ERRORPATHNOTFOUND

ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND is a Windows system error code (error number 3) indicating that the system cannot find the path specified. It is defined in WinError.h and is part of the set of standard GetLastError values returned by many Win32 API functions when a provided path cannot be resolved to an existing directory or file.

This error is typically returned by functions that require a valid path, such as CreateFile, DeleteFile, MoveFile, FindFirstFile, and GetFileAttributes. After a failing API call, the thread’s last error is set to 3, and developers can retrieve it with GetLastError to determine the cause of the failure. It is distinct from related errors such as ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND (2) and ERROR_BAD_PATHNAME (161), which convey different issues about non-existent files or invalid path syntax.

Common causes include specifying a non-existent directory in a path, misspelled folder names, relative paths that resolve differently at runtime, or network paths that are not mounted or accessible. Permissions issues can also produce similar failures if the path cannot be reached due to access controls.

Handling guidance typically involves validating the path before use, ensuring all referenced directories exist (creating them when appropriate), correcting typos, and verifying network or mount status for UNC paths. Cross-platform considerations note that Windows error 3 does not map directly to POSIX errno values, though ENOENT is often used to express a similar “no such file or directory” condition on other systems. In .NET, missing paths may surface as DirectoryNotFoundException or FileNotFoundException, depending on context.