How To Resolve Unspecified Error When Copying Files or Folders in Windows

Dealing with the “Unspecified Error” when trying to copy files or folders on your Windows PC is kind of annoying, mainly because the actual cause isn’t clear. It pops up unexpectedly, sometimes during the middle of copying, leaving you scratching your head. This can be super frustrating if you’re rushing to move important files and stuff keeps failing. Because Windows doesn’t give much detail, troubleshooting can feel like guesswork. But after running into this enough times, a few tricks and fixes have emerged that often get things moving again.

How to Fix ‘Unspecified Error’ When Copying Files or Folders in Windows

Ensure the file isn’t being used by another program

This one’s kind of obvious, but it’s worth double-checking. If the file is open elsewhere, like in an app or even in a background process, Windows might block the copy operation. You can open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and see if the file’s process is running. Sometimes, just closing the app that’s using the file or restarting the process can clear the error. After that, try copying again—on some setups, this fixes the issue immediately, but on others, it might not.

Check drive format — especially for big files

One thing that trips people up is copying large files (>4GB) onto drives formatted with FAT32. Windows throws a fit here because FAT32 just can’t handle files bigger than 4GB. If that’s the case, you’ll need to change the drive format to NTFS. Here’s how:

Right-click on the drive in File Explorer and select Format.
From the File System dropdown, pick NTFS instead of FAT32.
Check Quick Format, then click Start.
Warning: This will erase data on that drive, so move or back up what you need first.

After reformatting, try copying the file again. Check if the error persists because, on some machines, this is a big offender.

Make sure the destination drive has enough space and isn’t corrupted

If you’re copying a 10GB file to a drive with only 2GB free, that’s a no-go. Same if the drive is damaged or has bad sectors—Windows might just refuse. Use Check Drive (right-click the drive, select Properties, then go to the Tools tab and click Check) to scan for errors. Also, keep an eye on available space—if it’s tight, free up some space or choose another drive to copy to.

Reboot your PC — sometimes Windows just needs a fresh start

This might sound trivial, but some glitches stack up over time. A quick restart can clear out temporary bugs that cause file copying errors. After rebooting, try copying again. Sometimes, that’s all it takes, even if it seems too simple.

Adjust permissions — give full control to the folder or file

If the file or folder has restrictive permissions, copy operations can get blocked. Right-click the file/folder, choose Properties, head over to Security. Pick Everyone, click Edit, and check Allow Full Control. Hit Apply and OK. That should grant the necessary rights to move or copy the item. Sometimes Windows blocks file operations because of permissions — this fix is worth trying.

Remove write protection from external drives

If you’re copying to an external USB drive, check if that drive has write protection enabled. Some drives have a physical switch, so toggle it off if present. Or, to do it digitally:

Open Command Prompt as administrator (Win + R, type cmd, then Ctrl + Shift + Enter).
Type diskpart and press Enter.
In diskpart, list disks with list disk — identify your external drive by size.
Select the drive: select disk 1 (replace 1 with your disk number).
Remove read-only attribute: attributes disk clear readonly and press Enter.
Type exit to close diskpart, then try copying again.

This trick often unclogs write restrictions on external drives.

Turn off antivirus or firewall temporarily

Sometimes, security software blocks file operations as a false alarm. Disable your third-party antivirus or firewall temporarily and try copying again. If it works, that software was causing the problem. But be cautious, and remember to re-enable security after testing.

For Windows Security, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection, then click Manage Settings. Turn off Real-time Protection. Likewise, disable the firewall from Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall.

Re-register DLLs if they’re corrupted

If certain DLLs like jscript.dll or vbscript.dll are corrupted or missing, copying might fail. Re-registering them can fix that:

Open Command Prompt as admin (Win + R, type cmd, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter).
Run these commands one by one:

regsvr32 jscript.dll
regsvr32 vbscript.dll

Restart your PC and try copying again. Not sure why, but re-registering those DLLs sometimes gets things unstuck.

Try compressing the file to ZIP before copying

If the file’s just too big or seems problematic, compress it first — right-click the file or folder, select Compress to ZIP (using tools like 7-Zip or Windows built-in ZIP).Then, copy the ZIP instead of the original. After copying, decompress when needed. This often overcomes weird copying errors.

Use Microsoft’s File and Folder Troubleshooter

Still stuck? You might want to run Microsoft’s official troubleshooter. It’s not built into Windows but available online:

Download the File and Folder Troubleshooter. Make sure to save it somewhere easy to find.
Open File Explorer, go to your Downloads folder, and double-click the troubleshooter file.
Click Next, select the option for Renaming or moving files and folders, then click Next again. Let it run—this might fix underlying issues causing the ‘Unspecified Error’.
After completion, try copying again.

Bottom Line

If you’re dealing with the “Unspecified Error” during file copy operations, it’s often about permissions, drive format, or temporary glitches. These fixes have helped in several cases, though sometimes it’s just trial and error to find what works on your setup. But at least you’ve got a good pile of options now.

Summary

Check if the file is open or used by another process.
Make sure the destination drive supports large files (use NTFS).
Ensure enough space and that the drive isn’t corrupted.
Reboot for temporary glitches.
Adjust permissions to give yourself full control.
Remove write protection from external drives if needed.
Temporarily disable antivirus/firewall software.
Re-register DLL files like jscript.dll and vbscript.dll.
Compress big files or folders before copying.
Use Microsoft’s File and Folder Troubleshooter if nothing else works.

Wrap-up

Copying files without hiccups remains a bit of a puzzle sometimes, but most of these steps are straightforward and deal with common culprits. Hopefully, one of them kicks in before too long. Just remember, Windows likes to make things unnecessarily complicated—no surprise there. Good luck, and fingers crossed this helps someone save a little headache.