Outlook PST is in use and cannot be accessed – How to Troubleshoot This Error

This article compiles all about the Outlook error “Outlook PST is in use and cannot be accessed” including the possible reasons behind this error and the manual workarounds to fix or troubleshoot this error.

Microsoft Outlook is an irreplaceable application for the Office users, As we all know all the files are stored in the system either in OST or PST file format. PST (Personal Storage Table) files are automatically created by Outlook when the Outlook email accounts of the users are configured by them with their local system. These files store all the database of mailbox items such as mails, calendar, events, contacts, journals etc.

As these database are very essential for the organization or for personal use, a minor corruption in PST file can hinder the normal functionality of the organization. The above mentioned error “Outlook PST is in use and cannot be accessed” occurs very frequently and there are drastic after effects of the error such as data loss, system slowdown, application crash, failure to launch etc. Even Outlook is inaccessible once any of the error occurs and make the users’ day pathetic.

 Also Read: Inbox Repair Tool Not Responding in Outlook

Outlook PST is in use and cannot be accessed – Overview

Sometimes, during launch of Outlook, users face a frequent error mentioned below:

The file C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\user name\username.pst is in use and cannot be accessed. Close any application that is using this file, and then try again. You might need to restart your computer.

While for a few users, restarting may take care of the issue, but for some it may not. Besides, all users won’t bear to restart their system at the time attributable to their vital data and applications running. In such a scenario, what should a user do?

Probable Causes of the Error

There are some possible reasons that can contribute to the occurrence of error:

• Abnormal shut down of the system causing improper termination of the Outlook.
• Backup process of the Outlook PST file is running in the background of your system.
• Some faulty add-ins present in the Outlook application.
  The Outlook PST file has been severely damaged or corrupted.
• Anti-Virus program or Firewall hinder the functionality of Outlook by deleting the files without headers.

Common Ways to Troubleshoot Outlook PST in use and cannot be accessed Error

There are some common fixes that you can try to resolve the error.

#1 Terminate all the processes related to Outlook running in the background

• Open the Task Manager by right clicking on the Taskbar or Click Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open
• Choose Process tab from the menu bar
• Select processes by name ‘Outlook’, ‘Lync’, ’communicator’, ‘UCMAPI’ and end them all
• Now, close Task Manager and restart Outlook

#2 Disable the cached Exchange mode

• Close the Outlook if running.
• Go to Control Panel and select Mail -> Email Accounts -> Email tab.
• Select and highlight the email address that is not working (username.pst) and then click on Change button.
• Uncheck the option ‘Use Cached Exchange Mode’ appearing in the box.
• Click on Next -> Finish.
• Now, restart Outlook.

 Also Read: Where is Scanpst.exe located Win XP,7,8 & 10

#3 Run Outlook in Safe mode

Enter ‘outlook.exe / safe’ command in the command prompt to run outlook in a safe mode. If there is problem with add-ins, the error will be removed. But, if Outlook still showing the error, then there must be some problem with Outlook add-ins. So, Disable all the add-ins and start enabling one-by-one until Outlook becomes error free.

#4 Use Microsoft inbuilt Inbox Repair Tool (Scanpst.exe)

If none of the above methods work, there might be a possibility that your PST file has been damaged. You can use Microsoft inbuilt inbox repair tool i.e. scanpst.exe to repair corrupted or damaged PST file

 

Resolve the error using a professional PST Repair tool

However, the manual methods described above may be helpful in some way. But, if the corruption is severe, none of the manual methods will work. In this situation, you’ll have to use a professional Aryson PST Repair Tool which can repair the damaged PST file and solve the error” Outlook .pst in use and cannot be accessed”. This software works aptly to remove the error” pst cannot be accessed”. It also helps you recover the mailbox items into a new usable PST file.

Download Now

Follow the below procedure to successfully repair or recover the

• Launch the Aryson Outlook PST Repair software.
• Click on “Open” Menu and select PST file.
• Select the scanning option amongst Standard, Advance & Deep Mode. After that, select 32-bit version or 64-bit version. Then click on “ok” button to start the scanning process.
• Select items of PST file and preview with their properties.
• Click on Save Menu and to save your PST file into different file formats.
• Select Option “Save as PST” and save your recovered PST file at specified location in your system.

Wrap Up

Although there are many manual methods to troubleshoot this error, but there are certain limitations associated with these manual methods. Also, the manual methods are not helpful if the corruption is severe. So, I would like to recommend to use a third-party PST repair tool to fix this problem. This is the most efficient and reliable software that repairs the damaged PST file and restores all your mailbox items to a new PST file.

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