PsFile

PsFile is a handy command line app, part of the Sysinternals Suite, that can come in handy for administrators who want to manage files remotely. More precisely, the idea behind the tool is to enable admins to view a list of files open over the network by various users.

It can be argued that you can use the ‘net file’ command to achieve the same result, as it enables you to view the files opened on local systems. While this is true, the command can’t be applied to remote systems, a drawback that can cause various issues if you have to troubleshoot all the machines in the network, for example. In this situation, PsFile lets you view and close those troublesome files.

Another issue with the ‘net file’ command is that it truncates the file path, so you don’t know the exact location of the file being opened. Needless to say that Sysinternals’s tool enables you to view the full path name of the file.

Overall, the utility addresses network administrators who commonly manage shared files and remote computers. Not only does it help streamline the file management tasks, but it also can lend a hand with making certain files accessible to all users who need them. After all, sometimes a file can get locked and cannot be modified, deleted or accessed by other users.