Cool tool: Process Explorer

A really common annoyance (for me) is trying to rename, move, or delete a file, only to be told that I can't because "something" is using it, but the error doesn't tell me which "something" it is and most of the time I can't figure it out. I'll open Task Manager, Processes tab, and stare at the CPU and mem usage columns but it doesn't help. I shut down processes I don't recognize. I reboot. I give up.

Microsoft.com Operations blog to the rescue. Today's post on tools includes a link to a tool that sounds to be perfect for my problem -- Process Explorer. "Useful for looking at a processes dependencies and any open handles a process has. Handy in cases where a file is in use, and you’re not sure what’s still holding on to it." Is that made for me or what?

Lots of other useful information (and links) over there, take a look...they might have that tool you would have looked for if it had occurred to you that it existed.