How to Find What’s Using a File Using PowerToys from Microsoft

What to know

• The File Locksmith instrument inside EnergyToys helps you to simply discover the processes which might be using a file.
• With File Locksmith, you possibly can merely right-click a file and choose “What’s using this file?” to get an inventory of packages which might be using a file.
• File Locksmith helps you to finish the method that’s using a file in addition to discover out the Process ID of this system that’s using it.

  If a file is being utilized by different packages and processes, Windows will stop you from making modifications to it. However, it gained’t at all times inform you which processes they’re, which could be a irritating affair, particularly if you end up being stopped from persevering with your work. Although there are methods to get round this, none of them are as easy and straightforward to execute as with the EnergyToys utility. Here’s all the things you must know to seek out what’s using a file using EnergyToys.

Find out which processes are using a file with EnergyToys’ File Locksmith

EnergyToys is a free utility by Microsoft that accommodates many various instruments inside it. One of those is the File Locksmith instrument which helps you to discover out if a file is being utilized by different processes and packages. Be it a program, a folder, a DLL file, or some other run-of-the-mill file, File Locksmith can simply allow you to discover what’s using it, that too proper from the context menu. Here’s how to go about it:   

Install EnergyToys

First and foremost, set up EnergyToys from the Microsoft web site. To know the way to go about this, consult with our information on How to put in EnergyToys on a Windows PC. Once EnergyToys is put in, launch it. 

Enable File Locksmith

To get File Locksmith within the context menu, click on on File Locksmith within the left pane inside EnergyToys.

Then, on the suitable, be sure that the choice “Enable File Locksmith” is toggled on. 

Find which processes are using a file

Next, right-click on the file or folder in query and choose Show more choices.

And choose What’s using this file?

File Locksmith will present you the processes which might be using this file.

If you don’t see any course of right here however know for a incontrovertible fact that it’s in use someplace, you could have to restart File Locksmith as administrator. To accomplish that, click on on Restart as administrator possibility on the high proper nook.

Confirm the ProcessID with Task Manager

You can select to shut the processes from File Locksmith itself by clicking on the End process possibility. 

However, if you happen to first wish to discover and ensure the method, you could find the ProcessID inside File Locksmith. To accomplish that, click on on the method to develop it. 

And pay attention to the Process ID. 

Then open Task Manager by right-clicking the taskbar and choosing Task Manager (or press Ctrl+Shift+Esc).

Make certain that the PID column is enabled (right-click contained in the column space and choose PID). 

And affirm the method ID.  

If the 2 Process IDs match, you recognize for certain that it’s the similar course of that’s using the file. You can now go forward and shut the method or finish the duty from both the Task Manager or File Locksmith as proven earlier than. 

FAQ

Let’s take into account just a few generally requested questions on using EnergyToy’s File Locksmith to seek out the place your information are getting used.

How to seek out the place a file is open?

There are just a few instruments that you need to use to seek out the place a file is getting used, similar to Resource Monitor and Process Explorer. However, with EnergyToys, all you must do is to right-click and choose “What’s using this file” to seek out the place a file is open.    

If you don’t see File Locksmith’s “What’s using this file” possibility within the context menu, click on on “Show more options”.
How can I cease processes from using a file?

To cease a course of from using a file, first, discover out which course of is using that file with File Locksmith after which merely choose “End task”.

Finding which program or course of is using a file is a cinch with EnergyToys, as are many different issues. We hope this information helped you make the most of EnergyToys to seek out processes which might be using your information and liberate them. Until next time!