Windows 10: Error: This Process Cannot Be Completed The File Is Open In Windows Explorer when...

I have Windows 10 Home, when trying to delete or move some video files I get "this process cannot be completed because the file is open in windows explorer."


I restarted explorer.exe but that didn't help. Rebooting will work briefly, but if I later trying to delete/move another file, the error message will pop up again. Tried a 3rd party file manager, but got the error with that too.




***Modified title from: This Process Cannot Be Completed The File Is Open In Windows Explorer***

:)

 

Windows 10 Tweaks

Pressing “Windows+Pause Break” (it’s up there next to scroll lock) opens the “System” Window.

Windows 10: In the new version of Windows, Explorer has a section called Quick Access. This includes your frequent folders and recent files. Explorer defaults to opening this page when you open a new window. If you’d rather open the usual This PC, with links to your drives and library folders, follow these steps:

• Open a new Explorer window.
• Click View in the ribbon.
• Click Options.
• Under General, next to “Open File Explorer to:” choose “This PC.”
• Click OK

credit to Lifehacker.

 

File explorer will not open on windows 10

As a workaround, we suggest that you follow these steps to access windows explorer using the
Run dialog box. By doing this, we may identify if you can navigate Windows through this method. To do this, follow the steps below:

• Press Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the run dialog box.
• Type explorer and press Enter.

In case your system will allow you to navigate through this process, we recommend that you continue performing the in-place upgrade procedure.

Let us know how it goes after you've performed the steps.

 

Feb 2019: File explorer keeps freezing after opening a file

Hi Casey,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



I understand the inconvenience you are facing in accessing the files/folders. I also appreciate your effort in trying to fix the issue.



Provide us additional information to assist you better with this issue:

1. Are you getting any specific error code/error message while trying to open the file?
   
2. Are you aware of any recent changes made on the device?
   
3. Which version of Windows are running on your device?
   

Refer the article Which Windows operating system am I running for the information.



However, I would suggest you to follow the steps mentioned below.



Method 1

Restart Windows Explorer

1. Click on Start, type in “Task Manager”
   
2. Now go to Process tab. Click on Windows Explorer and
   Restart.
   
3. Then check the status of the issue.
   
4. If the issue still persist, try with the method 2.
   

Method 2

I suggest you to try the suggested steps from the article Fix File Explorer
if it won't open or start and check the status of the issue.





Hope it helps. Get back to us for further assistance on this issue. We will be happy to help you.







Muralidhar

Microsoft Community Moderator