How to Find and Unlock File or Folder in Used by Windows

• It explains the common causes of file or folder locking and how to identify the locking process using Task Manager, File Unlocker Tools, or Command Prompt.
• It provides various methods to unlock and delete files or folders using Task Manager, File Unlocker Tools, Command Prompt, or Windows Explorer, with detailed steps and screenshots.

Have you ever encountered a situation where you want to delete, rename, move, or modify a file or folder, but Windows prevents you from doing so with an error message like “Cannot delete file: Access is denied” or “The file is in use by another program or user”? This can be very frustrating and annoying, especially if you don’t know what is locking the file or folder and how to unlock it. In this article, we will show you how to find and unlock files or folders that are locked by Windows processes or applications, and how to delete them safely and easily.

What Causes Files or Folders to Be Locked?

Files or folders can be locked by Windows for various reasons. Some of the common causes are:

• The file or folder is being used by another program or process. For example, if you have a document open in Microsoft Word, you cannot delete or rename the document file until you close Word.
• The file or folder is being shared over a network or the internet. For example, if you have a file or folder that is shared with other users via Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, etc., you cannot delete or rename it until you stop the sharing or disconnect from the network.
• The file or folder has insufficient permissions. For example, if you have a file or folder that belongs to another user account or requires administrator privileges, you cannot delete or rename it unless you have the appropriate permissions.
• The file or folder is corrupted or damaged. For example, if you have a file or folder that has been infected by malware, corrupted by a disk error, or damaged by a power outage, you may not be able to delete or rename it until you fix the problem.

How to Find and Unlock Files or Folders?

There are several methods that you can use to find and unlock files or folders that are locked by Windows processes or applications. Here are some of the most effective ones:

Method 1: Use Task Manager

Task Manager is a built-in tool that allows you to view and manage the running processes on your computer. You can use it to find out which process is locking a file or folder, and end it if necessary. Here are the steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click on the Processes tab to see the list of all running processes.
3. Locate the process that is locking the file or folder. You can use the search box to filter the list by name, status, type, etc.
4. Right-click on the process and select End task. This will terminate the process and release the lock on the file or folder.
5. Try to delete, rename, move, or modify the file or folder again.

Note: Be careful when ending a process, as it may cause data loss, system instability, or other problems. Make sure you save your work and close any programs that depend on the process before ending it.

Method 2: Use File Unlocker Tools

File unlocker tools are third-party software that can help you unlock files or folders that are locked by Windows processes or applications. They can also provide more information about the locking processes and offer more options to unlock and delete files or folders. Some of the popular file unlocker tools are:

• Unlocker: A free and lightweight tool that integrates with Windows Explorer and allows you to unlock files or folders with a right-click. It can also delete, rename, move, copy, and kill locking processes.
• IObit Unlocker: A free and powerful tool that can unlock files or folders in various ways. It can also terminate malware, viruses, and trojans that lock files or folders.
• Wise Force Deleter: A free and easy-to-use tool that can unlock files or folders by closing file handles and terminating locking processes. It can also delete files on reboot if they cannot be unlocked immediately.
• FileASSASSIN: A free and portable tool that can unlock files using advanced techniques such as unloading modules, closing remote handles, and terminating processes.

To use any of these tools, you need to download and install them on your computer. Then follow their instructions to select the file or folder that you want to unlock and choose the appropriate action.

Method 3: Use Command Prompt

Command Prompt is another built-in tool that allows you to execute commands to perform various tasks on your computer. You can use it to unlock files or folders using some commands such as:

• del: This command deletes one or more files from your computer. You can use it with some switches such as /f (force), /q (quiet), /s (subdirectories), etc., to delete locked files.
• rd: This command removes one or more directories from your computer. You can use it with some switches such as /s (subdirectories), /q (quiet), etc., to delete locked folders.
• handle: This command is not built-in, but you can download it from Microsoft. It displays information about open handles for any process in the system. You can use it with some switches such as -c (close), -p (process), -u (user), etc., to close handles that lock files or folders.

To use Command Prompt to unlock files or folders, you need to follow these steps:

• Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
• Type cmd and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
• Type the command that you want to use and press Enter. For example, if you want to delete a file named test.txt that is locked by a process with ID 1234, you can type: handle -c 1234 -p test.txt
• Try to delete, rename, move, or modify the file or folder again.

Note: Be careful when using Command Prompt, as it may cause data loss, system damage, or other problems if you use the wrong commands or switches. Make sure you have a backup of your files and folders before using Command Prompt.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: How do I find out which process is locking a file or folder?

Answer: You can use Task Manager, File Unlocker Tools, or Command Prompt to find out which process is locking a file or folder. See the methods above for more details.

Question: How do I unlock a file or folder without deleting it?

Answer: You can use Task Manager, File Unlocker Tools, or Command Prompt to unlock a file or folder without deleting it. See the methods above for more details.

Question: How do I delete a file or folder that is locked by Windows?

Answer: You can use Task Manager, File Unlocker Tools, Command Prompt, or Windows Explorer to delete a file or folder that is locked by Windows. See the methods above for more details.

Question: How do I fix the “Access Denied” error when deleting a file or folder?

Answer: You can fix the “Access Denied” error when deleting a file or folder by unlocking it first using one of the methods above. If that doesn’t work, you may need to change the permissions of the file or folder. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the file or folder and select Properties.
2. Click on the Security tab and then click on the Advanced button.
3. Click on the Change link next to the Owner field and then enter your username or select it from the list. Check the box that says Replace owner on subcontainers and objects and then click OK.
4. Click on the Add button and then click on Select a principal. Enter your username or select it from the list and then click OK.
5. Check the box that says Full control and then click OK.
6. Click on Apply and then OK to close all windows.
7. Try to delete the file or folder again.

Summary

In this article, we have shown you how to find and unlock files or folders that are locked by Windows processes or applications, and how to delete them safely and easily. We have explained what causes files or folders to be locked, and how to use various methods such as Task Manager, File Unlocker Tools, Command Prompt, and Windows Explorer to unlock and delete them. We hope this article has been helpful for you and solved your problem.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not provide any professional advice. The methods described in this article may not work for all situations and may cause data loss, system damage, or other problems if not used properly. We are not responsible for any consequences that may arise from using these methods. Use them at your own risk.