The action cannot be completed because the file is open in another program is one of those errors that you might encounter at some point. Although majorly and in almost all the cases the issue is not that critical but in some scenarios, it can be a really hard issue to fix. The is very common and might in our day to day computer usage. The purpose of this guide is to give all the important information regarding this issue like why does it occur and multiple solutions to fix this issue within minutes. Below we have talked about its possible causes and why it occurs.
Causes Of The Action Cannot be Completed because the File is Open in Another Program Issue
Talking of the possible causes behind this issue it can be said that first of all, it is a program or application related issue. The issue occurs when you try to make changes in a file, folder or try to make changes in the program which is already opened up in the background. These changes can be renaming, moving, deleting, editing anything.
In simpler words, if you have opened the same file, folder, or such thing twice or thrice and make changes in it you will get the error due to two different versions of the same file or folder. The same goes if you have two accounts and it has some apps running and shutdown your system.
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How to Fix The Action Cannot be Completed because the File is Open in Another Program Issue
To fix the action cannot be completed because the file is open in another program issue, we have gathered some ways which can be helpful in fixing the issue.
1. Restart Your System
The easiest way to resolve this issue is by simply restarting your system.
- STEP 1. Press ALT+F4 on your keyboard
- STEP 2. Now from the drop down menu choose Restart
- STEP 3. Once restarted you will find that your issue is resolved
2. File/Folder or Program is Already Running in the Background
One of the major and most common causes behind this issue is that the file/folder/program in which you are facing this issue is already being used or opened.
The easiest way to fix this issue is to check if it is opened or not. Furthermore, you can just end the running tasks from the task manager.
- STEP 1. Move the cursor to the Task Bar and check the file if it is opened more than once
- STEP 2. In case you did not find, right-click on Task Bar and select Task Manager
- STEP 3. Locate the program, file, or folder, select it and click End Task
- STEP 4. Once done you can now makes any changes you want
3. Turn Off File Preview
Another way that you can use to fix the issu is by turning off the file preview. There are some users who are not able to fix the issue due to the glitch in windows file preview feature.
Sometimes it just fails to respond ror does not work at all. To fix that follow the below steps.
- STEP 1. Press Windows key + R key on your keyboard
- STEP 2. A small window will popup and type control folders then press Enter
- STEP 3. Once the new window is opened up, go to the View tab > Advanced settings
- STEP 4. Now checkmark Always show icons, never thumbnails is enabled
- STEP 5. Finally apply the changes
- STEP 6. Once done you will not face this issue anymore
4. Optimize the Drive
You can also fix the issue by optimizing your drive in which you are experiencing the issue. Follow the below steps to do so.
- STEP 1. Go to the Start menu and open My Computer
- STEP 2. Now right click on the drive in which the file/folder or program exists
- STEP 3. From the Context menu choose Proprties
- STEP 4. Go to the Tools tab, and below click on Optimize tab
- STEP 5. Once done, your issue will be fixed
Conclusion:
The above guide talks majorly about the solutions to fix the action cannot be completed because the file is open in another program issue. By following these solutions your issue wil be fixed for sure.
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