Learn Fix: FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

Q: What is the difference between FileNotFoundError and IOError?

In Python 3, FileNotFoundError is a subclass of OSError. In older Python 3 versions, you might catch IOError — but FileNotFoundError is more specific. Use OSError if you want to catch all file-related errors (permission errors, file not found, etc.).

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FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

DodaTech 3 min read

FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory appears when you try to open, read, or write to a file path that doesn’t exist. This is one of the most common I/O errors in Python.

What It Means

The operating system reported that the path you gave doesn’t point to an existing file or directory. Python can’t create or access the file at that location automatically — you need to provide a valid path.

Why It Happens

The file doesn’t exist (typo in filename, wrong directory)
Using relative paths when the current working directory isn’t what you think
The file is in a different directory than expected
The filename extension is wrong or missing
The program doesn’t have permission to see the file (different issue, same error on some OS)
Symbolic link is broken

How to Fix It

Step 1: Use an absolute path

# BAD — relative path depends on where the script runs
with open("data.txt") as f:
    content = f.read()

# GOOD — use an absolute path
with open("/home/user/project/data.txt") as f:
    content = f.read()

# Or build the path relative to the script's location
from pathlib import Path
base = Path(__file__).parent
path = base / "data.txt"
with open(path) as f:
    content = f.read()

Step 2: Check your current working directory

import os
# Print where Python thinks it is
print(os.getcwd())

Then either change to the correct directory or adjust the path.

Step 3: Verify the file exists before opening

import os
from pathlib import Path

path = "data.txt"

# Option A
if os.path.exists(path):
    with open(path) as f:
        print(f.read())
else:
    print(f"File '{path}' not found")

# Option B (modern)
p = Path(path)
if p.is_file():
    print(p.read_text())
else:
    print(f"File '{path}' not found")

Step 4: List files in the directory to find the correct name

import os
directory = "."
for f in os.listdir(directory):
    print(f)

Step 5: Create parent directories if writing a file

from pathlib import Path

path = Path("output/subdir/results.txt")
path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
path.write_text("Hello, file!")

Step 6: Use try/except for robust file operations

try:
    with open("data.txt") as f:
        content = f.read()
except FileNotFoundError:
    print("File not found. Creating with default content...")
    with open("data.txt", "w") as f:
        f.write("default")

Why does my script find the file when I run it from the terminal but not from my IDE?

The current working directory differs. When running from a terminal, the CWD is the terminal’s current directory. From an IDE, it’s often the project root or a directory you configured. Always use Path(__file__).parent to reference files relative to the script itself.

What is the difference between FileNotFoundError and IOError?

In Python 3, FileNotFoundError is a subclass of OSError. In older Python 3 versions, you might catch IOError — but FileNotFoundError is more specific. Use OSError if you want to catch all file-related errors (permission errors, file not found, etc.).

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