Microsoft has a new utility to the PowerToys toolset that will help Windows users find the processes using selected files and unlock them without requiring a third-party tool.
PowerToys 0.64.0 also adds a Windows hosts file editor and a long list of bug fixes and changes that add stability and improve the other built-in tools.
As its name implies, the new File Locksmith utility can be used to deal with locked files that can't be deleted or opened because Windows says another process is using them.
"File Locksmith lists which processes are using the selected files or directories and allows closing those processes," the tool's description reads.
While, until now, most users would have to install a third-party program designed to get rid of the "locked" status, you can now check which files are being used by which processes by right-clicking them in the File Explorer and clicking "What's using this file?" in the context menu.
You can then terminate any processes found by File Locksmith or scan again using administrator privileges to look for processes launched by all users.
Today's release also bundles a new Hosts File Editor utility that helps manage the Windows Hosts file's contents, enabling force linking or mapping hostnames to IP addresses.
The tool will help you add new entries to the Hosts files and update the ones already available. It also has a filter feature to quickly sieve through large files and narrow down the results list.
"Hosts File Editor creates a backup of the hosts file before editing session," Microsoft explains in a support document.
"The backup files are located near by hosts file in %SystemRoot%/System32/drivers/etc named hosts_PowerToysBackup_YYYYMMDDHHMMSS."
The PowerToys toolset initially came as a collection of tiny freeware utilities created as side projects by Windows developers during the Windows 95 era.
Microsoft decided to revive them in September 2019 when it released the first version of modern PowerToys as an open-source utility pack designed to provide Windows users with extra functionality.
To install the latest Microsoft PowerToys version, you have to download and launch the PowerToys 0.64 installer from the project's GitHub page.
Comments
fromFirefoxToVivaldi - 1 year ago
Finally. This was solely missing after the amazing Unlocker stopped being updated in 2013. This hasn't been as much of an issue on Win 10 as on Win 7, but still sometimes files were getting blocked, especially on removable media, while scanned by Defender.
Mr.Tom - 1 year ago
I wonder if they'll ever put in a Split Taskbar Icon option in PowerToys for Windows 11, like Windows 10 has. I have to use a 3rd party program ExplorerPatcher to get that functionality back. One of my worst productivity grips going from 10 to 11. But I'm happy now that my taskbar looks like Windows 10 does. I only want to combine taskbar icons when full!!
fromFirefoxToVivaldi - 1 year ago
I doubt they will ever do so. MS designers use Macs - https://archive.ph/7dLG6#selection-523.22-523.38 - and AFAIK Macs do not provide most basic productivity features, like this one.
Start11 has this feature among many others, making windows 11 at least a bit usable.
KKthebeast - 1 year ago
Cool a clone of Lock Hunter. One less thing installed on the computer.
Themistocles22 - 1 year ago
Ive gone from unlocker to Lock Hunter. Just tried this new feature in power towers but all it has is end task function so at this moment I think lockhunter still is better. You can delete in 1 action.
h_b_s - 1 year ago
File Locksmith doesn't work for me on 11 22H2. It just sits there infinitely spinning its circle regardless of administrator privilege. I don't care enough to find out why. Windows needs something BUILT IN no more complicated than running 'lsof' is in Unix-land.