

How to fix 'The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process'
Jul 25, 2025 am 01:04 AMWhen you encounter the "The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process", you need to find the process that occupied the file and end it. 1. Open the task manager (Ctrl Shift Esc) and close the programs or high-occupancy processes that may be involved; 2. Use the resource monitor (resmon), switch to the "CPU" tab, search for the file name and end the relevant processes; 3. Use tools such as Unlocker, LockHunter, or Process Explorer to remove the occupation in one click; 4. If you do not want to conduct in-depth investigations, you can directly restart the computer to release the temporary occupation. It is recommended to prioritize the source of occupation to avoid repeated problems.
You're encountering the error "The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process", basically because a file is being occupied by the system or another program, causing you to be unable to operate it. This is common on Windows, especially when trying to delete, move, or overwrite files.

The key to solving this problem is to find which process occupies the file and then end it. Here are a few practical methods to help you solve this problem.
Check Task Manager to close related processes
This is one of the most straightforward ways to work for most cases:

- Open Task Manager (Ctrl Shift Esc)
- See if there are obviously related programs running, such as software that you have just edited this file (such as Word, Excel, Notepad, etc.)
- If you are not sure which one is, you can sort it by memory or CPU. Find a program with higher occupancy and try closing it
After closing, try to operate the file and it will usually succeed.
Note: Sometimes even if you don’t actively open the file, it may be that background services or synchronization tools (such as OneDrive, Dropbox) are accessing it.

Use Resource Monitor to find specific occupants
If you don't want to shut down the process casually, you can use a more accurate method to locate it:
- Press Ctrl R, enter
resmon
to enter, and open the resource monitor - Switch to the "CPU" tab page and click "Associated Handle" below
- Enter the file name you want to operate in the search box
- All processes that are accessing this file will be listed, right-click to select End
Although this method has more steps, it can accurately find the culprit and will not intercept the process.
Use third-party tools to release file occupation in one click
If you find the above operation a bit troublesome, you can also use some lightweight gadgets to quickly solve the problem:
- Unlocker : Right-clicking on the file after installation will automatically prompt which process is occupying it, and provide unlocking options
- LockHunter : Free and compact, supports forced unlocking, suitable for advanced users
- Process Explorer (Microsoft official tool): powerful, similar to resource monitor, but slightly complex interface
These tools have their own characteristics, and it is recommended to choose a backup according to your usage habits.
Restarting the computer is the easiest "lazy method"
If you don’t want to mess with the previous method, the most convenient way is to restart the system. Because all temporary occupations will be released after restart. But this is not the fundamental solution, and the same problem may occur again next time.
So it is recommended to check who is "secretly" accessing your file to avoid repeated errors.
Basically these are the methods. Sometimes it seems like a small mistake, but if you don't handle it, it will get stuck in the entire process. The key is to figure out who is taking it out and then deal with it in a targeted manner.
The above is the detailed content of How to fix 'The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process'. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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