How Do I Fix Process Cannot Access The File Because It Is Being Used By Another Process

Several Windows users are encountering the "The procedure cannot admission the file because information technology is being used by another procedure" error. Near of the time, the issue occurs when the user tries to run a netsh command. Some users are reporting that for them, the mistake message appears when they try to right-click a website in the IIS (Internet Information Services ) MMC (Microsoft Direction Console) snap-in.

The procedure cannot admission the file because it is being used past some other procedure

The upshot is reported to occur on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and on various Windows Server versions.

What causes the process to exist used by some other process?

Nosotros investigated this item issue by looking at various user reports and the repair strategies that they used to become the issue resolved. Based on what we were able to get together, in that location are several common scenarios that will trigger this particular error message:

The command requires admin privileges – If yous're encountering the error within a terminal, it's near probable because you don't have administrative privileges to make the modifications. Several users in a similar situation accept managed to go the consequence resolved by granting admin privileges.
Another process is using port fourscore or port 443 – This is typical with computers running IIS (Internet Information Services). If some other process is using these two ports, you volition see this mistake message.
The ListenOnlyList registry subkey is not configured correctly – Another common scenario with IIS (Net Data services) that will trigger this particular error is an incorrectly configured ListenOnlyList registry subkey.

If you're currently struggling to resolve this particular mistake message, this commodity will provide you with a collection of verified troubleshooting steps. Down below, y'all have a collection of methods that other users in a similar situation have used to get the result resolved.

For the best results, follow the methods below in club until yous encounter a fix that is effective in resolving the error in your detail scenario.

Permit'southward begin!

Method ane: Running the command with admin privileges

If you're getting this error when trying to run a netsh command, it'southward probable that the error is occurring because you don't have admin privileges. This is reported to occur more than than often when the user tries to run a command that adds exclusions to the dynamic port range for native Windows apps or 3rd party application.

Go along in mind that an performance of this kind will require administrator privileges. To ensure that the CMD window you're trying to perform the activeness in has admin privileges, follow the steps below:

Press Windows cardinal + R to open up up a Run dialog box. Then, type "cmd" and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open up up an elevated Control Prompt.

Opening an elevated Command Prompt window
When prompted by the UAC (User Business relationship Control), click Yes to grant admin privileges.
In the elevated Command Prompt, run the command again and see if you're nonetheless encountering the same error message.

If you're still getting the "The procedure cannot access the file because information technology is existence used by another process" fault or this scenario wasn't applicable, movement downwards to the side by side method below.

Method ii: Setting a unlike IP range

If you're trying to resolve a disharmonize DNS disharmonize using netsh and the method higher up didn't help you, you might want to endeavor a different approach.

Several users struggling to resolve the same error message accept institute that the disharmonize is resolved after they tried to set a completely unlike IP range instead of creating an exclusion range.

Below you take a couple of commands that one affected user successfully ran to resolve a conflict betwixt DNS and Quickbooks:

              netsh int ipv4 set dynamicport tcp start=10000 num=1000 netsh int ipv4 set dynamicport udp start=10000 num=1000

Note: Ensure that the terminal you lot're running the control in has admin privileges.

If this method didn't resolve the disharmonize or wasn't applicable to the situation that you're encountering, move down to the final method.

Method 3: Resolving the IIS port disharmonize

If you are encountering the result while trying to right-click a website item within the IIS MMC snap-in (clicking Start doesn't exercise anything), yous'll need to utilise the Netstat.exe utility to effigy out if another process is using port lxxx and port 443.

This outcome is quite mutual with computers running Microsoft IIS half dozen.0 and 7.0. Based on the official Microsoft documentation, the error message volition appear if one of the following weather condition are applicable to your electric current situation:

The ListenOnlyList registry subkey is non configured correctly on the IIS running computer.
Another process is using the TCP port (lxxx) or the SSL port (443) required by the IIS.

To resolve this issue, we'll need to deploy the Netstat.exe utility in gild to make up one's mind if another process is using the ports specified above. If the utility determines that the ports are not being used, we'll examine the ListenOnlyList subkey to run across if it'southward correctly configured.

Here's a step-past-step guide through the whole thing:

Printing Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. And so, type "cmd" and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open up upwards an elevated Control Prompt. When prompted by the UAC (User Account Control), click Yes to grant administrative privileges.

Opening an elevated Command Prompt window
Inside the elevated command prompt, run the following command to start the Netstat.exe utility:
```
netstat -ano
```
Once you get a return, curl through the list of Active Connections and verify whether the ports 50 and 443 are being actively used by a different process.

Verifying if the ports are beingness used by a unlike process

Notation: If the ports are being actively used by a different process, you've merely managed to place the source of your trouble. In this instance, look online for specific steps on how to resolve the port conflict according to the PID of the port.
Close the elevated Command Prompt every bit we won't need admin privileges for the next steps.
If the ports aren't actively used, printing Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type 'regedit' and press Enter to open up the Registry Editor. When prompted by the UAC (User business relationship command), click Yeah to grant administrative privileges.

Opening the Registry Editor utility
Inside the Registry editor, utilise the left pane to navigate to the following location:
```
                  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Organisation\CurrentControlSet\Services\HTTP\Parameters\ListenOnlyList                
```
Note: In example the ListenOnlyList subkey is non present, there'southward no need to create 1 equally an IP address of 0.0.0.0 volition be used past default.
Before you get ahead and modify the ListenOnlyList subkey, yous'll need to stop the HTTP service that is running the IIS. So put the Registry Editor in the background as we'll return to it in a moment.
Adjacent, press Windows key + R to open a Run dialog box, type 'cmd' and press Enter to open another Command Prompt window.

Run dialog: cmd
In the Cmd prompt, run the post-obit control and press Enter to stop the HTTP service responsible for running the IIS:
```
net stop http
```
When asked whether yous desire to continue this operation, type 'Y' and press Enter to confirm the functioning.

Disabling the HTTP Service
Once the HTTP service is disabled, close the Command Prompt window and return to the Registry Editor.
With the ListenOnlyList subkey selected, motility over to the right-mitt pane and ensure that it contains valid IP addresses. If yous spot an IP address that isn't valid, remove it or modify it to reverberate an entry with a valid IP address.

Deleting the Binary values with invalid IPs

Note: In case the ListenOnlyList subkey is present and the 0.0.0.0 accost is listed, y'all need to delete all the other IP addresses.
Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.
At the side by side startup, the HTTP service should be automatically started. Simply just to brand certain, press Windows key + R to open upwards another Run dialog box. So, type "cmd" and press Enter to open up a Control Prompt window.

Opening a normal Command Prompt window
In the newly opened Command Prompt, type the following command to ensure that the HTTP service is started:
```
                  internet first http                
```
Annotation: If you get returned a message saying that "The requested service has been already started" y'all are good to get.
Attempt to start a service from the Microsoft Net Information Services (IIS) Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. You should no longer encounter the 'procedure cannot access the file considering it is existence used by another process' error.