Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file...

[Joe T.]

My buddy sent me a little file, 1.25mb, and I cannot open it. He can but I
cannot. I get "Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file. You
may not have the approiate permissions to access the item".
XP Pro. Retail version. Have disk. This is my home computer. No
administrator rights needed. No password needed. I'm the only one in the
house. Computer in my name. No other users.
What's up.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

My buddy sent me a little file, 1.25mb, and I cannot open it. He
can but I cannot. I get "Windows cannot access the specified
device, path or file. You may not have the approiate permissions to
access the item".
XP Pro. Retail version. Have disk. This is my home computer. No
administrator rights needed. No password needed. I'm the only one
in the house. Computer in my name. No other users.
What's up.

What type of file is it? (nameoffile.extension <-- what is the extension?)

Do you have the program you need to see it installed on your computer?

How did your 'buddy' send you the file? Email? CD? Thumb drive? some
other way?

If email - do you save it first - then try to open it? If not - do so.
Always save attachments to emails someplace you can easily get to before
opening them.

If external media - copy it first.

 

[Joe T.]

1. File extension is .exe.
2. I don't know. It's a windows .exe executable file. I have XP Pro. I have
over 60 other programs on my computer. I've never had a problem opening or
installing other .exe programs. First time I've ever seen this message!
3. He sent a 3 1/2" floppy. Properties are "archive".
4. External media- Do you mean floppy?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

1. File extension is .exe.
2. I don't know. It's a windows .exe executable file. I have XP
Pro. I have over 60 other programs on my computer. I've never had a
problem opening or installing other .exe programs. First time I've
ever seen this message!
3. He sent a 3 1/2" floppy. Properties are "archive".
4. External media- Do you mean floppy?

Executable... Scan okay?

Did you copy it first - to your local computer?

It's possible the floppy diskette is defective. There is a reason (other
than just the size) they have slowly gone away... :-(

 

[Joe T.]

Scans ok. Cannot copy disk to a file I made on c drive. There is a readme
file with it and it copies over just fine.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Scans ok. Cannot copy disk to a file I made on c drive. There is a
readme file with it and it copies over just fine.

If you cannot copy the file - there is a chance the floppy diskette is
defective - just like any disk - parts of it can be defective while other
parts are fine.

I would get another copy of the file from your friend - this time perhaps
purchase an inexpensive USB thumb drive for a few dollars. You'll get a
more reliable device that can hold much more data at once - over and over
and over.