Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

WhoLockMe VS Process Explorer

Compare WhoLockMe VS Process Explorer and see what are their differences

WhoLockMe logo WhoLockMe

WhoLockMe Explorer Extension v2.0 beta (NT-Win2K-XP) download page.

Process Explorer logo Process Explorer

The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'l…
  • WhoLockMe Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-15
  • Process Explorer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-21

WhoLockMe features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    WhoLockMe integrates seamlessly into the Windows Explorer context menu, allowing users to quickly identify and address file-locking issues without leaving their workflow.
  • Quick Problem Identification
    The tool provides a convenient way to identify the processes or applications locking a file, helping users quickly resolve access issues.
  • Free Utility
    WhoLockMe is a free tool, which makes it accessible to anyone who needs to diagnose file-locking problems without additional software costs.

Possible disadvantages of WhoLockMe

  • Limited Platform Support
    WhoLockMe is only available for Windows, which limits its usability for users on macOS or Linux systems.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    There may be compatibility problems with certain versions of Windows or updates, which could affect the software's reliability.
  • Basic Functionality
    The tool offers limited features beyond identifying locked files, which may not meet the needs of advanced users requiring more comprehensive file management solutions.
  • No Longer Actively Updated
    Without regular updates or active support, the tool might lack improvements or bug fixes.

Process Explorer features and specs

  • Detailed System Information
    Process Explorer provides in-depth information about system processes, including detailed CPU and memory usage stats.
  • Hierarchical View
    It shows processes in a tree structure, making it easy to understand parent-child relationships between processes.
  • Advanced Diagnostic Capabilities
    The tool offers advanced features like DLL and handle viewing, allowing detailed investigation of system issues.
  • Real-Time Monitoring
    It allows real-time monitoring of system performance, including CPU, GPU, and I/O activity, which is critical for diagnosing performance bottlenecks.
  • Integration with VirusTotal
    Process Explorer can integrate with VirusTotal to check the safety of running processes, adding an extra layer of security.
  • Free to Use
    Process Explorer is part of the Sysinternals suite, which is freely available for use, making it accessible for both individual users and organizations.

Possible disadvantages of Process Explorer

  • Complexity
    The extensive features and detailed information can be overwhelming for novice users who may find the interface complex to navigate.
  • Resource Intensive
    While generally lightweight, the comprehensive monitoring features can consume a noticeable amount of system resources, which might affect performance on older or less powerful systems.
  • Windows Only
    Process Explorer is designed specifically for Windows operating systems, limiting its use for those who work in cross-platform environments.
  • No Built-In Reporting
    The tool does not offer built-in reporting capabilities, requiring users to manually capture and document information.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its advanced features and detailed information, new users might face a steep learning curve before being able to fully utilize all its capabilities.
  • Limited Documentation
    While there are some resources available, the documentation can be sparse, making it difficult for users to find solutions to specific problems.

Analysis of Process Explorer

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Process Explorer is generally regarded as a good and reliable tool by both system administrators and other IT professionals. It is frequently recommended for its depth of features, ease of use, and the detailed process information it provides.

Why this product is good

  • Process Explorer is considered a valuable tool because it offers comprehensive insights into system processes, threads, and resource usage. It provides detailed information about which files and directories individual processes have open, the DLLs they have loaded, and more. Its ability to offer real-time data and powerful searching capabilities makes it invaluable for troubleshooting and performance monitoring.

Recommended for

  • System administrators
  • IT professionals
  • Software developers
  • Anyone interested in detailed system diagnostics
  • Users troubleshooting application issues

WhoLockMe videos

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Process Explorer videos

Sysinternals Process Explorer Review + download link and method

More videos:

  • Review - Scan for Malware Using Process Explorer and Virus Total
  • Review - What Is?: Process Explorer?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to WhoLockMe and Process Explorer)
Log Management
100 100%
0% 0
Monitoring Tools
4 4%
96% 96
Command Line Tools
2 2%
98% 98
Error Tracking
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Process Explorer seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 289 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

WhoLockMe mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of WhoLockMe yet. Tracking of WhoLockMe recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Process Explorer mentions (289)

  • Stats – macOS system monitor in your menu bar
    Unclear what you mean by programmable, but https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer is the bee's knees and you can set an option to have it take over taskmon.exe, launch on login, and put as many of the widgets in the taskbar as you fancy. I love it I've heard about running them directly from SMB but have never been the kind of person to try out such a stunt... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Ask HN: What tools do you recommend for working on Windows?
    Always put all your portable programs in the "A:\MyPC\Programs\" folder. Always put all your documents in the "A:\MyPC\Documents\" folder. Put driver files and runtime libraries in the "A:\MyPC\Install\" folder. For all three, feel free to create subfolders as needed, either per topic, per group, or however your brain envisions data trees. You can find plenty of portable windows software in the links provided... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Hidden dependencies in Linux binaries.
    On windows, this is Dependency Walker versus ProcExp. Similar eye-goggling results. https://www.dependencywalker.com/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Windows Explorer and Desktop Window Manager high RAM usage
    If you run Process Explorer (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer) and enable process tree view, you can see what processes are running under explorer.exe. That should give you a better idea of what's consuming that memory if you're genuinely concerned about this. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Roblox doesn't launch for months on PC
    If you have any suspicious processes running onto your computer, close them IMMEDIATELY. I suggest using Process Explorer, as it has a Virustotal which submits all Executables to virustotal under 70+ antiviruses. If any of the processes have 3+ detections, Close them down as anticheats will detect it and stop you from running Roblox. Source: over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing WhoLockMe and Process Explorer, you can also consider the following products

LockHunter - It is a free tool to delete files blocked by something you do not know.

Process Monitor - Monitor file system, Registry, process, thread and DLL activity in real-time.

EMCO UnLock IT - Unlock file or folder, locked by the system or by an application

htop - htop - an interactive process viewer for Unix. This is htop, an interactive process viewer for Unix systems. It is a text-mode application (for console or X terminals) and requires ncurses. Latest release: htop 2.

FileASSASSIN - FileASSASSIN is an application that can delete any type of locked files that are on your computer.

Autoruns - See what programs are configured to startup automatically when your system boots and you login.