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Why does Windows sometimes say a file is ‘in use’ even when I’ve closed the app that was using it?

Microsoft Developer — Jun 26, 2026 — talk

Why watch

Mark Russinovich explains the technical reasons behind Windows file-in-use errors, covering how Windows tracks file handles, what processes might actually be holding locks after closing an app, and demonstrates Sysinternals tools developers can use to identify the source of locked files.