About

File Unlocker solves the familiar Windows error: "The file is in use by another process." It lists every process holding a lock on the selected file or folder and lets you terminate them with a single click — no reboots, no command-line tools required.

After installation, an Unlock option appears in the right-click context menu for every file and folder in Windows Explorer. The tool uses the built-in Windows Restart Manager API (rstrtmgr.dll) — the same mechanism Windows Update uses internally to detect file conflicts during upgrades.

Features

• Lists all processes currently locking the selected file or folder
• Shows process name, PID, and description for easy identification
• Terminate any locking process with one click — no reboot needed
• Integrates into Windows Explorer context menu (right-click → Unlock)
• Works with individual files, multiple selected files, and entire folders
• Can also be launched from the command line with a path as argument
• Runs with elevated (Administrator) privileges automatically via UAC
• Lightweight — 2.8 MB Lite installer (47 MB Full, bundles .NET runtime)

How to use

From Windows Explorer: right-click any file or folder and choose Unlock. The application opens, lists all locking processes, and you can terminate them individually or all at once.

From the command line:

"C:\Program Files\File Unlocker\Unlocker.exe" "C:\path\to\file.ext"

System Requirements