mst IsUsedBy

Experienced users are surely familiar with the situation when a file cannot be removed from the PC or renamed due to the fact that it is still in use by another program, even though you already closed it. In many cases, the error message window points you to the process behind it, which can be closed from the Task Manager. Then, you should be able to delete the file or change its name without restrictions.

Unfortunately, there are situations when no program is indicated, so you have to find it yourself. mst IsUsedBy is a lightweight, yet handy tool designed to handle this type of situations and help you deal with such locked files.

The application focuses on functionality, not looks and therefore, the interface is straightforward and consists of a single, small window. The usage cannot be more simple, since all you have to do is drag the desired file or folder onto the main window.

mst IsUsedBy can analyze the input file or directory and generates the complete list of all the processes that are using it, displaying the process name and its unique ID. The identifier can be used as a parameter in function calls, allowing you to kill the corresponding process. Once the process is killed, you should be able to move, delete, rename or edit the file, without receiving an error message.

Not being able to delete files classified as 'in use' and opened by another process is rather annoying and a system reboot might be required to solve the issue. Having an application that can track the process to blame might really save you the trouble of restarting the computer and hoping that process is closed.

Although this problem may not occur on a daily basis, mst IsUsedBy comes in handy on the occasions you run into the 'file in use' error, enabling you to quickly identify and kill the process that causes it.