SQL Server "failed to retrieve text" -- how to resolve?

When SQL Server throws permissions errors (or other OS errors), it generally logs something of the form "Cannot open file {blah}. Operating system error 3 (failed to retrieve text for this message)".

It's a simple one: what is it that's stopping SQL Server retrieving the error text? I'm assuming it's a permissions problem somewhere, but I don't know what mechanism SQL uses to translate OS error codes to actual text messages to actual get this working in the first place.

NOTE: I'm not asking "how do I fix the initial error" (just incase someone misreads the question) -- this is "how do I get SQL Server to sucessfully translate the OS error number to text so I don't have to keep looking up or remembering what the OS error numbers mean".

This is one of those that there probably is an answer out there, but it's drowned out by all the questions asking "what does OS error mean", and I can't find the right google incantation...