How to fix Error 442 on Windows 11

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Why This Error Happens

Windows 11’s NTFS file system supports a per-directory case-sensitivity flag, originally introduced to improve compatibility with the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). When this flag is enabled on a folder—often accidentally, through a WSL command, a Linux-based tool, or a misconfigured sync client—Windows begins treating filenames in that directory as case-sensitive, meaning Report.docx and report.docx are seen as two different files. Standard Windows applications and Explorer, which expect case-insensitive behavior, fail with Error 442 because they cannot resolve the exact-case path being requested. This is not a corruption issue; it’s a filesystem attribute mismatch.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

  1. Identify the affected folder – Note the exact path throwing the error (e.g., C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Project).
  2. Open Command Prompt as Administrator – Press Win + X, select Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
  3. Check the case-sensitivity status by running:
   fsutil.exe file queryCaseSensitiveInfo "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Project"

If it returns “directory is case sensitive,” proceed to the next step.

  1. Disable case sensitivity on the folder using:
   fsutil.exe file setCaseSensitiveInfo "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Project" disable

Note: The folder must be empty of open handles, and you may need to close any apps currently accessing it first.

  1. If the folder is not empty and the command fails, move all files to a temporary location, run the disable command on the now-empty folder, then move the files back in.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • Re-run the fsutil.exe file queryCaseSensitiveInfo command on the folder to confirm it now shows “directory is not case sensitive,” then try reopening the file normally.
  • If the issue persists or recurs, check whether WSL, Docker Desktop, or a Git tool is auto-setting this flag on sync/clone operations, and adjust that tool’s configuration (e.g., disable core.protectNTFS overrides in Git or check WSL mount options) to prevent it from reapplying case sensitivity.