How to fix File Is Open in Another Program error

We can think of "File Is Open in Another Program" as an error and you need to know how to fix it in order to continue your work.

Method 1: Stop the application in Task Manager

Chances are your file is running in the background on your computer, or a certain application is running with this file. Your job is to find and disable it in Task Manager.

Press Windows + X , when you see a menu appear in the bottom left corner, select Task Manager to open this window.

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Try searching the Processes section to see if the file or application you suspect is running. If you do find it, click the task and press End Task to force stop it.

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Then you go back and try to delete, move the file again to see if it is okay.

Method 2: Restart Explorer

Chances are that Explorer is not working properly is also related to the inability to delete or move files. Now you need to restart Explorer in the following way:

Step 1. Open Task Manager like above, open the Process tab .

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Step 2. Navigate to the Windows Explorer task in the Windows processes folder, click then Restart .

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This will restart Explorer and remove background tasks on your computer (which may include your files).

Method 3: Restart the computer

Restarting the computer is a way to end all improperly functioning tasks, causing errors. This also causes File Explorer to restart.

You press the Windows button , then select the Power icon > Restart .

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Method 4: Turn off thumbnail caching

In the past, Microsoft has confirmed that the thumbnail cache can affect files and folders.

Step 1. Press the Windows + R combination to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2. Here you enter gpedit.msc and then Enter .

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Step 3. In the new window that appears, pay attention to the left column and navigate to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> File Explorer .

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Step 4. In the right pane, Double-Click ' Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files '.

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Step 5. Check the box Enabled >> Apply .

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This will turn off thumbnails in Explorer, you can re-enable it at any time by choosing Not Configured .

Method 5: Delete temporary files

Temporary files are stored on your computer every time you modify a file, sometimes preventing you from moving or deleting related files.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R combination to launch the Run dialog box. Enter the box % temp% and press Enter .

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Step 2: You will be redirected to the folder containing temporary files in Explorer. You press Ctrl + A to select all and Delete to delete temporary files.

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Method 6: Run the software to scan for viruses

If you have followed the above methods but still have not worked, it is likely that the virus has entered and made it difficult for you. Use one of the free anti-virus software to find and stop virus damage in time.

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Above are some ways to fix the error 'File Is Open in Another Program'. If you have any experience fixing this error, please share it in the comments section! Good luck!

Isabella Humphrey

Update 16 February 2021