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There are many types of media files you can play on your computer such as MP3 music files or MP4 or AVI video files. And most Windows users tend to use the built in Media Player app that comes with Windows 11 as well as Windows 10.
One fairly common problem that people have is trying to delete these media files when they no longer need them. When doing so, many users get the same error and cannot delete the files. In this article, we will be showing you 3 ways to fix the “This action can’t be completed because the file is open in Runtime Broker” error.
The image below shows the Runtime Broker file in use error when trying to delete an MP3 file after playing it and closing Media Player.
The Runtime Broker process is used to manage app permissions for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, which includes apps installed from the Microsoft Store. Whenever you launch a UWP app like Calculator, Photos, or any Microsoft Store app, Runtime Broker becomes active to ensure those apps follow security guidelines when accessing system resources. You can try to kill this process via Task Manager but many times you wont even see it listed there.
Now let’s discuss the 3 ways you can fix the This action can’t be completed because the file is open in Runtime Broker error.
Method 1 – Open a different media file
One easy way to get past this error so you can delete your media files is to open another media file in the same app. This can be an audio or video file. Once you open the new file, it will then most likely be locked by Runtime Broker allowing you to delete the previously opened file.
Method 2 – Click the X instead of the Cancel button
When you click the X on the Runtime Broker error box, it will open a new window asking if you are sure that you want to cancel all transfers. After you click the Yes button, you should then be able to delete your file.
Method 3 – Rename the media file
If you close the Runtime Broker error box, you can then rename your file to anything else and then you should be able to delete it after that.
As you can see, it’s not that difficult to delete a media file after receiving the This action can’t be completed because the file is open in Runtime Broker error in Windows and either method should work just fine.
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