I have a very similar problem. I hope this will not impose on your problem.
I have tried almost everything you have tried including:
--changing cables
--uninstalling and reinstalling Arduino IDE
--using a second Uno and Nanos making sure the proper board and port were selected.
--using a different computer (laptop)
--tried to upload other saved programs that I know have worked in the past.
--even examples of blink and blank programs I get the message
exit status 1
Error compiling for board Arduino Uno (or Nano as the case might be)
The only difference with my problem is that I have not received any message of not finding file.
Before I started getting the error message every time, sometimes it said it can't upload. Now it will not get that far.
I am in the process of resolving the issue. I deleted all my sketches on the laptop computer since I have backups on my main computer. I am now able to compile and load the preexisting example sketches on the laptop. I will begin to transfer sketches from my main computer to see if I can identify the sketch that screwed everything up. I was working on 433 hz communication send and receive sketches when this happened.
Update: I am now able to compile and upload sketches on both computers. I first saved all my sketches to a thumb drive and then deleted everything Arduino related off the desktop computer. My laptop will work with the latest version of Arduino but I had to use an older version (1.8.7) on my desktop.
All saved sketches I have tried so far will compile and upload now.
Please stick to your own issues unless you have a fully valid answer not vague and sometimes incorrect ones.
Version 1.9.7 is not a valid IDE. (from one of the deleted posts)
Other posts/duplicates DELETED
Please do NOT cross post / duplicate as it wastes peoples time and efforts to have more than one post for a single topic.
Continued cross posting HAS resulted in a time out from the forum.
It is only a 24 hr ban but it gives you time to read the links provided (twice)