Fix Error 0x80070052: The Directory or File Cannot Be Created

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Error 0x80070052 “The Directory or File Cannot Be Created” is a common occurrence when using removable media or USB. Here are fixes and workarounds you can apply to solve the problem.

This particular error is common among users who use removable storage devices such as USB and external hard drives. The error often occurs when copying files to a removable drive. This error can be caused by a corrupted disk file system or file system. Below are the fixes for error 0x80070052.

What are the causes of error 0x80070052

As everyone knows, a directory or file cannot be created. The error message may appear when you try to copy files to a removable media such as a USB drive, TF card, external hard drive or memory card. This mostly happens with photos and videos, especially photos with a name longer than 20 characters.

There are several factors that can cause the error message 0x80070052 to appear. Thus, the following can lead to error 0x80070052.

• A directory or filename already exists on your USB drive.
• The directory path on the drive is not found.
• There is not enough space on the USB drive.
• The file or directory name contains invalid characters.
• The USB flash drive may not be formatted correctly.
• Windows system files are corrupted.

Copy or move the files to a subfolder

Remember: only do the following if your target folder is the root folder of the removable drive.

Step 1: Open the target drive, right-click the location and choose Create”>Folder.
Step 2: Insert the files into the new folder.



Create a new folder on the USB drive

If the directory or file name you are copying already exists on your USB drive, you will see error 0x80070052. In this case, you can create a new folder on the USB drive. Right-click an empty space on the portable device and select Create”>”Folder” in the context menu. Then copy the directory or files into the newly created folder.

Permission to edit files

Step 1: Right-click the file or folder for which you want to set permissions and select “Properties”.

Step 2: Click the “Security” tab.

Step 3: Click the “Change…” button to open the “Authorization” dialog box.

Step 4: Do the following:

• Click the “Add” button to set permissions for the group or user that does not appear in the Group or User Name field, and then enter the name of the group or user you want to set permissions for.
• Click the group or user name to change or remove permissions for an existing group or user.
• Select the Allow or Deny check box for the permission type.
• Click the Delete button to remove the group or user from the Group or User Name field.

Step 5: Click the OK button.

Formatting the disk as FAT32

In most cases, error 0x80070052 (directory or file cannot be created) occurs when the file system you are trying to copy files to is formatted in an older file system that cannot handle files of this size – FAT16 is the most common file system format.

If you don’t know what file system you’re using for your external hard drive or flash drive, you can find out by right-clicking on the drive letter in Explorer and selecting “Properties” from the context menu. On the “Properties” screen, select the “General” tab and check the file system (under “Type”).

That’s all about fixing error 0x80070052 Unable to create directory or file. If you encounter other PC errors and problems, also visit our hub for common PC errors and their fixes.

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