Learn how to find files using PowerToys in Microsoft

Windows will prevent you from making changes to a file if it is being used by other programs and processes. However, it doesn't always tell you which processes they are, which can be a frustrating thing, especially if you're blocked from continuing to work. While there are some ways to fix this problem, none are as simple and easy as the PowerToys utility. Here's everything you need to know to find files using PowerToys.

Find out which processes are using files with PowerToys File Locksmith

PowerToys is a free utility from Microsoft that includes many different tools. One of them is the File Locksmith tool, which lets you know if your files are used by other processes and programs. Whether it's a program, a folder, a DLL file or any other ordinary file, File Locksmith makes it easy for you to find what you're using it from the context menu. The specific operation method is as follows:

Install Power Toys

First, install PowerToys from the Microsoft website. To learn how to do this, see our guide on how to install PowerToys on a Windows PC. After installing PowerToys, launch it.

Enable File Locksmith

To get File Locksmith in the context menu, click FileLocksmith in the left pane in PowerToys.

Then, on the right side, make sure the option "Enable File Locksmith" is turned on.

Find which processes are using the file

Next, right-click on the file or folder in question and select Show more options .

and select "What is being used by this file?"

##File Locksmith will show you the processes using this file.

If you don't see any process here, but know it's being used somewhere, you may need to restart File Locksmith as an administrator. To do this, click the

"Restart as administrator" option in the upper right corner.

Use Task Manager to confirm the process ID

You can choose to close File Locksmith by clicking on the "

End Task" option its own process.

# However, if you want to find and confirm the process first, you can find the ProcessID in the file Locksmith. To do this, click on the process to expand it.

And note down the process ID.

Then open Task Manager

by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting Task Manager (or pressing). Ctrl Shift Esc

# Make sure the PID column is enabled (right-click within the columns area and select PID).

and confirm the process ID.

#If the two process IDs match, it is determined to be the same process using the file. You can now proceed to close the process or end the task from Task Manager or File Locksmith as shown before.

FAQ

Let’s consider some frequently asked questions about using PowerToy’s File Locksmith to find where files are being used.

How to find the open location of a file?

You can use some tools to find where files are used, such as Resource Monitor and Process Explorer. However, with PowerToys, all you need to do is right-click and select "Use the contents of this file" to find where the file opens.

Where is the File Locksmith for PowerToys in the context menu?

If you don't see File Locksmith's "Use the contents of this file" option in the context menu, click "Show more options."

How to prevent a process from using a file?

To prevent a process from using a file, first, find out which process is using the file with File Locksmith, then simply select "End Task".

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