Delete Files that are in Use in Windows

If you try to delete a file, but the file is in use, you will likely get an error message that reads

The action can't be completed because the file is open in another program.

What this boils down to is that you need to figure out which process is using the file. A good utility to figure this out is called Process Explorer. Process Explorer is basically Task Manager, but all juiced up on steroids.

Process Explorer is really a powerful tool, but figuring out which process is using a file is actually quite simple.

1. Click the Find menu at the top and select Find Handle or DLL.
2. In the windows that opens up, type in the name of the file that you want to delete and then click Search.
3. Below, a list will show which processes are using that particular file.
4. You can then close that particular application/process and try the delete again.
5. Optionally, you can find the process in the process list, kill that process tree, then delete the file.