Windows won't let you delete, move, or rename a file if a program is using it. Frustratingly, it also won't tell you which program is using the file so that you can solve the problem.

Whatever the reason, this post helps to delete a text box without removing text in a Word or Excel file on a Windows 11/10 PC. You don’t need any add-ins for this purpose.

Wondering what really happens when you delete a file on Windows? Learn how deletion works, where files go, and if you can recover them.