Are you getting a “This action can’t be completed because the file is open in Shell Infrastructure Host” error?
The error message occurs when you try to delete a file, typically a video, from the File Explorer.
Specifically, it happens after you’ve recorded a video and when you try to delete it right after.
It’s usually caused by a bug from the latest Windows Update that interferes with the Media Player.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix the “This action can’t be completed because the file is open in Shell Infrastructure Host” error.
How to Fix “This action can’t be completed because the file is open in Shell Infrastructure Host”
The “This action can’t be completed because the file is open in Shell Infrastructure Host” is a bug that’s most likely caused by a Windows update.
It causes the default video player (Media Player) to not function properly and prevents you from deleting a video.
Fix 1: Change your default video player
- Navigate to the file (video/photo) that you want to delete.
- Right-click it and select “Properties”.
- Select “Change” next to “Open with”.
- Set the default app to something else (e.g. Photos).
Fix 2: Update Windows to the latest version
- Search for “Check for updates” using Windows Search.
- Select “Check for updates”.
- Select “Download & Install” if there’s an update.
Further reading
How to Fix DeepSeek “The server is busy. Please try again later”
