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

Anonymous
2013-03-21T10:22:13+00:00

this is annoying

the files or folders in question are not open in another program, windows is just refusing to let them be moved or deleted due a recent action ie: photographs moved elsewhere etc

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2013-03-21T10:43:05+00:00

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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-08-22T06:36:03+00:00

    LOL I did riot. I moved to Apple, and I just don't get the myriad of issues anymore. I still have my windows 8 machine, but I got sick of trying to fix Microsoft's half arsed attempt at a good system. Bring back Windows 7 I say!

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-08-22T01:11:19+00:00

    Selecting the option "Always show icons, never thumbnails" in the same list fixes but only if you are willing to never have thumbnails and you must also restart.  The solution to this problem is FUNDAMENTAL to an OS.  This is RIDICULOUS!  Why are we not rioting yet??!

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-06-18T07:22:48+00:00

    LOL I feel for you. You verbalised your frustrations very well.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-06-18T03:04:16+00:00

    Finally got my PDFs to erase.  Using Task Manager I saw that AcroRd.exe ran whenever I touched a PDF file. It stayed active for about ten seconds and during that active time you can't delete the file.  So I found AcroRd.exe in my Acrobat folder and deleted it -- I use Acrobat Professional so I don't need AcroRd.exe (which is the executable for the free Reader).  I had noticed that I could delete jpgs and not PDFs so I knew it had to be something other than "permissions" or group policies, or any number of other things down that rabbit hole called my OS.

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