4 Feasible Ways to Fix Could Not Find This Item Error

Whenever you try to copy or delete a file, you may receive this notification: "Could not find this item. This is no longer located in XX. Verify the item's location and try again". This error blocks you from deleting or copying files.

It is frustrating to run into this error. You can view the file or folder on your screen but can't delete it because of this annoying prompt. If you're faced with this error message, here are some fixes to get rid of it.

How to Fix Could Not Find This Item Error

How to delete a file that is not found? The solutions below can do you a favor. Keep reading and solve the error in Windows 11/10/8/7.

Method 1. Restart Windows Explorer to Fix Could Not Find This Item

The very first step to solve the "could not find this item, this is no longer located" error is restarting your Windows File Explorer. Then, try to delete or copy the file again. Follow these steps to fix your problem.

Step 1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select "Task Manager".

Step 2. Select "Windows Explorer" in the Processes tab and click "Restart".

Step 3. Delete the file or folder and see if the "Could not find this item" prompt will reappear.

Method 2. Delete the File Using the Command Prompt

If you still get the error "could not find this item" and want to delete your file, you can use Command Prompt (CMD) to delete it. Just follow the steps below:

Step 1. Type CMD in the search box and choose "Run as administrator".

Step 2. Type the command below to force delete a file in Windows 10.

• del drive:\path\filename

drive: refers to the drive letter of the drive where the file is located.

path: refers to the path or directory of files

For example, del D:\Pictures

Method 3. Try to Rename the File via Command Prompt

If deleting the file with Command Prompt didn't work well, try to rename this file with Command Prompt. Here's how to rename the file using Command Prompt.

Step 1. Run Command Prompt with administrative admission.

Step 2. Type the following command and press "Enter".

• DIR /A /X /P

To rename the file, execute:

RENAME (original file name) (destination file name)

Then, delete your file and see if the issue is solved.

Method 4. Delete the Item in Safe Mode to Fix the Error

If none of these solutions work, you need to enter Windows 10 Safe Mode and delete files again. Follow these steps to enter Safe Mode.

Step 1. Restart your Windows 10 PC. 

• When you see the Sign-in screen, press the "Shift" key and don't release.
• Clcik the Power icon at the bottom-right and choose "Restart".

Step 2. Choose "Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart".

Step 3. Enter Windows 10 Safe Mode.

After the Windows 10 PC restarts, you can see a list of Windows startup options. Press F4 to boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode.

Step 4. You can delete the file or folder again and see if that will do the trick.

How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows 11/10/8/7

What if you deleted some files that you actually didn't intend to? Data recovery software can help restore accidentally deleted files even if you have emptied the recycle bin. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a tool that can recover deleted files from a hard drive, SSD, SD card, and memory card with simple clicks.

Download this tool to recover lost data in Windows 10 with simple clicks.

Step 1. Select a location and start scanning

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, hover on the partition/drive where the deleted files were stored. Click "Scan" to find lost files.

Step 2. Select the files you want to recover

When the scanning has finished, select the deleted files you want to recover. You can click on the filter to display only the file types you want. If you remember the file name, you can also search in the "Search files or folders" box, which is the fastest way to find the target file. 

Step 3. Preview and recover deleted files

Preview the recoverable files. Then, select files you want to restore and click "Recover" to store the files at a new storage locations instead of the disk where the data was previously lost.

Conclusion

We all need to delete files occasionally to clear up space. There are times when an item refuses to leave your system. You try to delete it with the solutions above. And if you want to retrieve lost files, download and run EaseUS free data recovery software.

Could Not Find This Item FAQs

Here we have answered some of the frequently asked questions that will help you clear your doubts about could not find this item error in Windows 10.

1. How do you fix this file is no longer located?

• Deleting the file using Command Prompt
• Archive the files to delete them
• Renaming the file using Command Prompt

2. What causes files to disappear?

Here are the causes:

• This error happens to files created by third-party services
• Files can disappear when the properties are set to hidden

3. Do deleted files really go away?

Although you can no longer see the file in the location, a copy still exists on your hard drive. The files are gone forever if they are erased on your drive.

4. How do I find a missing file location?

Steps to find a missing file location:

• Check Your Recent Files
• Look in the Recent Items Folder
• Check in the Recycle Bin
• Search Your Computer
• Search in Email Attachments

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