the action can't be completed because the folder or a file in it is open in another program

Hey thanks bigoldcars. You cheered me up. I found myself kinda in the eye of somebody's storm a while back.

But it is supremely frustrating.

I since learned that in Task manager you can just right click Windows Explorer and choose "restart", instead of ending the task and then typing "explorer.exe" into File/Run. That saves some steps on my first post.

Doug Alton (jan 18) has addressed a particular problem with MKV files:

"in the case of the MKV files with the length and frame information missing, they remain locked even after restarting Explorer {...} simply because the file is somewhat corrupt."

His no-reboot solution for corrupt MKVs must I think be applicable to every other stubborn file type:

Doug Alton replied on Jan 17

"I have the same problem and I been using the same method as Rick to delete the files.  However, I found that you don't need to reboot.  Simply run 'cmd' to get a DOS box, kill Explorer.exe from Task manager, delete the file using DOS, and then restart explorer.exe."

Thanks again!

well i did say it was a workaround idn't it? I'm just a user... who came here in rage, like you presumably, in search of a fix. Seeing that there were none, I offered what is, from what I can tell, the simplest workaround on here thus far. "We can all feel good?"... Hope shouting at me does that for you MAFury.

wakenight, this did help, thanks. Still hoping for an easier method. I'm just trying to MOVE folders, very simple, but keeps not letting me getting this error. Have over 100 I'd like to move. Of course, I'd also love a solution. 

Simply want to move folders around!

This may also be helpful:

Open Windows explorer.

Click ‘Organize -> Folder and search options’ (or ‘View -> Folder options’).

Select the ‘View’-tab.

In the ‘Advanced settings’ window, disable ‘Launch folder windows in a separate process’.

You may need to force restart all explorer instances (via task manager) or reboot your computer if the setting is not applied immediately.

nope not at all not here mine's already not ticked and still not letting me move folders.

Oh sorry. I'd noticed an MKV thread to this post, but have just kind of been following the general and justified groans of frustration over locked files as a whole. People forced to reboot... and taking other desperate measures. Very clever to have found that finessing of the general explorer principle. I think I have run into other instances when it would have been the perfect work-around... and maybe these did involve MKV files. Definitely adding this variation to my arsenal. Generally, in my case, if a file won't jump over the stile after restarting Explorer... hmmm.... it's cuz I've left the bloody file open on some other pc somewhere... as I discover too late after unscrewing the hood and having my motherboard dry-cleaned. All my best.