How to fix FileNotFoundError in Python

Last Updated : 1 Jul, 2026

A FileNotFoundError occurs when Python tries to access a file that does not exist at the specified location. This exception is a subclass of OSError and is commonly raised while opening, reading, deleting, or modifying files.

Python 
file = open("abc.txt")

Output

ERROR!
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<main.py>", line 1, in <module>
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'abc.txt'

Explanation: Python looks for the file abc.txt in the current working directory. Since the file does not exist, it raises a FileNotFoundError.

Common Causes

1. File Does Not Exist: This is the most common reason for the error.

Python 
with open("report.txt", "r") as file:
    print(file.read())

Output

ERROR!
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<main.py>", line 1, in <module>
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'report.txt'

Explanation: Python cannot find the file report.txt because it does not exist in the specified location.

2. Incorrect File Path: A typo in the file path or filename can also trigger this exception.

Python 
with open("documents/data.txt", "r") as file:
    print(file.read())

Output

ERROR!
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<main.py>", line 1, in <module>
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'documents/data.txt'

Explanation: directory or file path is incorrect, so Python is unable to locate the file.

3. Wrong Current Working Directory: Sometimes the file exists, but Python is searching in a different directory.

Python 
import os

print(os.getcwd())
with open("data.txt", "r") as file:
    print(file.read())

Output

C:\Users\User\Projects
ERROR!
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'data.txt'

Explanation: file may exist elsewhere, but Python only searches relative paths from the current working directory.

Handling FileNotFoundError

1. Check if the File Exists Before Opening: You can use os.path.exists() to verify the file's presence before accessing it.

Python 
import os
fp = "abc.txt"

if os.path.exists(fp):
    with open(fp, "r") as file:
        print(file.read())
else:
    print("File not found.")

Output
File not found.

Explanation: program first checks whether the file exists. If it does not exist, a message is displayed instead of raising an exception.

2. try-except Block: A try-except block allows you to handle the exception gracefully.

Python 
try:
    with open("abc.txt", "r") as file:
        print(file.read())
except FileNotFoundError:
    print("File not found.")

Output
File not found.

Explanation: If the file is missing, Python raises a FileNotFoundError, which is caught by the except block and handled safely.

3. Absolute File Path: An absolute path specifies the exact location of the file.

Python 
with open("C:/Users/User/Documents/abc.txt", "r") as file:
    print(file.read())

Output

File contents displayed here

Explanation: Using the complete file path removes ambiguity and helps Python locate the file correctly.

4. Create the File if It Does Not Exist: If your goal is to create a file when it is missing, use write mode ("w").

Python 
with open("abc.txt", "w") as file:
    file.write("This file has been created!")

Output

abc.txt file created successfully

Explanation: When a file is opened in write mode and does not exist, Python automatically creates it.

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