How to Fix：Can’t Delete File (Windows Says It’s in Use)

-

 If you encounter the following situation while trying to delete a file:

The simplest way to resolve this issue is to open Task Manager and manually "kill the process" that’s using the file.

Note: The universal shortcut to open Task Manager is Ctrl + Alt + Delete (or Ctrl + Shift + ESC).

However, this method has a major flaw: Windows does not tell you which specific process is using the file. As a result, you often have no idea which process to close.

Of course, another workaround is the "restart trick"—restart your computer and then try deleting the file again.

But there are more convenient solutions available, which we’ll explore below.


Software Reviews

To fix this small but annoying issue, I tested quite a few software tools. Below is a breakdown of their pros and cons, followed by a recommendation for the tool I currently use myself.

Antivirus Software

Many antivirus programs (such as 360 Total Security and Tencent PC Manager) include a "File Unlock" (or "File Shredder") feature.

If you don’t want to install antivirus software, though, there are smaller, dedicated tools that can do the same job.

360 Process Unlocker👎

In my tests, this tool was very ineffective. Even when a file was clearly in use, the tool failed to detect the occupying process at all.

Putting ease of use aside—it lacks basic functionality entirely.

Unlocker 👎

You might be familiar with this tool. For users who used Windows XP or Windows 7, Unlocker was once an excellent file-unlocking utility.

However, years have passed, and on Windows 10, it suffers from the same problem as the 360 tool above: it often fails to detect or release files that are in use.

Worse still, Unlocker’s developer seems to have abandoned updates for the software. This forced me to look for alternatives.

LockHunter 👍

Next, I tested LockHunter. You can download it here：https://www.mediafire.com/file/rizvzqk486vmbhv/lockhuntersetup_3-0-2.exe/file

Compared to Unlocker, LockHunter offers nearly all the same core features: it shows information about processes locking a file, allows you to unlock, copy, move, delete, or rename the file, supports "delete after restart," and includes a command-line tool.

That said, it still has several drawbacks:

  1. It only supports unlocking one file at a time (no batch processing).

  2. The portable version does not allow adding files/folders via drag-and-drop—you have to manually select the file path.

IObit Unlocker 👍

After testing the three tools above, the one I ultimately stuck with is IObit Unlocker, developed by IObit. You can download it here：https://direct-link.net/1394003/F3EXvCs3ziGe

Here are the three simple reasons I chose it:

  • It’s simple and easy to use.

  • It supports batch adding of files.

  • I created a single-file version of the tool for even more convenience.

Personally, I don’t need the tool to integrate with the right-click menu. All I want is to open it quickly when I run into a "file in use" error, easily drag the locked file into the tool, and unlock it.

The single-file version requires no installation—just download it and double-click to use. It’s perfect for my needs. You can get it here：https://rapidgator.net/file/d537765e711e59df6adc6581c1b9d89a/IObit_Unlocker_1.1.2.2_Single.exe.html

Comments

Post a Comment