BCUninstaller/Bulk-Crap-Uninstaller · error · InvalidOperationException

Failed to enable this entry, the following file was not foun

Error message

Failed to enable this entry, the following file was not found:\n\n{oldPath}

What it means

Thrown in the enable flow when restoring a previously disabled file-based StartupEntry: GetDisabledEntryPath returns the backup location oldPath, and if File.Exists(oldPath) is false the code throws InvalidOperationException with StartupManager_FailedEnable_FileNotFound plus oldPath. The backup file that the disable step created is required to move the entry back to its original location.

Source

Thrown at source/UninstallTools/Startup/Normal/OldStartupDisable.cs:205

        public void Enable(StartupEntry startupEntry)
        {
            if (!startupEntry.DisabledStore)
                return;

            // Reconstruct the startup entry
            if (!startupEntry.IsRegKey)
            {
                // Move the backup file back to its original location
                var oldPath = GetDisabledEntryPath(startupEntry);

                if (File.Exists(oldPath))
                {
                    File.Delete(startupEntry.FullLongName);
                    File.Move(oldPath, startupEntry.FullLongName);
                }
                else
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(Localisation.StartupManager_FailedEnable_FileNotFound
                                                        + "\n\n" + oldPath);
            }
            else
            {
                // Recreate the registry key
                StartupEntryManager.CreateRegValue(startupEntry);
            }

            Delete(startupEntry);

            startupEntry.BackupPath = string.Empty;
            // Entry is no longer disabled
            startupEntry.DisabledStore = false;
        }

        /// <summary>
        ///     Create backup store path for the link. The backup extension is appended as well.
        ///     Works only for links, returns garbage for registry values.

View on GitHub (pinned to 608321de98)

Solutions

1. Before calling Enable, check File.Exists(GetDisabledEntryPath(entry)) and, if missing, recreate the entry from a known-good source or recreate the startup shortcut directly.
2. Verify the backup volume is mounted and the path in BackupPath still resolves.
3. Treat a missing backup as a recovery case: log it, recreate the startup registration manually, and clear DisabledStore.

Example fix

// before
_disableService.Enable(entry);

// after
var backupPath = GetDisabledEntryPath(entry);
if (!File.Exists(backupPath))
{
    StartupEntryManager.CreateRegValue(entry); // or recreate shortcut
    entry.DisabledStore = false;
    return;
}
_disableService.Enable(entry);

var backup = disableService.GetDisabledEntryPath(entry);
if (!entry.IsRegKey && entry.DisabledStore && !File.Exists(backup))
{
    // backup gone: recreate the registration directly
    StartupEntryManager.CreateRegValue(entry);
    entry.DisabledStore = false;
    return;
}
disableService.Enable(entry);

null

try { disableService.Enable(entry); }
catch (InvalidOperationException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains(Localisation.StartupManager_FailedEnable_FileNotFound))
{
    StartupEntryManager.CreateRegValue(entry);
    entry.DisabledStore = false;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling Enable on a StartupEntry whose DisabledStore is true but whose backup file (on DriveDisableBackupPath) has been deleted, moved, or is on a volume that is no longer mounted.

Common situations: The user manually cleaned the backup folder; an antivirus quarantined the moved file; the backup was on a temp drive that was cleared; the disable step never actually completed the File.Move but still set DisabledStore=true.

Related errors

• Failed to enable this entry, the following file was not foun
• Invalid path {item.Command}
• File name cannot be empty.
• The uninstall list file is empty.
• The system cannot find the file specified. Indicates that th

AI-assisted analysis of BCUninstaller/Bulk-Crap-Uninstaller@608321de98 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8680a2a12708f556. Report an issue: GitHub.