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

Arrrrgh!! Agreed! Fix the problem already!!!! 

This **** has been going on for years!!! http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2025703 I'm using a Windows 8 fresh install and it's still there!!! Do you know how freaking annoying this is to have to use a file unlocker (LockHunter) and HOPE AND PRAY that it will be successful (best case = 50% success) almost every single time I want to rename, move, or delete a freaking folder containing a thumbs.db file!!?

God... I'd gladly sacrifice Internet Explorer, the Start Screen AND the oh so wonderful (read sarcasm) Charms, ALL accessories, and probably even support for SOUND in order to have this fixed... let's see what else I can say to communicate to you guys how incredibly frustrating this debacle is!!!

I've been a champion of Microsoft for over 2 decades; but I'm at my END!!! I'm thrilled at the prospect of Android for general use soon... (just bought my first tablet, besides my android phone, and I'm loving it) and I'm ready to give Apple a try again if you guys can't fix this single stupid issue!!! ARRRGHHHH!! I'M PISSED!!!

Yeah, I've seen all the various "fixes" posted over the years. I understand the problem... what I don't understand is why there is STILL no fix for it!!

1. ME: Why should I have to edit Group Policy and disable a useful feature such as thumbnail caching just so I can move or delete folders? ANSWER from Microsoft: "BECAUSE IT'S BROKEN DUMMY! And we haven't gotten around to fixing it yet... so p_ _ _-off will ya!"
2. ME: Why should I have to give up file/folder network sharing just so I can move or delete folders? ANSWER from Microsoft: "BECAUSE IT'S BROKEN DUMMY! And we haven't gotten around to fixing it yet... so p_ _ _-off will ya!"
3. ME: Why should I have to edit "View" settings for the folder and again, disable thumbnails, or preview mode for the folder? Again, if you guys put the thumbnail feature into Windows, shouldn't it work? ANSWER from Microsoft: "BECAUSE IT'S BROKEN DUMMY! And we haven't gotten around to fixing it yet... so p_ _ _-off will ya!"
4. ME: Why has this problem existed since Vista, through Win7, and now again here in Win8 and can be reproduced with 100% regularity on ANY windows computer -- including all 4 Windows machines in my household? ANSWER from Microsoft: "BECAUSE IT'S BROKEN DUMMY! And we haven't gotten around to fixing it yet... so p_ _ _-off will ya!"
5. ME: Ok, trying to be constructive here, so please bear with me. Clearly it's not an outside application or process, the error message states that the thumbs.db file is in use by "Windows Explorer" itself. Now, that's code you guys wrote... uhh, right??? So, can't you just write a line or two to see if I -- the User -- have actually initiated the delete, rename, or move process and then approve it if its initiated by actual keystrokes? Hey, here's an idea, cache the offending thumbs.db file temporarily somewhere else until you get the network share release. If it solves the problem and allows me to continue, I'm even ok if you prompt me again with a UAC prompt, and ask me, "Are you sure you want to delete the file you just finished confirming you were indeed sure you want to delete?" Yeah, I can live with that, I'm not overly demanding... JUST UNLOCK THE FREAKING THING ALREADY!!!! Sheesh!!

FINAL ANSWER from Microsoft: "BECAUSE IT'S BROKEN DUMMY! And we haven't gotten around to fixing it yet... so p_ _ _-off will ya!... Besides... we have REALLY important stuff to do for Windows 8.1, like making the Start Menu tiles re-sizable... and... and stuff like, yeah... other important stuff."

I've encountered this before, as many have, and this time I could not remember how I fixed it prior.

Finally, an option came to me this afternoon that worked for two LOCKED mkv files and I figured I'd share the fix for others to use.

My fix works for MKV files because of the tool I used, is very likely there are equivalents to free up other types of media files.

That's the catch, as these LOCKED files are ALWAYS a media file of some type, and I had two of six all in order in a directory. All different episodes of same source, named identical but for episode number. The two locked ones, couldn't do nothing but copy them and that just created two more identical problems.

Started looking at the file properties and the two bad ones would NOT display a time length or resolution in the lower Explorer Preview Window (Win 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit), while the four good ones would display that data.

THAT is the 'tell' to see which ones are locked up, as this is some sort of thumbnail type issue, but disabling thumbnails didn't help me.

Program called 'MKVMerge GUI subtitle fixer' and I can demux and remux an mkv file, adding or removing language and/or subtitle files. For the two trouble files, I simply dragged bad file #1 to it, and ran a simple de and re mux, adding nothing and steering a newly named file in a sub directory.

3 minutes later, Voila! Sweet!. Did it for the other file, then on to deleting those little buggers....

Should add each file was like a tiny 15k bigger and they both now displayed the missing time and resolution data that was missing. Files were IDENTICAL in quality and nothing changed, just separated the audio and video and put them back together, properly.

To delete, you need to restart your PC and make sure NO Windows Explorer opens on the restart (Close them before you restart), once Windows Explorer starts, you are already locked out for the duration.

Immediately after the restart is complete, Open a command prompt and navigate to the folder(s) of the offending file(s), then you can delete them using good old DOS commands, which there are MS help files on. You try that without restarting and you'll get that same irritating message in DOS form, word for frigging word, arrgghh!!

Do NOT open Windows Explorer until you are done, or wanna check and see how it worked, but you'll have to restart again to recreate the 'magic'.

Is a long way over the river and through the woods, but am writing this from Grandma's house, I made it.

Good Luck Everyone - Be Nice to Someone that isn't expecting it, you can change the world.

8-)

restart and try again it will work !!