Can not delete PDF files in Windows File Explorer

Anonymous
2013-11-19T14:25:27+00:00

I am reviewing files in Windows File Explorer with the Preview Pane active so I can see what the file is. When I want to delete a file I do right click/Delete or use the Delete button on the Ribbon. However, when I come to a PDF file that I no longer need I can't delete it. I get a message that says "File in Use". "This action can't be completed because the file is open in another program. Close the File and try again." 

If I click "try again" sometimes after 4 or 5 tries the file finally is deleted. It seems that with the Preview Pane active File Explorer thinks the PDF is open in another program. How do I fix this problem so I can delete PDFs in Windows File Explorer with the Preview Pane active?

Thanks for all the suggestions. The one that fits my work flow well is Amr's .

"Simply choose the file with your mouse, hold down the shift button then click on "Delete".

It will permanently delete the file, which is fine."

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

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Anonymous
2015-04-07T14:33:23+00:00

Hi Jerry,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft community.

This issue might occur if any third party program is accessing the file.In regards to the issue, I require additional information to make sure that helps us to resolve the issue easily:

  1. How are you trying to delete these files?

As a first step, I suggest you to restart the computer multiple times and check if that works. Because, restarting computer will close the applications that are running in the background and fixes many issues.

I also suggest you to refer the suggestion provided by Tomfly13 on April 29, 2013 and check if it helps.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-files/unable-to-delete-pdf-in-windows-8/39f9ddad-a8df-42d0-a404-eaedf381993f

Please reply us on the status of the issue to assist you further

Thanks.

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-07-23T19:45:33+00:00

    THIS is NOT a "fix" - it is a workaround:

    While it may solve the immediate issue for the moment, it does not "fix" the underlying issue, which is that once a "pdf" document has been opened, a portion of Adobe Reader code continues to run for a short period of time, perhaps as much as 15 to 25 seconds, during which time the end-user can do nothing about, and as a result the document may not be deleted until the Adobe "process" that is running "times-out" and releases itself from the system, allowing the document to then be deleted. This behaviour reoccurs every time an Adobe Reader .pdf file is opened. It is rather maddening, I agree, and something which Adobe has never seemed to yet address.

    This issue, from what I have read, does not always affect every user on a WINDOWS platform, however, it affects many WINDOWS platform users frequently, and occasionally intermittently.

    My experience suggests that one way to shorten this behaviour is to "stop" the Adobe process via Windows Task Manager immediately after closing the suspect .pdf file. However, neither is this to be considered a "fix", it also is merely a "workaround".

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-02-26T14:36:07+00:00

    Thank you sooooo much!

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-02-03T20:23:04+00:00

    exact same problem here on windows 8.1 and adobe reader 10.1.9

    extremely annoying

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-11-20T07:46:16+00:00

    Hi,

    Were there any changes made on the computer prior to the issue?

    This issue might occur if any third party program is accessing the file. Follow these methods to troubleshoot the issue:

    Method 1:

    Step A: Boot the computer in **Safe mode** **** wherein the computer starts with basic drivers and no third party programs. Check if you are still receiving the error message. The article applies to Windows 8 operating system also.

    Step B:

    If the issue does not persists in Safe Mode then perform a **clean boot** to check if any third party application is causing the issue, as clean boot helps in eliminating software conflicts.

    Note: After troubleshooting, refer to the section “How to reset the computer to start as usual after troubleshooting with clean boot” to return the computer to a Normal startup mode.

    Method 2:

    If the issue is not resolved, try to run Microsoft Safety Scanner for any spyware or malware infection:

    http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

    Note: The Microsoft Safety Scanner expires 10 days after being downloaded. To rerun a scan with the latest anti-malware definitions, download and run the Microsoft Safety Scanner again. Any data files that are infected may only be cleaned by deleting the file entirely, which means there is a potential for data loss.

    Hope this helps. If you have any further issues on the computer, please post your question regarding Windows and we will be happy to help you.

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