explorer.exe is using active file in windows
For explorer.exe is the program of windows for which is your desktop windows contains like folders, path ,start button. If explorer.exe is causing problem if you are doing any activity such as it used/lock any file then you need to stop it using by following methods:
Solution 1:
If you have all username / password for it then you logoff the system and re login it again. Then explorer will leave your locked file.
Solution 2:
you do not have username/password and using command prompt. you need to check your file who is locked from tasklist command. you got the process id from it and then you kill the process id by taskkill command as follows:
tasklist /m ocl*
Image Name PID Modules ============ ===== ======== explorer.exe 3136 oci.dll vmtoolsd.exe 36108 oci.dll
You can kill the process id from command prompt
taskkill /pid 3136 /F
SUCCESS: The process with PID 3136 has been terminated.
When you kill it all your start button and explorer window is gone from screen. After that check you file is not using by any other process:
tasklist /m oci*
INFO: No tasks are running which match the specified criteria.
And to again start the explorer.exe process. you type explorer.exe on command prompt for start explorer.exe program.
Note: Sometime windows command prompt does not find the command. so, go to location c:\windows then type explorer.exe
C:\windows> explorer.exe
It will start the whole process and you get all yours windows back.
Example with snapshot
1. Check the explorer.exe file with tasklist command.
2. Kill the task with pid number, it will hide the start button from windows.
3. you will type the explorer.exe then it will show you again start button
