If a file or folder is used in Windows 10, that is, running an application or process on your system, you can not delete it. An error message appears stating that the file or folder you want to delete is being used.
Below we will see how you can get rid of the folder or file that bothers you.
Normally, the error that appears is harmless and means nothing more than what it says. All you have to do is make sure that the file or folder you are trying to delete is not being used by an application.
In the case of a folder, if there is a file in the folder used or open, it prevents deletion. So before you proceed to more drastic actions make sure that everything is closed.
Sometimes Windows 10 "thinks" that an application is still using a file, when in fact this is not the case.
For example, if you try to upload a file from Google Chrome on any web service, Windows 10 sometimes thinks that the file is still open in Chrome even if the upload is complete.
The same thing can happen with other applications, so the safest thing you can do is close any applications you may have used in that file (or folder).
If all of the above does not help, we will look at a simple way to do it. We will use the safety mode or safe mode.
There are many different ways to restart Windows 10 in safe mode. However, the easiest way is to open the Start menu, click on the power (action) options, hold down the Shift key, and click the Restart button from the options menu.
Your computer will start with a blue screen with various options. Choose Troubleshooting> Advanced Options> Boot Settings and click Troubleshoot> Advanced Options> start up settings and click Restart.
On the next screen, you will see a numbered list of actions. Enter the number corresponding to the safe mode.
Once you are in safe mode, you can delete the file or folder. In the same way you can get rid of anything else you want.
It should be noted that if you suspect that the file you want to delete is malicious, you should use Shift + Delete instead of a regular deletion.
To return to the normal Windows 10 desktop, simply restart your system.
If the file or folder is restored after it is deleted, it means that it was recreated by some application or some system process. This is not good. In this case you should scan your system for malicious applications.
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