Check for locked files in Directory and find locking applicaiton

Question

I am wanting to create a PowerShell script that will find any files that are locked within a supplied directory and return the application/process that has locked the file.

I have found a script which goes through a directory and when it finds a locked file will stop and report the file is locked.

Function Test-Lock{
    param(
    [parameter(ValueFromPipeline=$true)]
    $Path
    )
    Process {
        if($Path.Attributes -ne 'Directory'){
            $oFile = New-Object System.IO.FileInfo $Path.FullName
            $locked=$false
            try{
                $oStream = $oFile.Open([System.IO.FileMode]::Open, [System.IO.FileAccess]::ReadWrite, [System.IO.FileShare]::None)
                $oStream.Close()
                }
            catch{
                write-host $Error[0]
                $locked=$true
                New-Object PSObject -Property @{'Path'=$Path.FullName;'Locked?'=$locked} | Select Path,Locked?
                } 

        }
    }
}
$lockedfiles=(gci C:\temp | Test-Lock)
$lockedfiles | Format-Table -auto

This returns:

Path                  Locked?
----                  ------- 
C:\temp\ReportReq.doc    True

I cannot work out how to find the application or proecess that has this file locked.

score 7 · Accepted Answer · edited Oct 06 '17 at 09:28

7

Well, You need to use handle.exe from sysinternals to achieve this. Adam Driscoll, a PowerShell MVP, wrote a PowerShell version of sysinternals handle.exe. You can check that at: https://github.com/adamdriscoll/PoshInternals/blob/master/Handle.ps1

Also, there is a similar question answered here by Keith Hill: PowerShell script to check an application that's locking a file?

edited Oct 06 '17 at 09:28

KERR

1,312
18
13

answered Jun 20 '13 at 03:02

ravikanth

24,922
4
60
60

A little frustrating that you have to use a 3rd party tool to just see what files are used by an application, but I'll try working with it. Have tried using the Get-Handle.ps1 file, using similar command to the one provided in your link describing the PS version of handle, I am unable to get it to work without errors: Where-Object : Cannot bind parameter 'FilterScript'. Cannot convert the "type" value of type "System.String" to type "S ystem.Management.Automation.ScriptBlock". – Lima Jun 20 '13 at 06:46
1

The link here is dead. – Der Kommissar Feb 07 '17 at 17:44
1

Is there a copy of the script referenced still available? – r4d1um Jun 01 '17 at 08:20
1

Adam's site moved to another domain. Anyway, here is the link to the script from his github repo. https://github.com/adamdriscoll/PoshInternals/blob/master/Handle.ps1 – ravikanth Jun 11 '17 at 14:26

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 08 '14 at 08:30

1

If you only want to check if file is locked or not use this:

try {
   [IO.File]::OpenWrite($file).close();
}catch {
   $locked = 1;
};

answered Oct 08 '14 at 08:30

Krzysztof Gapski

528
6
10

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 26 '21 at 03:59

Posted a PowerShell module in PsGallery to discover & kill processes that have open handles to a file or folder. It exposes functions to: 1) find the locking process, and 2) kill the locking process. The module automatically downloads handle.exe on first usage.

Find-LockingProcess()
Retrieves process information that has a file handle open to the specified path.
Example: Find-LockingProcess -Path $Env:LOCALAPPDATA
Example: Find-LockingProcess -Path $Env:LOCALAPPDATA | Get-Process

Stop-LockingProcess()
Kills all processes that have a file handle open to the specified path.
Example: Stop-LockingProcess -Path $Home\Documents

PsGallery Link: https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/LockingProcessKiller To install run:
Install-Module -Name LockingProcessKiller

score -1 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 13 '16 at 09:09

-1

Just to add to the Sysinternals 3rd Party Tools slant, you could use the Find function inside Sysinternals Process Explorer.

answered Oct 13 '16 at 09:09

EndUzr

363
3
8

Check for locked files in Directory and find locking applicaiton

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