How to Fix Fix Error 0x80070781 — File Cannot Be Accessed by the System on Windows
Getting error 0x80070781 when accessing files, backup, or system restore? "The file cannot be accessed by the system"? Fix this file access error.
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •Error 0x80070781 during file backup or restore operations
- •"The file cannot be accessed by the system" on specific files
- •System Restore fails with this error code
- •File History can't back up certain files
- •Error when trying to access files on external or network drives
- •Windows Backup reports 0x80070781 for some files
Common Causes
- ⚠File path exceeds Windows MAX_PATH (260 character) limit
- ⚠File has special characters that the system can't process
- ⚠File is locked by a running process
- ⚠File system corruption on source or destination drive
- ⚠NTFS permissions preventing system-level access
- ⚠Reparse points or symbolic links broken
Solutions
Solution 1: Fix Long File Paths
- 1This error often occurs with deeply nested folders:
- 2Check the full path length of the problem file
- 3If path > 260 characters: move or rename to shorten it
- 4Enable long path support in Windows:
- 5Regedit → HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
- 6Set "LongPathsEnabled" to 1 (DWORD)
- 7Or: gpedit.msc → Computer Config → Admin Templates → System → Filesystem
- 8"Enable Win32 long paths" → Enabled
Solution 2: Fix File Access and Permissions
- 1Right-click the problem file/folder → Properties → Security tab
- 2Click "Advanced" → ensure your user has "Full control"
- 3If needed: click "Change" next to Owner → set to your username
- 4Check "Replace all child object permission entries"
- 5For system files: CMD as Admin:
- 6takeown /f "C:\path\to\file" /r
- 7icacls "C:\path\to\file" /grant %username%:F /t
Solution 3: Fix File System Errors
- 1CMD as Admin:
- 2chkdsk C: /F /R (schedule for next restart if C: drive)
- 3Restart PC to run the check
- 4For backup-specific errors:
- 5Exclude the problem file/folder from backup temporarily
- 6Settings → System → Storage → Backup → configure exclusions
- 7If on external drive: try a different USB port or cable
- 8Run: sfc /scannow to repair system file issues
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