

You can also unlock a file using the Terminal that comes pre-installed on every MacBook.
#How to get to applications on mac terminal how to
If the ‘Locked’ checkbox is greyed out, then this means you don’t have permission to modify the file (we look at how to change a file’s permissions in the next section, so skip ahead if you can’t currently access the ‘Locked’ checkbox).

Could any of these be using the file you’re trying to delete? If you spot a likely candidate, then select it and give Activity Monitor’s ‘Quit Process’ icon a click. In Activity Monitor, select either the ‘CPU’ or ‘Memory’ tab and spend some time exploring the list of currently-running apps and processes. If you’re still seeing the ‘File in use’ message, then it’s time to take a closer look at exactly what’s running on your MacBook, by launching the Activity monitor app (‘Applications’ > ‘Utilities’ > ‘Activity Monitor). Start by checking what apps you have open and closing any that you suspect might be accessing the file in question, then try deleting the file again. You’ll need to hunt down the culprit, and close it. If you’re getting a ‘File in use’ message whenever you try and drag a file to the Trash, that means an app or process is currently using this file.

Problem: A file is being used by another app or process
