SOLIDWORKS PDM Error: “Could not copy the file. Cause: The file could not be found.”

This article is part of a series for troubleshooting common, and perhaps not so common, SOLIDWORKS PDM error messages. The error message “Could not copy the file. Cause: The file could not be found.”, can occur when a user launches a SOLIDWORKS PDM Template that generates a file.

Template Fails to Create New File

When a PDM Template generates a file, it uses a corresponding document template.

Defining Document Template for PDM Template

For example, if the PDM Template generates a SOLIDWORKS part file, the PDM Template would use an existing SOLIDWORKS part, as a template. The user of the PDM Template will need at least read permissions to the template document.

Resolving the PDM Issue

To resolve this issue, make sure that users have at minimum the permission, Read file contents, for both the folder and state that document templates reside in.

Minimum State Permissions to Use Document Template

Alternatively, editing the PDM Template and specifying a user with sufficient permissions, will temporarily elevate the current user’s permissions. This is useful when you want to elevate a users permission, only when they use the PDM Template.

Elevating User Permissions When Running Template

Error could also be from Invalid Characters

This error message as well as the error message “Could not create folder. Cause: The file/key name was invalid,” can also be the result of an invalid character being specified for the file name, by the PDM Template. Below is a list of invalid characters, for file names:

" (Double quote)
/ \ (Forward / Back slash)
: (Colon)
? (Question mark)
* (Asterisk)
< > (Smaller / Bigger than)
| (Pipe)
Any character created using the CTRL key
An empty filename