back in the XP days, I used a software called “Unlocker” just for this problem. It probably still exists, I don’t know, because since Windows 7, the easiest way to find out what process locks a file is to open Resource Monitor (Start search: resmon) and the bottom list on the CPU tab you can search the file name and you will find the process.

So yeah, Resource Monitor is a useful tool on Windows.

There’s a collection of free little utilities called Microsoft PowerToys, including the file unlocker thing. Why would they not include these into base kit Windows is beyond me.

Why would they not include these into base kit Windows is beyond me. Some of them felt a bit buggy when I last time used Windows, maybe they aren’t fully ready to ship (like Samsung’s Good Lock apps?). And most features didn’t do quite what I imagined it to do, but that’s probably a “me problem”.

That’s a fair point, but, let’s be honest, the built in Windows features often have the same issues

Not recently copilot and AI implementation has made the OS beyond shitty recently and a lot of broken shit. That’s why I need to move to Linux they’re basically sinking their ship with broken AI code.

The telemetry is overbearing too lately.

Bill Gates secret hotline.