The process cannot access the file because it is being used by...

Hi Forums,

I am getting this error all the time with Windows 7. I open a text file I want to
edit, then go to save my changes and I get this error:

"The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process"



I have full admin rights, running Win7 Ultimate x64 SP1. From a bit of research I have seen where many others have been experiencing this problem or something similar too. The only "fix" (that doesn't work all the time) is to close explorer.exe and then restart it to "release the handle"? Anyway, this is not acceptable for all the money and time I spent upgrading/configuring this new OS from XP -where I never had this problem- and seriously cuts down my productivity.

Is there a fix for this? Has Microsoft even acknowledged this as a bug yet? I can duplicate this scenario the second or third time I try to edit/save/delete a text file and I know that explorer.exe is the problem or a big part of it in any case. I don't want to go back to XP x64 but having to deal with this headache 10-20 times a day is just too much to ask.

Thanks!

Fyi:The file here is a game's map script & has to be saved to a .pk3 and then loaded into the program's root before it can run so I know othing else is running the file. No apps running in taskmngr either. I've worked 1000's of hours editing code like this on XP and had no probs. I'm at a loss here

Hello and welcome to the forum.
Where is the file located? Is it located locally on one of you computer drives? Not on a network or other external resource (USB drive)?
It is not likely Windows 7 (the Operating System) that is causing the issue unless for some strange reason the indexing service (Windows Search in services.msc) has a lock on it for some weird reason.
It is more likely either a new security suite that may be seeing the code as something malicious, a third party indexing service or a third party sync utility.
Maybe consider what is different in your new Windows 7 install that was not present or a newer different version that was not present in your old Windows XP install.
Regards
Randy

Hi.. Thanks

I'm saving locally to my desktop. I actually have less software installed with this OS and no security progs running. But for the most part the exact same progs.

Found this in MS forums: The action can't be completed because the file is open in Windows - Microsoft Answers

Seems to be an issue long standing and a bug inherent with Windows 7.

There has been no "official" statement from MS acknowledging this bug hence a patch or fix release is unlikely. Some users in the thread above have offered "fixes" but they are way too time consuming and inefficient in regards to workflow productivity. This shouldn't be an issue one has to deal with when purchasing a new OS that's supposed to be a pinnacle achievement in technology in the first place. How could MS leave such a glaring bug with their poster-child OS? Total bs.

error - YouTube

?????

edit: *Fixed. Changed program association with .scr extension from screen saver to notepad++. Argg, so simple. Was driving me crazy..lol