
NSCocoaErrorDomain: The “Specified Shortcut Not Found” error is usually encountered on macOS or iOS devices. This mostly happens when we access an unregistered keyboard shortcut while using the device. These are the reasons why this error occurs:
Shortcut error: It is recommended that you check the settings of the shortcut before using it.
Invalid Shortcut ID: If you’re using a system-accepted or custom keyboard shortcut, make sure the identifier is correct. An invalid identifier may cause an error.
Insufficient configuration: Some macOS or iOS devices have specific configurations for using shortcuts. An error occurs when the configurations required to implement this function are missing.
Code logic: Logical error also plays a big role in entering a keyboard shortcut. You need to review the code logic to check for logical error.
Resource connection: Sometimes the application may display an error stating that there is no resource associated with the short arm. In order not to encounter this error, you need to check that some resource is properly implemented.
If knowing these reasons still doesn’t help you fix the problem, it might be worth checking out Apple’s documentation for the features you’re using.
Understanding NSCocoaErrorDomain
NSCocoaErrorDomain is a constant identifier used in Cocoa, Apple’s development software. This is a domain where codes are mislabeled in different varieties. If NSCocoaErrorDomain indicates that an error has occurred, it means that it is related to Cocoa or a process related to it. Cocoa is a major role-playing program for Apple platforms. It provides these platforms with a rich set of APIs. This plays a role in better error handling in APIs.
Let’s take a look at the error codes you might encounter within the NSCocoaErrorDomain:
- NSFileNoSuchFileError: Indicates that the file you are accessing does not exist.
- NSFileLockingError: This is a type of error that you may encounter when you lock or unlock a file.
- NSFileReadUnknownError: Can be displayed when you read a file.
- NSFileReadNoPermissionError: Indicates that the file you are accessing is not allowed to be read.
- NSFileReadInvalidFileNameError: Indicates that there is an error in the name of the file you want to access.
- NSFileReadFileNotFoundError: Indicates that the file you want to access was not found.
NSCocoaErrorDomain has more than 100 error code pointers. These are just a few examples.
Overview of the “Could Not Find the Specified Shortcut” Error

The “Specified shortcut not found” error occurs mainly on computers with Windows operating system. The reason for this and the ways to solve the error are mentioned below.
Reason: This error occurs when we try to create shortcuts to files or programs. But the shortcut is damaged or deleted.
Notifications: When we try to open a shortcut, a message is displayed saying that the target cannot be found.
Possible reasons:
- Deleted or moved shortcut.
- Changing the shortcut or moving or deleting the folder or program it is associated with.
- Shortcut settings issues or malware effects.
Target verification: Make sure the file, folder, or program the shortcut is associated with exists.
Re-creating the shortcut: If the shortcut is deleted or missing while the element exists, hold the mouse over the element, right-click and select “Create Shortcut”.
Repair from backup: If there is a copy of the shortcut item, it is possible to restore it.
Malware scanning: Sometimes malware can delete shortcuts. To avoid this, it is advisable to use programs for antivirus scanning.
System Restore: If the problem occurred a short time ago, you can restore it using System Restore.
Precautions: Back up important files to avoid data loss.
Possible Causes of the Error
The error “The shortcut you want to access was not found” can be caused by several reasons. For example:
Deleted or moved target:
If the file or program associated with the shortcut you want to use is deleted or moved, the shortcut will show an error.
Corrupted shortcut:
The shortcut file can be corrupted due to improper connections or virus-infected programs. Malware can affect all system files, causing them to become corrupted and redirected to unconnected locations.
User error:
Deleting shortcuts by users or linking to deleted links can cause the error to occur.
System change:
Making updates to the system, updates or changing the settings of the programs causes the shortcuts to become unusable.
Disk errors:
These errors affect the structure of files or programs, causing shortcuts to be broken.
Permission issue:
Insufficient permissions on the files or programs you want to access prevent shortcuts from working properly.
To clarify what is the main cause of the error, it is necessary to examine the system parameters and review the changes made.
Troubleshooting and Solutions
When you encounter the error “The specified shortcut was not found” when you want to access the file, you should first investigate the causes and resort to the solutions. Here are some troubleshooting steps:
- Checking the Shortcut Configuration: You need to check if the configuration of the shortcut is correct by accessing the settings of the shortcut. Make sure the shortcut you want to access is appropriate.
- Eliminate conflicts: Make sure that the shortcut you want to use does not intersect with other keyboard shortcuts. If you encounter such an error, enter the settings of the conflicting shortcut and redefine it with a different key combination.
- Reset settings: It is possible to reset the shortcut settings back to their default configurations. This will remove any wrong settings that may be causing the error.
- Repair the software: Repair and reinstall the affected software. If the error persists, check if the app you are using is up to date. Developers often make updates to fix bugs.
- Checking permissions: Make sure the shortcut user has the necessary access rights. Adjust permissions again if necessary. This will help to perform the operation correctly.
- Safety Mode: Enable Safety Mode to protect against third-party applications that may interfere with the execution of shortcuts. If the error does not reoccur in this mode, then third-party applications are the cause of the problem.
- If you are unable to prevent the errors from occurring, you can ask for help from the technical support communities.
Best Practices to Avoid the Error

To avoid the “The shortcut you want to access was not found” error, or to ensure it works properly, try these practices:
Check the configurations in detail.
Make sure shortcuts are defined correctly and do not conflict with other shortcuts.
Maintain documentation that lists all assigned shortcuts. This will facilitate the resolution of problems that arise or may arise.
Avoid conflicting keys when setting a shortcut.
Use key combinations that are easy to remember for special functions.
Check and update shortcut settings.
Adjust shortcuts to simplify or optimize usage.
Check functionality for each program. If you’re developing software for multiple platforms, make sure shortcuts work consistently.
Implement an error message that can provide detailed information to the user when a shortcut is not found or executed during use.
Include convenient methods to perform the necessary steps for solving shortcut errors.
Optimize resources and performance. Protect keyboard shortcuts to work properly.
Keep software up to date by updating apps and other settings.
Direct users to report whether shortcuts are convenient to use or problems they encounter.
Actively respond to user feedback to improve the effectiveness of shortcuts.
FAQs
Which of the following is used when creating a NSError object?
Objective-C or Swift is used when creating an NSError object. This is usually where the NSError initialization method provided by the Foundation framework comes to your rescue. In addition, we can show the following examples of other used initiators.
init(domain:code:userInfo:)
This initializer creates an NSError object with the domain, error code, and user information.
init(domain:code:userInfo:underlyingError:)
This starter was the same as the other one. The only difference is that the main error instruction must be specified in addition to the other initializer instructions.
What is the difference between NSError and NSException?
The NSError and NSException mechanisms are used to avoid errors in Objective-C and CoCoa programming. But both serve different purposes and in different contexts.
NSError is a mechanism for indicating that errors have been detected in the CaCao framework. This mechanism is mostly used to handle recoverable errors. For example: Errors we encounter in I/O operations, network requests… NSError is designed to handle methods that fail when using them, returning error codes, descriptions and necessary information to recover. Developers use this mechanism in conjunction with methods with error parameters.
NSException is mainly used to handle unrecoverable errors in Objective-C and CoCoa programming. When unhandled errors occur, exceptions are thrown and the call stacks until it causes the program to terminate. @finally, @try and @catch blocks are used to catch exceptions. But in Objective-C and Cacao programming, it is more appropriate not to use exceptions. It should be handled using the NSError mechanism instead
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