The Action Can’t Be Completed Because The File Is Open In Another Program

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Tanesha Prately

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May 28, 2024, 8:40:55 PM5/28/24

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This blog post will provide the newest tips on fixing the "the action can't be completed because the file is open" error. We'll also discuss what causes the "file in use" error and how to prevent it from happening in the first place. Stay tuned!

The action cant be completed because the file is open in another program

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The "The action can't be completed because the file is open" error indicates that a file or program you're trying to access is already open and used by another program. This can happen for several reasons, including:

Windows users may have a similar experience when trying to delete a file, only to be told the file is being used. But you need help finding the exact program or process in Task Manager. The good news is that PowerToys has now released an update that adds a feature called File LockSmth on Windows 11/10. File LockSmth is a Windows shell extension for checking which files are in use and by which processes. Follow the steps below to find what's using the file.

The "File in use, the action can't be completed because the file is open" error is a common error message that can occur for various reasons. The most likely cause is that another program uses the file you're trying to access. You'll need to stop all the background processes with Task Manager to fix this error.

The action can't be completed because the file is open error is one of the most common errors Windows users may encounter when trying to delete a file. The easiest way to fix this error is to empty the Recycle Bin.

The Recycle Bin is a temporary storage location for files that have been deleted. When you empty the Recycle Bin, all of its files are permanently deleted. As a result, the file causing the error should also be deleted. To empty the Recycle Bin, follow the steps below:

Another common cause of this error is that Windows Explorer (the program that displays the files and folders on your computer) has become unresponsive. Fortunately, there is an easy way to fix this problem. Simply restarting Windows Explorer often resolves the issue and allows you to delete, copy, and move the file. Here's how:

Temp files are typically created when you install a new program or open a new document. When you delete these files, you are freeing up space on your computer. Additionally, temp files can sometimes become corrupted, leading to errors or crashes. Therefore, by deleting temp files, you can help to fix "the action can't be completed because the file is open".

A file-in-use error can be frustrating, but you can try a few methods to fix the problem. File Locksmith is a great program to find out which program is using the file, and then you can stop that process with Task Manager. If that doesn't work, try restarting Windows Explorer or emptying your Recycle Bin and restarting your computer. If you're still having trouble, we're here to help. Visit our website for more information.

I have a windows server 2008 R2 running a couple of sites for me, while developing i usually post updates to this server. Now, i tried posting an update but it failed said it has a file in use and the error msg is as follows:

I have tried stopping the site but this does not help. The site is running in the same application pool as the site that should stay online so a recycle might be breaking the running site (If this is wrong, please correct me).

This had solved my issue. I got this error upon building the application and tried to delete the App DLLs so that upon building the DLLs will be rebuilt. Upon Deleting I got the error as 'action can't be completed because file is open in iis worker process'.

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I have found how to pause Dropbox and I confirm that the issue with the message " This action can't be completed because the folder or a file in it is open in another program" come from Dropbox

So that mean I must pause Drobox in this case ?

Any time I try to delete or move the file from its location on the shared drive, I get this error. Yes, I have seen the suggestion that I disable preview pane and change layout to tile - none of these have worked. In addition, any time I make a comment, I am forced to rename the file. This is absurd. What I need:

I have the same problem. we save files in adobe format constantly all day long and when we change the file we have to save over the previous obsolete copy or delete it. for 7 years I have had no problem with this. recently, as soon as adobe launchs the file, it can no longer be moved, saved over, deleted or anything without me paying my IT person to login and do it.

Tried the fix above, and although the network location is not listed, the box to "Automatically trust sites form my Win OS Security zones" IS checked. When I click the 'view windows Trusted Sites' button the Windows 'Internet Options' popup appears.

So it turns out Premier Pro is usually secretly running in the background all the time, so will have the files you use open in it, meaning you cant delete, move or rename them until you actually have the program close.

Now Premier Pro wont show up in the normal task manager window on PC after you've clicked ''close''. It's hidden - you have to look in the processes section, and then manually end task on Premier Pro. Another example of Adobe software sometimes being so genuinely unworkable from day to day I really don't understand how they are the industry standard....

If I edit a PDF, I don't save it right away. I move on to the next cover letter, then I go back and save the previous file I was working on. So far I haven't had to change the name. I guess it gives whatever program time to sync that's open in the background. It takes me about 30 seconds to edit a file since I'm mostly only changing a date and/or name in a few places.

"The action cannot be completed because the file is open in another program" It's an common sage 50 accounting error, reposted by users. You can resolve this error by some simple methods. To learn how to fix The action cannot be completed because the file is open in another program visit Accounting Advice.

I keep having the "The action can't be completed because the file is open in Adobe Acrobat DC" when the file is not open. I have to completely close adobe to be able to delete/rename/move the file in question. It's been happening more often lately.

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described you are getting the error 'The action can't be completed because the file is open in Adobe Acrobat DC' when you try to to delete/rename/move the file.

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If you copy or move files or a folder from one location to another in File Explorer (formerly known as Windows Explorer), you may have seen the following error in Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10. I am going to use Windows 10 as an example in this article.

The title of the error message is Folder in Use, because I wasn't able to move the wp-content folder. When you experience this error, you won't be able to copy, move, or delete some or all of the files in a folder.

The solution depends on many different factors. Here are some possible solutions that can help you get rid of the error and copy, move, or delete a file or folder that just won't let you take any action on it in Windows.

You may not be able to close all the applications due to various reasons. If that's the case, just close the ones you can and then try copying or moving the folder or file that was giving you an error.

Go to the Recycle Bin and empty it. In the past, I have resorted to other solutions to solve the exact same problem. This is the solution that worked for me today. After you have emptied the Recycle Bin, try to copy or move the folder or file that was giving you an error.

In the Windows search box type %temp% and press Enter. You will be taken to the C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp folder. Delete all the files in this folder. They may be interfering with the copying or moving of files because the information in a file may be cached here. Keep in mind, you won't be able to delete all the files because some of them may be in use by certain applications. That's okay, just close what you can and then try to copy or move the folder or file that was giving you an error.

Microsoft's Process Explorer can come handy if you are trying to locate the process that might be using the file or folder that you are unable to move. You can download the free Process Explorer utility here. You can also use the Task Manager in Windows, but think of Process Explorer as the Task Manager on steroids. Save yourself time and don't waste time in Task Manager, just go straight to the Process Explorer. This tool has been around for a very long time. If you try to kill a task in Task Manager and are unsuccessful, that's when Process Explorer can come to the rescue. You can do a search on the file that you are unable to move. Click the search button and type the name of your file that you can't copy, move or delete. It's helpful to Show Processes from All Users on the View tab. Look at the Process ID (PID) number in the PID column in the Search box and then locate it in the Process Explorer PID column.