How to Use - File Unlocker
How to Delete Currently Used, Locked, Undeletable, Busy Files with File Unlocker
To use File Unlocker you have to first specify which file or directory you want to unlock or delete, rename, copy, move. To do this press "Select File / Directory" and then select "File" to specify a file, "Directory" to specify a directory (folder). Alternatively, you can right-click on the file or directory in Windows Explorer and then select "Unlock with File Unlocker" , or pass it as a run-time argument when you execute the program from the command-line.
Afterward, you can press "Delete","Move","Copy","Rename" toolbar buttons to perform the appropriate actions but this will require a reboot afterward in order for the deletion to complete.
To avoid the reboot you have to first press on the "Find Locks" button.
Then, File Unlocker will gather information about processes that lock these files or directories and will display information about them.
Then you can "Delete","Move","Rename" with no reboot.
It is possible to select multiple files or folders in Windows Explorer and then right-click on them and select "Unlock with File Unlocker". Moreover, the user can also select multiple files or folders in the main application by selecting "Enter List" and enter there the paths of the files or folders.
You can close the file and directory handles in order to unlock them.The locked files can be sent to the recycle bin or deleted permanently from the system with a right click on them and then selecting "Delete Permanently".
You can also kill the processes locking the files or directories and delete the processes files, if necessary.
It is also possible to open in Windows Explorer the locked file and the processes files that lock it.
Windows Explorer Integration
File Unlocker is also integrated into the Windows Explorer. To use File Unlocker simply right-click a file or folder in the Windows Explorer and select "Unlock with File Unlocker" from the menu.
Selecting All Locked Files and Directories
To select and view information about all files and directories that are currently locked by the system press the "Select" button and choose the option "All Files and Directories". Then a list of all the files and directories that are locked by the system is displayed.
Be careful because you can create havoc and cause irreversible damage with this function if you delete, rename or move files that you shouldn't.
Make sure you select only specific files.Refreshing Information
To refresh information about the processes that lock a file or directory press the "Find Locks" button.
Command line usage
The application has a user-friendly GUI interface but can also be easily executed from the command-line.
The command-line usage is the following :
Unlocks files or directories that are locked from the Windows file system.
FreeFileUnlocker.exe [file|directory|input list file|/ALL] [/S][/D][/DPER][/DPROC]
[/L] [/U] [/K] [/O [Log File]] [/V] [/SHOW] [/R filename] [/M file|directory] [/C file|directory] [/RL Rename List] [/ML Move List] [/CL Copy List] [/?]
file : file to get unlocked.
directory : directory to get unlocked.
input list file : text file containing a list of locked files or directories. one on each row. It is required to use the /L switch.
/ALL - ALL : Select all files or directories that are locked.
/S -S : Silent mode. Does not show GUI.
/D -D : Send locked files, or processes that lock those files, to the Recycle bin. Use /DPER with this switch to delete permenantly.
/DPER -DPER : Use with the /D switch to delete permenantly locked files or processes that lock those files.
/DPROC -DROC : Send to the Recycle Bin processes that lock specified files. Use with the /DPER switch to delete process files permenantly.
/L -L : Use input list file.
/U -U : Force unlock.
/K -K : Kill process.
Log File : file where to log output.
/O -O : log output to defined log file or to log.txt.
/V - V : Verbose mode. Write output messages to console.
/SHOW - SHOW : Show information about locked files or directories.
/R -R : Rename locked file or directory to the filename or directory name specified.
/C -C : Copy locked file or directory to the file or directory specified.
/M -M : Move locked file or directory to the file or directory specified.
Rename List : text file containing a list of entries that define how the files in the input list file will be renamed. Required the /RL and the /L switch.
/RL -RL : Rename locked files or directories of the input list file using the rename list.
Move List : text file containing a list of entries that define how where the files in the input list file will be moved. Required the /ML and the /L switch.
/ML -ML : Move locked files or directories of the input list file using the move list.
Copy List : text file containing a list of entries that define how where the files in the input list file will be copied to. Required the /CL and the /L switch.
/CL -CL : Copy locked files or directories of the input list file using the copy list.
For example to unlock file c:\documents\virus.exe execute the following :
FreeFileUnlocker.exe "c:\documents\virus.exe" /u /s
To show a list with all files and folders that are locked, execute the following :
FreeFileUnlocker.exe /all /show /s
For example, to delete permanently the malware file c:\documents\virus.exe execute the following :
FreeFileUnlocker.exe "c:\documents\virus.exe" /d /dper /s
For example, to unlock the file "c:\temp\osd.tmp" and kill the process that is using it, execute the following :
FreeFileUnlocker.exe "c:\temp\osd.tmp" /u /k /s
For example, to unlock the files that are contained in the list file c:\documents\list.txt (one file on each row) use the following :
FreeFileUnlocker.exe "c:\documents\list.txt" /l /u /s
For example, to unlock the files that are contained in the ist fie c:\documents\list.txt and move them to the destinations that are entered in the list file c:\documents\move.txt, execute the following :
FreeFileUnlocker.exe "c:\documents\list.txt" /l /ml "c:\documents\move.txt"
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