How to delete a file being used by another program Here are some practical ways to dodge the pop-up and delete files that are in use by a program on your Windows PC.

If you receive File in Use. The action can't be completed because the file is open in another program even if file is closed in another program, see this.

Windows is often praised for its ease of use, which is why glitches like problems deleting a file or a folder are especially frustrating. There are many solutions to this seemingly simple roadblock, ...

OpenFilesView is a free download for Windows only. Note that there's a 32-bit and a 64-bit version; you'll have to grab the one that matches your system type.

The File Locksmith tool gives you a list of active programs accessing the file and a quick way to shut them down.