Sometimes it is impossible to move, delete or rename a particular file, and this also applies to copying. The problem may be that the file is involved in the operating system by some program.
Instructions
Step 1
Check which program is busy with the file you need. Pay special attention to programs running in the background, they are usually minimized to the tray on the taskbar in the lower right corner of the screen. Also check out various players, editors, image viewers, and so on. Also, the file can be busy with parallel copying, moving or deleting.
Step 2
If the file you want to copy is a system file and is usually used by Windows, find out which operating system service is using it and shut it down. You can find out by searching for the service on the Internet for the name of the file you want.
Step 3
After that, start the Windows Task Manager by pressing the Shift + Ctrl + Esc or Alt + Ctrl + Delete keys, go to the processes running on your computer, find the one you need in the list and right-click on it. Select the End Process Tree option from the context menu.
Step 4
Please note that this action may lead to the termination of some programs or the operation of the entire operating system, so first find out what entails the termination of the execution of this or that process.
Step 5
If the file you need to copy is occupied by an unknown program, restart your computer. This can lead to the fact that the results of the current work will not be saved, however, the file required for copying will most likely be released.
Step 6
Also, if such an error occurs frequently, perform a full scan of your computer for viruses and malware, usually they use certain folders and files, preventing them from being deleted. Format removable storage devices more often and check the memory of phones, iPods and other portable devices that may contain viruses.
