What does Windows error code 266 (ERROR_CANNOT_COPY) mean?

 
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ERROR_CANNOT_COPY

The object cannot be copied by this operation

ERROR_CANNOT_COPY means that the selected copy function cannot duplicate the object in the requested way. Special files, provider-managed content, device paths, or unsupported cross-volume semantics may be involved.

What to check

  • Record the source and destination types and file-system providers.
  • Check for reparse points, alternate streams, encryption, and special metadata.
  • Verify whether the API supports cross-volume or remote copies.
  • Do not fall back to a byte copy when required metadata or security semantics would be lost.

How to handle it

Use an operation documented for the object type or export the data through its owning provider. Validate the result before deleting or replacing the source.

References


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