Close locked files on Windows network share

Posted by Wim on June 4, 2016

Another user can lock a file on your system when he has opened that file using a Windows network share. This can deny file system operation like moving or deleting, but You can force a close of those files.

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On a Windows desktop:

  • Open Computer Management. This requires administrative rights. One way to do this is by opening a Windows Explorer, right-click on My Computer (or This PC), and select the menu-item Manage.
  • In the left-pane tree, open Computer ManagementSystem ToolsShared Folders
  • You can select the files you want to close, right-click and select ´Close Open File`. Screenshot desktop

On a Windows Server:

  • Open the Server Manager
  • In the left-pane tree, open Server ManagerRolesFile ServicesShare and Storage Management. Screenshot desktop
  • You can select the files you want to close and click on Close Selected. Screenshot desktop