Replacing In-Use File; Windows Tips

Have you replace a file but error message appears and says something like the moving can not be continued because the file is in use.

The errors occur when a file that will be replaced is protected by the system.

Click to see detailed picture

Usually the files are protected by the file system is important (core files). This is very good to protect files from changes that could damage the system performance. But if you feel you have to make a replacement, you can overcome this with some pretty powerful methods. You can try to boot from safe mode, but sometimes there are files that can not replaced even in safe mode.

Do these steps to replace in-use files:

1. Launch your registry editor: go to Run, type "regedit" on Windows XP or 2003, or "regedit32" on Windows NT or Windows 2000.
2. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager.
3. Right Click on the right-pane, New > Multi-String Value > and give the name as PendingFileRenameOperations.
4. Double-click our new Multi-String Value (PendingFileRenameOperations) and assign the value data.
5. The format to assign the value data is as follow:
• On the first line enter \??\ followed by the path of the new file. Please note, to put the new file on the fix HDD, because the replacement process will be done after the machine is rebooted
• On the second line enter !\??\ followed by the old file.
  
  
  Click to see detailed picture
6. Click OK to save the changes.
7. Close the Registry Editor.

The sample file above is not important file which protected by Windows System. If you going to replace the important file (protected by Windows) give extra-caution, whenever replacing files, it may harmful your systems.

OK, that’s all, I hope the tips above are useful for you, see you on the next tips…
Adopted from: techbytes.com