Create a list of all the files that are open

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Create a list of all the files that are open

Phillip Richcreek 545

I want to create a list of all the files that are open before doing a restart. Does anyone know of a product that will create such a list?
Thanks.

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Answer 1

Marcin Policht 87,735 MVP Volunteer Moderator

You don't need a separate product for this on most operating systems, since there are built-in tools that can generate a list of open files.

On Windows, you can use Sysinternals Handle (free from Microsoft https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysinternals-suite ). After downloading it, run:

handle.exe > C:\temp\openfiles.txt

This will create a text file listing all open handles, including files, before you restart. You can also filter by file type if needed.

Another built-in option on Windows is:

openfiles /query /fo table > C:\temp\openfiles.txt

Note that openfiles may require enabling local file tracking first and then rebooting once to activate it.

If your goal is simply to know which applications are running so you can reopen them after restart, you might instead look at session restore features built into your OS or use scripting to capture running processes:

tasklist > C:\temp\processes.txt

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

Phillip Richcreek 545 Reputation points

2026-02-28T21:45:48.9633333+00:00

I hesitate to mark the AI answer as "answered", but only because I need to first try out its posssible solution(s). My first impression is that it will likely provide a solution.
Phillip Richcreek 545 Reputation points

2026-02-28T22:57:54.0566667+00:00

More to the topic of the AI solution:
The AI solution prompted me to use a product that I already own. But it didn't occur to me to to use it. That product will create a list of ALL files that have the .txt extension, without regard to whether they are currently open! Does Windows 10 have a built-in method to filter based on the file's open/closed status?
Phillip Richcreek 545 Reputation points

2026-02-28T23:15:59.0333333+00:00

WOW! You go way beyond the AI answer! And I won't need to use my product that will create the list of .txt files. I wish I had know about that years ago!
Marcin Policht 87,735 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-02-28T23:18:09.65+00:00

I'm glad to see that you found this helpful

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Phillip Richcreek 545 Reputation points

2026-03-02T22:49:02.2533333+00:00

Marcin,
Your instructions include this:
*The system global flag 'maintain objects list' needs to be enabled to see local opened files. See Openfiles /? for more information.
*

I think I want OPENFILES /Local if it means only local files. But that opens another question: I'm not asking about files, I'm asking about *processes.
*Thanks,
PR
Marcin Policht 87,735 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-03-03T00:35:47.6833333+00:00
That's a valid point. To capture all running processes, use:

tasklist > C:\temp\processes.txt

If you want more detail (including services hosted inside svchost), use:

tasklist /v > C:\temp\processes.txt

If you specifically want only user applications and not system services, PowerShell gives you better filtering:

Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.MainWindowTitle} | Select-Object Name, Id, Path | Out-File C:\temp\processes.txt

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Phillip Richcreek 545 Reputation points

2026-03-03T15:51:30.5533333+00:00

Marcin,

How do I invoke PowerShell?
Thanks,
PR
Marcin Policht 87,735 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-03-03T17:46:35.5933333+00:00
On Windows 10 or 11, press Start and type PowerShell, then press Enter.

You can also press Win+R, type:

powershell

and press Enter.

To open it from Command Prompt, run:

powershell

To open as Administrator, right-click Start and choose “Windows Terminal (Admin)” or “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

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