LockHunter

ApplicationCrystal Rich

Also called lock hunter, crystal rich lockhunter

Crystal RichSystem

Tells you which process locks a file. The 64-bit process is LockHunter64.exe. It is not Process Explorer.

What you need to know

LockHunter names the locker. Process Explorer is the full Sysinternals tree.

Crystal Rich LockHunter shows which process locks a file. Get it from lockhunter.com. Process Explorer can find handles too. It is a different, broader tool.

What is it?: A locked-file inspector
Same as Process Explorer?: No. Explorer is a full process tree
Undelete?: No. That is Recuva's job

Feex says

If a file will not delete, I would try LockHunter from lockhunter.com. If I already have Process Explorer open, I would search handles there instead. I would not unlock a running installer blindly.

What is LockHunter?

LockHunter shows which process holds a path and can unlock or delete on reboot. LockHunter64.exe is the window. procexp64.exe can find handles too, but it is the Sysinternals tree, not this focused helper.

If you have never used it

If Windows says a file is in use and will not delete, LockHunter is Crystal Rich's helper. Download it from lockhunter.com. Right-click the file and see the process. It is not Process Explorer, which is a full process tree, and it is not a general undelete tool.

What is it used for?

See who locked a file

The list of processes is the point. Process Explorer's Find Handle does a similar hunt inside a bigger UI.

Unlock, delete, or rename

Those actions are LockHunter buttons. Closing the app in Process Explorer is the other path.

Delete on reboot if the lock holds

A pending-delete is a LockHunter option. Recuva is undelete, the opposite job.

Who is it for?

People who cannot delete a DLL or a folder
Anyone who does not want to learn Process Explorer's handle search
Users who should close the app first before they unlock

Current status

LockHunter (2008) is a current locked-file helper from Crystal Rich. The vendor still points Windows users at https://lockhunter.com/.

How old is it?

LockHunter launched in 2008. Process Explorer is older and broader. Unlocker-style tools were common in the 2000s. Current LockHunter still targets everyday Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Installer

Portable

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 10 or Windows 11, per lockhunter.com
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Low
RAM demand: Small helper window

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
LockHunter64.exe	Lock inspector window

Startup components

LockHunter should not start with Windows. The Explorer context menu loads when you right-click.

File locations

Common LockHunter locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\LockHunter\

File formats

It acts on files you point at

Common problems

Unlocking a file a security product has open

That can be a scanner. Closing the locker is safer than a blind unlock. Process Explorer will show the same process.

People use this as undelete

LockHunter is about locks. Recuva is the undelete tool in this batch.

Getting unstuck

Install from lockhunter.com

A "Unlocker 2026" ad pack is not Crystal Rich. Process Explorer is the Sysinternals alternative.

Close the listed app first, then delete

Unlock is the fallback. Ending explorer.exe to delete a file is the wrong first click.

If the locker is System, reboot-delete or check a kernel driver

LockHunter can schedule a delete. Process Explorer will not make that reboot action for you the same way.

Alternatives

Process Explorer handle search. Resource Monitor CPU > Associated Handles. Handle.exe from Sysinternals.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	lockhunter.com/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	lockhunter.com/howto.htm Vendor support
Official site	lockhunter.com/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

The lock is software. A dying disk can also make deletes fail, which is a different error.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

LockHunter official site · Vendor product page
LockHunter help · Vendor support
LockHunter how-to · How to unlock or delete
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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