Unlocker Review (How To Remove Windows Restrictions When Deleting Files)
Written by Rob Nichols on January 5, 2010 · Filed under How To, Review, Software
One of the most irritating things I find with Windows, even now with Windows 7, is that sometimes, for no apparent reason, Windows will reject any attempt to delete a file after a program that may or may not still be in use has taken control of it and refused to let go. Apparently my files really are that precious. But seriously it must be one of the most annoying things in the world, especially with no simple method of force deleting something.
You can imagine how happy I was when I stumbled upon a little application called Unlocker. Put simply, unlocker, as the name suggests, unlocks files from any connected programs that interfere when trying to move or alter a file.
It is an extremely lightweight application that for the most part just uses the ‘assistant’ located in the system tray, to unlock your stubborn files and folders. It works silently and only appears when called upon by right clicking on the file or folder in question and selecting the relevant option.
In my short experience of using the application I am very impressed and it has taken a lot of stress away from the tedious job of clearing out some unnecessary files to regain my hard drive space. I’ve only used it a few days, but I now have it installed on every PC I use regularly.
Probably the best thing about the program is that it is free so you really have nothing to lose by installing it. In fact, no, the best thing about the program is its simplicity. Anybody with any experience of using a computer will be capable of using the program sufficiently. By using this app you will never have to put up with irritating dialogue from Windows stating ‘Can’t delete this file, try again’ or something similar.
In terms of negatives there really aren’t many. The program isn’t crawling with features and that is what I like most about it. There is nothing unnecessary. Nothing that will slow down your machine and hog all of your resources. Download and installation was as simple as anything I have ever installed on Windows.
Having had a quick browse through the web at other users response to the application, I wasn’t at all surprised to find that pretty much everybody agreed with my point of view. This really is a great little app that will make a big difference to your experience on Windows, especially if you often come across a problem like this.
I think the only really negative thing I can take away from this is that Windows doesn’t have such a feature built in the OS. I am not going to claim to be an expert in the programming field. Far from it in fact. However I can’t believe for a minute that such an addition to a modern operating system would be too difficult.
If you have ever come across such a problem when using Windows then I cannot recommend this software enough. Unlocker has fast become a key member on the list of essential third party Windows apps for me. Absolutely love it.
