Overview

WhoLockMe is a tiny freeware utility that can show you which process is blocking a certain file from being deleted, moved or renamed.

Review

Colin Cole recommended this freeware program (and a few others too) to me a few days ago using the quite problematic contact form (I’m working on it Colin, I’m working on it). WhoLockMe provides quite an important feature for Windows XP users: it tells you which are the processes responsible for blocking a file that you want to delete, move or rename. To illustrate the situation I played an avi file and while playing it I tried to delete it. Obviously, I got an error message.

If you have WhoLockMe installed just right click on the respective file and the context menu should show the WhoLockMe command. 

In a few moments a window will pop up telling you exactly which are the programs that are locking the respective file. Then you can turn off the processes indicated and delete or move your file in peace.

WhoLockMe doesn’t come with an installer, you have to create a folder for it and extract the contents of the zip package into that folder. After that just run install.bat and in a few seconds the program will be installed.

Version Tested

2.0 beta

Author

Dr. Hoiby

Operating System

Windows NT, 2000, XP

Download link

Summary

 Tiny and easy to use.

 It just works, an important tool to have at the right moment.

Does not have a Vista version.

Rating

Verdict

WhoLockMe is just a very useful piece of freeware, a tiny program that provides only one feature, but it does it perfectly. Thanks again to Colin for recommending this freeware program, another one of the great tiny freeware programs.

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If you have any trouble with this software just leave a comment, I’ll help you out! If you know better free programs in the same category, please let me know!