How to Fix Unspecified Error When Copying File, Folder

Unspecified Error - 'Error Copying File or Folder' can happen to any user on Windows 10/8/7 when you try to copy and paste files to a new location. So what are the reasons that prevent you from copying files or folders to the target device? So many.

Possible causes of unspecified error on Windows

If you don't know how or what causes the unspecified file or folder copy error on your Windows computer, you can check the following to find out the cause of your current problem:

The copied file is larger than 4GB: if the copied file is larger than 4GB and you want to copy to a partition FAT32 like USB or SD, you will be blocked by this error message.

• Disk is write-protected: If the target partition or drive is read-only, write-protected, no data can be written
• Target disk does not have enough free space: If there is not enough free space and the file you are trying to copy is very large, the data copy will not complete.
• Target hard drive is corrupted, or the file is encrypted.
• System hooks
• Ownership of file or folder changed

These are the main reasons why you receive an unspecified error message when copying a file or folder.

Recover Data from Hard Drive Partition with Unspecified Error While Copying File/Folder

If you lost important data on the target partition or hard drive storage device due to an unspecified file or folder copy error, relax. You can directly follow the methods here to recover data from the device before or after you start fixing the “Error Copying File or Folder” issue.

No matter the reason users lost data on hard drive, it is possible to get them back through professional data recovery software-MyRecover. This tool is suitable for Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP and Windows Server, can meet users’ needs as it is equipped with efficient and advanced scanning technology and algorithms, which can scan the entire drive and find out data deletion and loss within minutes.

★Highlights in MyRecover:

Ease of Use: It has an intuitive graphical interface that can be easily used by every user.

Protect Data Integrity: Supports preserving the original file name, path, and format while recovering data.

Recover 200+ file types: Users can recover various types of files such as images, videos, Zip files, PPT, Word, Excel, and so on.

Advanced recovery technology: MyRecoveris equipped with the latest scanning algorithm to scan your partitioned hard drive efficiently and deeply using Quick Scan and Deep Scan.

Wide usage: Supports data retrieval from hard drive and external storage devices such as SD card, external hard drive, USB, etc.

Now download this application to retrieve data on partition and recover all lost files.

Step 1. Start MyRecover, hover your mouse over the drive and click Scan to scan.

Step 2. It will automatically start Quick Scan and Deep Scan, and if you find any data you want to recover during the scanning process, you don't need to wait for the process to complete.

Step 3. Select the data you need to recover deleted from hard drive partition or other lost files, and click Recover x files button to choose a destination path to save the recovered data.

How to Fix ‘Error Copying File or Folder’ Issue without Losing Data

Don’t worry if you encounter this error and can’t copy files or folders to the target device or hard drive. There is more than one way to solve the problem. Follow along to get rid of ‘Error Copying File or Folder’ and unspecified errors on Windows 10 right away. Based on the reasons listed above, here are the related fixes:

Method 1. Format the Target Partition/Disk to NTFS or exFAT

If you are trying to copy files larger than 4GB to a partition with the FAT32 file system (you can check your drive’s file system in properties), you will most likely fail. Why? Although the total file size you can copy to a FAT32 drive can be up to 2TB, each file size cannot exceed 4GB.

If the files you want to copy are larger than 4GB, you can compress them with WinRAR or ZIP to get smaller files. However, if this is not possible or if the target device does not give you access to reach it with the message "The parameter is incorrect", you can directly convert the target partition or disk to NTFS or exFAT, which can be done by formatting the drive. .

However, since formatting will erase all files on the target drive, you need to back up your files with free backup software or copy them to another place first. To format the hard drive:

Step 1. Open "This PC".

Step 2. Find and right-click your target partition. Select "Format" in the menu.

Step 3. Assign a Windows-compatible file system to your drive and click "Start".

Step 4. In the warning window, click "OK" to confirm the operation.

Method 2. Extending Partition Showing Undefined Error

If the error of copying undefined file or folder is caused by the lack of space on the target hard drive partition, you can free up space on your computer or directly use free partition management software to extend the hard drive partition to solve this problem with a simple click.

Method 3. Remove Write Protection on Target Disk

If your device has write protection when you enter 'File or Folder Copy Error' on your computer, you can follow the steps below to remove write protection on your device using diskpart:

Step 1. Run "Command Prompt" as administrator.

Step 2. Go to diskpart and click "Yes" when prompted.

Step 3. Enter the following commands in sequence:

list volume

select volume X (Replace "X" with the number of your write-protected hard drive.)

Attributes disk clear readonly

Method 4. Format Disk or Decrypt Files

If you receive an unspecified error while copying files or folders because the target disk is corrupted or the files are encrypted. You can format the disk if it is corrupted to try. While if the files are encrypted, you can just decrypt them.

Method 5. Change User Account

You may not have permission to make changes to files and folders using your current account. So switch to another account on your computer and copy the data.

Method 6. Change File/Folder Permissions

If you are not allowed to control the file or folder you are trying to copy, you may get an unspecified error message when copying something from one location to another. To change the permissions:

Step 1. Open the folder containing the file you want to copy, right-click it and select "Properties".

Step 2. Switch to the "Security" tab, click your name under "Group or user names" and check the permissions.

Step 3. If you need to change the permissions, click "Edit", check the permissions and click "OK".

Final Words

There are other tips that may fix the unspecified error when you copy files and folders. You can download Windows files and folders and use it to fix problems related to files and folders. You can also run the sfc.exe utility to check and fix your file system errors.

Do not forget to use data recovery software like MyRecover to get your deleted data back if you ecnounter data loss issues.