Receiving message: "The action can't be completed because the file is open in Preview Handler Surrogate Host." and unable to delete a file or change the name.

Hi,

1. Is it confined to a PDF file?
2. Do you have any other PDF reader installed other than Adobe?
3. Which version of Windows operating system are you using?

This problem may be caused due to any software conflicts.

If you are using Adobe reader on Windows 7, then let’s try the following steps and check if it helps.

Method 1:

Try to open the same file on a different computer and check if it opens fine. Copy the file on a flash drive to transfer it to a different computer. That way we would know if the file is OK.

Method 2: If it opens fine then you can try repairing Adobe Reader on the offending computer and check if it helps. To do so, follow these steps.

a. Open Programs and Features by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then clicking Programs and Features.

b. Select Adobe Reader and then click Change.

c. From the available options select “Repair” and click Next. Wait for the process to complete.

Method 3:

Step 1: If this does not help, then try uninstalling and reinstalling Adobe Reader. To do so, follow this article.

Uninstall or change a program

Step 2: Download the latest Adobe Reader from the following link.

Adobe - Adobe Reader download

Hope the information helps.

I am seeing the same error on a very large .obj file (rendering geometry file).  I suspect it has something to do with either Windows trying to figure out how to show a preview of this 16GB file and it's mind is getting blown.  I killed off the process prevhost.exe and was able to delete the file.

its doing that for literally any PDF i put in a folder. Once its there i cant modify/delete it. It always says that the file is open in Windows and even if i worked on that months before and computer is completely shut down daily. i have literally thousands of files and they all doing that. 

it just started doing it like 6 months after i started working on this computer. i dont see a process called prevhost.exe :( Im not tech savy enough to figure out which process it could be

Excellent advice.  I use Windows 10 Pro.  It was the first time I encountered this type of problem and spent an hour trying to delete two large files.  Going to the Task Manager , Processes, Preview Handler Surrogate Host and simply pressing END TASK worked like a charm.  Thank you so much for your expertise on this matter.

How ridiculous.   I have to use adobe pro.  Windows get your act together.  I spend more time on this website troubleshooting simple things than doing my job.

This did not fix it.  When I copy to file somewhere else I can delete it.  This on the same computer (i7 - 4770, 16 GB 8.1 fully patched)  running the current version of Chrome and with the report of the Adobe Reader made as outline above.   Interesting I can rename the original file but can't delete.  Thats crazy, if can rename it then I have access and then should be able to delete it.

Very frustrated, worked in the recent past version of WIN 7.0 - 8.0 and 8.1.  Did it hundreds of times and never had a problem coping and deleting it.  

Bob.