Remove Download says "Resource busy"

Last updated: July 15, 2026

When you click Remove Download on a Brault file in the Finder, macOS itself releases the local copy. If another process still has the file open, macOS refuses and reports Resource busy. This is a system condition, not a Brault error: the same thing happens with Google Drive and other Finder-integrated apps.

What is holding the file?

The two usual holders are the Finder's own preview (a selected file with a visible preview pane counts as "in use") and Spotlight, which indexes files right after they are downloaded.

How do I clear it?

  1. Click somewhere else in the Finder window so the file is no longer selected, or close the preview pane (View menu, Hide Preview).
  2. Close any app that has the file open, including Quick Look (press the space bar to toggle it off).
  3. Wait a minute if the file finished downloading recently. Spotlight indexing usually releases the file within seconds.
  4. Try Remove Download again.

If none of this worked

Restarting the Finder (Option-right-click its Dock icon, then Relaunch) releases stray holds. If the file still refuses to evict after a Finder relaunch, contact us from the support form and include the file name and roughly when you downloaded it. We usually reply within one business day.

Still stuck?

Contact us and we'll take it from there. We usually reply within one business day.