Ethan Brooks
How to Fix “Error Copying File or Folder” Catastrophic Failure in Windows 11
If you’re encountering the “Error Copying File or Folder Catastrophic Failure” issue on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 system, this guide provides a series of solutions to help resolve the problem. By following these simple steps, you’ll learn how to troubleshoot and fix the error effectively.
Step 1: Restart Your PC
Before diving into specific troubleshooting methods, it’s advisable to restart your PC. This can resolve temporary glitches that may be causing the error.
Step 2: Run the File and Folder Troubleshooter
If the problem persists, run the built-in File and Folder Troubleshooter:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to Update & Security.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Click on Additional troubleshooters.
- Find and run File and Folder Troubleshooter.
This tool can automatically detect and resolve some issues that could be causing the error.
Step 3: Assign Full Control Permission
Next, ensure you have the necessary permissions to access the file or folder:
- Right-click the affected file or folder.
- Select Properties.
- Navigate to the Security tab.
- Click Edit to change permissions.
- Assign Full Control to your user account.
Step 4: Clear Temporary Files
Free up some disk space by clearing temporary files:
- Open the Run dialog by pressing Windows + R.
- Type
%temp%and press Enter. - Select all files and delete them.
- Additionally, you can run the Disk Cleanup utility to remove unnecessary files.
Step 5: Format Destination Drive to exFAT or NTFS
If you’re attempting to copy a file larger than 4GB, ensure your destination drive isn’t formatted with the FAT32 file system:
- Back up any important data on the destination drive.
- Open This PC.
- Right-click the drive and select Format.
- Choose exFAT or NTFS as the file system.
- Click Start to format the drive.
Step 6: Create a New User Account
Finally, if the error continues, consider creating a new user account:
- Open Settings.
- Go to Accounts and select Family & other users.
- Click Add someone else to this PC.
- Follow the prompts to create a new local user account.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Consider the following to enhance the troubleshooting experience:
- Double-check that your external drives are properly connected and not write-protected.
- Look for and install any pending Windows updates that may address underlying issues.
- If you started experiencing the error after an update, consider performing a system restore.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can effectively resolve the “Error Copying File or Folder Catastrophic Failure” issue on your Windows device.