Cannot open file or folder as it is in use

[xenduro]

wanted to rename it then delete(i but another copy in calibre)

i shut pc down 2 times. it still gives me this?

have many many books been using for many years. first time i got this.

added the book a few times can not delete or rename the book in calibre .

Spoiler:

i did not try to delte the folder(and its
ALSO IN ???D:\Calibre LibraryFUrestore\.caltrash\b\784635 and
D:\Calibre LibraryFUrestore\Amy Cross\Dead Souls Book 00 - [The Dead Sou (642967)



calibre, version 9.6.0
ERROR: Cannot open file or folder as it is in use: Could not change on-disk location of this book's files. The folder "D:\Calibre LibraryFUrestore\Amy Cross\Dead Souls Book 00 - [The Dead Sou (642967)" is opened in another program, so calibre cannot access it.This is usually caused by leaving Windows explorer or a similar file manager open to a folder in the calibre library. Close Windows explorer and retry.

calibre 9.6 embedded-python: True
Windows-11-10.0.26200-SP0 Windows ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
('Windows', '11', '10.0.26200')
Python 3.14.2
Windows: ('11', '10.0.26200', 'SP0', 'Multiprocessor Free')
Interface language: None
EXE path: C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe
Successfully initialized third party plugins: Find Duplicates (1, 10, 9) && Quality Check (1, 14, 6)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre\utils\copy_files.py", line 114, in _open_file
PermissionError: [WinError 32] The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process: 'D:\\Calibre LibraryFUrestore\\Amy Cross\\Dead Souls Book 00 - [The Dead Sou (642967)'

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre\gui2\metadata\single.py", line 694, in accept
File "calibre\gui2\metadata\single.py", line 677, in apply_changes
File "calibre\gui2\metadata\basic_widgets.py", line 258, in commit
File "calibre\db\legacy.py", line 931, in func
File "calibre\db\cache.py", line 89, in call_func_with_lock
File "calibre\db\cache.py", line 1735, in set_field
File "calibre\db\backend.py", line 1927, in windows_check_if_files_in_use
File "calibre\utils\copy_files.py", line 254, in windows_check_if_files_in_use
File "calibre\utils\copy_files.py", line 138, in __enter__
File "calibre\utils\copy_files.py", line 134, in open_all_handles
File "calibre\utils\copy_files.py", line 125, in _open_file
File "calibre\utils\copy_files.py", line 114, in _open_file
PermissionError: [WinError 32] The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process: 'D:\\Calibre LibraryFUrestore\\Amy Cross\\Dead Souls Book 00 - [The Dead Sou (642967)'

[ShellShock]

It could be your anti-virus that is locking the file. You can try pausing the anti-virus to see if that fixes it - if you are using Windows Defender: "To temporarily pause Windows Defender real-time protection in Windows 11, open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage settings (under Virus & threat protection settings) and toggle Real-time protection to Off. This pauses scanning temporarily until the next restart or shortly after."

You can see which process is locking a file using one of these methods:

Google AI Overview

To identify which process is using a file in Windows 11, you can use built-in tools like Resource Monitor or the advanced Process Explorer from Microsoft.

Method 1: Using Resource Monitor (Built-in)
This is the fastest way to find a locking process without installing extra software.
Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Go to Performance: Click the Performance tab, then click Open Resource Monitor at the bottom.
Search the Handle: In Resource Monitor, go to the CPU tab.
In the Associated Handles section, type the name of the file or folder in the search box.
The results will show the Image (process name) and PID (Process ID) that is locking the file.
Optional: Right-click the process and select End Process to release the file.

Method 2: Using PowerToys File Locksmith (Recommended)
Microsoft provides a free utility called PowerToys that adds a "What's using this file" option directly to the context menu.
Install Microsoft PowerToys from the Microsoft Store.
Open PowerToys Settings, select File Locksmith, and ensure it is enabled.
Right-click the file or folder in File Explorer, select Show more options, then click What's using this file?.
A list of processes will appear, allowing you to end them directly.

Method 3: Using Process Explorer (Advanced)
This tool offers a more detailed look at handles and DLLs.
Download and run Process Explorer.
Press Ctrl + F or go to Find > Find Handle or DLL.
Type the file name and click Search.
Click the entry to highlight the process in the main window.
Right-click the handle in the lower pane and select Close Handle to release it.

Method 4: Using Command Prompt (openfiles)
Open Command Prompt as Administrator (search cmd, right-click -> Run as Administrator).
Enable the system tracking: openfiles /local on (requires a restart).
After restarting, run: openfiles /query to see all open files and their processes.

Key Locations/Processes to Look For
System (PID 4): Often means the file is in use by Windows itself, such as file indexing, antivirus (Windows Defender), or another user is accessing it.
Explorer.exe: Sometimes Explorer itself locks files when generating thumbnails.

Caution: Ending system-level processes (like System or explorer.exe) can cause system instability.