issue from your PC and format your disk partition now:
Step 1. Check and remove errors on disk partition
1. Right-click Windows icon and select Run, and type: cmd hit Enter to bring up "cmd.exe".
2. Do remember to sign in as with your administrator account and then type: chkdsk D: /f /r and hit enter.
3. Wait for the process to complete and enter Command Prompt again, type: sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
Alternative Tool
If you don't have any technical know-how and want to minimize data risks, using third-party software could be a better choice. The Command line is suitable for computer professionals since wrong commands can cause severe problems. Therefore, we strongly recommend you to try an automatic command line alternative.
EaseUS Tools M is a practical computer fixing tool that is safe and light-weighted. It's a perfect alternative to CHKDSK command. Use this one-click tool to solve your computer issues.
To fix file system error or disk error:
Step 1: DOWNLOAD EaseUS Tools M for Free and install it.
Step 2: Open the software and select "File Fixing" on the left pane.
On the right pane, choose the drive and check off the box at the bottom - "Check and fix file system error". Then, click "Fix" to start repairing the error.
Step 3: Wait until the operation completes. Wait until the operation completes. After the operation completes, click the "View" button to check the drive.
Wait for the process to complete and then the existing errors or problems on your disk partition will be removed.
Step 2. Uninstall and reinstall device drivers of disk partition
1. Go to Device Manager, expand the category and locate the device that you are unable to format.
2. Right-click on the device and select "Uninstall", check the box next to "Delete the driver software for this device" and click "OK".
3. After this, reboot your PC and the uninstalled drive driver will be automatically installed again.
Step 3. Format disk partition from ‘system cannot find the file specified’ error
After Step 1 and Step 2, it’s time to format your disk partition or external storage devices without meeting ‘system cannot find the file specified’ error anymore:
1. Open Windows Explorer and locate the disk partition or external storage device like USB etc that you’d like to format.
2. Right-click on the drive or device and select "Format".
3. Reset the file system to "NTFS" and click "Start".
4. Click "OK" when the format process complete.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Why Choose EaseUS Partition Master?
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"I've used Partition Master Professional many times to create, delete, format, move, rename, and resize partitions." —PCWorld
"Partitioning tools have come a very long since the days of complicated command line utilities and EASEUS Partition Master is one of the most advanced programs available." —TECH ADVISOR
"I love that the changes you make with EaseUS Partition Master Free aren't immediately applied to the disks. It makes it way easier to play out what will happen after you've made all the changes." —Lifewire
- Will the "Migrate OS" feature transfer the Windows system files only or the whole C drive?
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To ensure that the migrated system will boot normally, the Migrate OS feature will transfer all the files in the system and the boot partitions. Generally, the boot partition is the C drive so the transfer will include all the files in C.
- Does EaseUS Partition Master license apply to multiple computers?
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The license of Partition Master Professional and Server editions can be used on 1 computer only, while that for for the Technician and Unlimited editions can be used on multiple machines.
- What is the difference between EaseUS Partition Master Trial version and the Free version?
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Free is for home users only, with most basic functions available such as partition resize and clone. While trial can help you understand how this product works and test what a full license can do on a business or server OS machine.
- Will it cause any data loss after resizing the partition in EaseUS Partition Master?
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Generally, it will not cause any data loss or boot issue by resizing a partition. However, in order to protect your data, we suggest that you backup the partition before resizing, in case of any unexpected situations such as power outages, computer hardware failures, etc. You can use EaseUS Todo Backup to backup the partition and its trial version is fully functioned for 30 days.
- What should I prepare before resizing the partition?
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On the partition that is going to be operated, there might be some files being occupied by other programs. To ensure a successful operation, we suggest that you close all the unnecessary software before resizing that partition. Otherwise, EaseUS Partition Master will detect the partition being locked by the other software and require a reboot to resize the partition under boot mode.
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About EaseUS Partition Master
All-round disk & partition management software for personal and commercial use. Let it manage your storage drive: resize, format, delete, clone, convert, etc.