How to delete content of a file in system

Question

Trying to delete a double download file, but when I do a dialog box says the file is open in system and I should get out of system. How do I get out of (open in system)

Answer 1

Hi ,

I'm Dyari. Thanks for reaching out. I will be happy to assist you in this regard.

If you downloaded the file and it is in the Download folder, it is safe to be deleted. However, if the file is opened, you may not be able to delete it until you close the app that is using that file. Restart your computer. After that try to delete the file. If it does not help, start your computer in Safe Mode and try to delete the file.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-startup-settings-1af6ec8c-4d4a-4b23-adb7-e76eef0b847f

Answer 2

To delete the content of a file that is reported as open in the system, you need to first identify the process that is using the file and close it. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Identify the Process: Use tools like Task Manager or Process Explorer to find out which application has the file open. In Task Manager, you can check the "Details" tab to see running processes.
2. Close the Process: Once you identify the process, you can either close it directly from Task Manager or use the command line to terminate it if necessary.
3. Delete the File: After closing the process that was using the file, you should be able to delete the file normally. If you still encounter issues, ensure that there are no other processes using the file.

If the file is open for exclusive access, you may not be able to delete it until all handles to it are closed. You can also use the net file command in the command prompt to see which files are open and close them if needed.

If the file system is corrupted, you may need to run the Chkdsk utility to correct any errors before you can delete the file.

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References:

• You can't delete a file or a folder on an NTFS file system volume
• Closing and Deleting Files