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New File Locksmith tool from PowerToys unlocks files on your PC
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Published onNovember 3, 2022
published onNovember 3, 2022
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Key notes
Microsoft just added the new File Locksmith tool inside the PowerToys suite helps you understand which programs are using certain files.
Although the name suggests some kind ofpassword retrieval tool, the app is pretty harmless and useful altogether.
What is File Locksmith and what does it do?
You surely might have stumbled many times over theFile in useerror in Windows. If a file is in use by another process, it can’t be accessed by another one, hence the error.
File Locksmith is a Windows shell extension that identifies if one or more files are in use by another process and pinpoints it quickly.
How do I use File Locksmith?
That’s it! We’ve investigated a pretty meaningless File Explorer DLL file but when you really have some trouble with the file in use error, File Locksmith will prove to be extremely useful.
How do I install Microsoft PowerToys version 0.64?
We remind you that you need to have PowerToys version 0.64 to be able to use File Locksmith. If you don’t know how to do that, here’s a simple method to get it:
Now you know how to install and use the new File Locksmith tool inside Microsoft PowerToys.
That being said, you might also be interested inhow to change the function keys in Windows 11 by using PowerToys.
What do you think about the new feature? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.
Claudiu Andone
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Oldtimer in the tech and science press, Claudiu is focused on whatever comes new from Microsoft.
His abrupt interest in computers started when he saw the first Home Computer as a kid. However, his passion for Windows and everything related became obvious when he became a sys admin in a computer science high school.
With 14 years of experience in writing about everything there is to know about science and technology, Claudiu also likes rock music, chilling in the garden, and Star Wars. May the force be with you, always!
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Claudiu Andone
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Oldtimer in the tech and science press, with 14 years of experience in writing on everything there is to know about science, technology, and Microsoft
