Can't delete a file

The message indicates Windows believes the file is in use by a system process, not that it is literally open in an app. A file in use (held open by any process) cannot be deleted until all handles to it are closed.

Use these steps:

1. Close anything that might be using the file
   • Close all apps that could access that file (including File Explorer windows showing that folder).
   • If the file is on an external or network drive, safely disconnect and reconnect that drive.
2. Reboot and try again
   • Restart the PC to force all handles to close.
   • After restart, try deleting the file again from File Explorer.
3. Check if the file is actually in use
   • The underlying cause matches “file is being used”: Windows will not delete it until the process releases it.
   • Use a handle-inspection tool (such as those mentioned in Microsoft troubleshooting tools) to identify which process has the file open, then close or stop that process and delete the file.
4. Check for file system issues
   • If the file still cannot be deleted, file system corruption may be preventing access.
   • Run chkdsk on the volume where the file resides to repair file system errors, then try deleting again.
5. If the file name is unusual
   • If the file name has trailing spaces or periods, or looks odd, Windows Explorer may not handle it correctly.
   • Open a Command Prompt and delete it using the extended path syntax, for example:

          del "\\?\<full_path_to_file>"
     

   • Replace <full_path_to_file> with the actual path shown in the error.

If the file is on an NTFS volume and has a problematic name plus permission issues, a specialized tool such as subinacl with the "\\?\" syntax can be used to take ownership and grant permissions, then delete the file.

References:

• You can't delete a file or a folder on an NTFS file system volume
• Closing and Deleting Files
• Delete a file
• File '<filename>' cannot be deleted because it is open
• Deleting Open Files