You can do a few steps to troubleshoot a file that is locked or being used by another program or process (example: when a file is locked in the trace file and is being used by another process or program.)
By identifying the process, you can then 'kill' the program or simply close the program, if possible. Please be aware that ending the process can result in unexpected behavior. Usually, a system restart will suffice.
Please make sure that you are running the migration when you do this. Process Explorer will only display Live action.
Please download Process Explorer here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer
How to find out what program is using a file
In Windows 7 or 8, the system message may tell you what program is using the file. If it doesn’t or if you are using Windows XP, there is a simple way to find the program:
- Open Process Explorer, running as administrator.
- On the toolbar, find the target icon on the right (shown highlighted in the figure shown below).
- Drag the icon and drop it on the open file or folder that is locked.
- The executable that is using the file will be highlighted in the Process Explorer's main display list.
How to find out which handle or DLL is using a file
- Open Process Explorer, running as administrator.
- Enter the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+F or click the “Find” menu and select “Find a Handle or DLL”.
- A search dialog box will open.
- Type in the name of the locked file or other files of interest. Partial names are usually sufficient.
- Click the “Search” button.
- A list will be generated. There may be a number of entries.
- An individual handle in the list can be killed by selecting it and pressing the delete key. However, care is necessary when deleting handles, as instabilities may occur. Often, just rebooting will free a locked file.
How to look for what Ports are being utilized by a Process.
- Open Process Explorer, running as administrator.
- Double click on a running process
- Go to the TCP/IP tab
- Here, you can see what ports are currently being utilized by the process.