peass-ng/PEASS-ng · error · FileNotFoundException

The system cannot find the file specified: [path]

Error message

The system cannot find the file specified: [path]

What it means

FileNotFoundException ('The system cannot find the file specified') thrown by ExistsDriveOrFolderOrFile when lastError is ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND and the target is NOT a folder. The final path component exists as neither a file nor directory at the probed location, and the caller asked to be told (throwIfFolderOrFileNotExists).

Source

Thrown at winPEAS/winPEASexe/winPEAS/3rdParty/AlphaFS/Filesystem/Directory Class/Directory.ExistsDrive.cs:94

            throw new DeviceNotReadyException(drive, true);


         throwIfFolderOrFileNotExists = throwIfFolderOrFileNotExists && lastError != Win32Errors.NO_ERROR;

         if (throwIfFolderOrFileNotExists)
         {
            if (lastError != Win32Errors.NO_ERROR)
            {
               if (lastError == Win32Errors.ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND)
                  throw new DirectoryNotFoundException(regularPath);


               if (lastError == Win32Errors.ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND)
               {
                  if (isFolder)
                     throw new DirectoryNotFoundException(regularPath);

                  throw new FileNotFoundException(regularPath);
               }
            }
         }


         return driveExists;
      }
   }
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 53fb989abc)

Solutions

  1. Correct the file path (verify spelling, extension, and expected install location).
  2. Regenerate/install the missing file, or copy it from a known-good source.
  3. Catch FileNotFoundException and treat as absent if the check is advisory.
  4. Search alternates (Directory.EnumerateFiles with a search pattern) when the exact name may vary.

Example fix

// before
bool hasLicense = Directory.ExistsDrive(licensePath, true, true);
// after
bool hasLicense = File.Exists(licensePath);
if (!hasLicense) Log.Warn("license file missing: " + licensePath);
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if (!File.Exists(filePath)) { Log.Warn("missing file: " + filePath); return false; }

Try / catch

try { ok = Directory.ExistsDrive(filePath, true, true); } catch (FileNotFoundException ex) { Log.Warn($"file not found: {ex.FileName}"); ok = false; }

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Directory.ExistsDrive(filePath, throwIfFolderOrFileNotExists:true) where the file itself is absent — e.g. probing a specific file path that was deleted, never installed, or misspelled while its parent directory exists.

Common situations: Looking for a marker file/license file/config file that a different product version stores elsewhere; files removed by cleanup tools or antivirus quarantine; probing files on a freshly imaged machine.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of peass-ng/PEASS-ng@53fb989abc (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/91a80de9dbebda5a. Report an issue: GitHub.