File in use access denied

File in use access denied

Rahim26,

If the file you wish to delete gives you the error "file in use", it means that it is still in use by an application that may not be present on your taskbar or system tray, but is running in the background.

Maybe the application did not close out entirely or is managed in the background. There are two ways to delete this file. 

Solution 1. Check if the application is running in the background by searching for it in the processes open in Task Manager, and ending the application. Once the application is ended, you may be able to delete the file.

Solution 2. Restart your computer in safe mode, then you would be able to delete the file without any errors.

If the file gives you the error "access denied" when you try to delete could mean many things. It may be locked by a process essential to the Operating System, It may be "protected" by your anti-virus, is actually a system file essential to run with the operating system, or is already deleted but is still showing on the file directory as an image.

Solution 1. Determine if the file falls into the one of the categories mentioned above or is "protected" by an application, restart the PC in safe mode and proceed to delete the file.

It would be prudent to delete it temporary and restart your PC normally to check if your Operating system is affected. If it does not adversely affect your operating system in any way, you can then permanently delete it.

Happy Computing,

File in use access denied

The reasons for not deleting a file may be varied as follows:

• The file might be in read only mode.
• The file name will be too long.
• The file might be in use.

First, you try to resolve this problem in a simple way;

1. Double click on the My Computer icon.
2. Right click on the C drive.
3. Select the properties Tab.
4. Select Tools and ‘Check now” and let it fix the error automatically.
5. Restart and check.

If the problem still exists, restart the computer in DOS mode and try to delete it.

If you do not have the admin rights, take the admin rights and try to delete it.

Regards,

Harry