.pst File Locked by another "process"

[chrismcb]

I am having a problem with my Outlook PST files.

My set up is Vista Business 32bit and Outlook 2007 B2TR where my PST files
are stored on a local network drive.

When opening Outlook, I recieve the message:
"Cannot Start Microsoft Office Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook Window. The
set of folders cannot be opened. The file xxx\Outlook.pst cannot be accessed."

On going to the location of the pst file, I can rename, but not copy or move.
"Error 0x80070021: The process cannot access the file because another
process has locked a portion of the file."

There are no processes using this file as I have tried to access the same
file from another computer to the network drive. I have also tried to use
"unlocking" tools which say the file is not locked by any process.

It seems that Outlook didn't unlock the file after it was closed the last
time and has left it in a half-locked state.

I have tried to run the SCANPST application on it, however it too cannot
access it to scan it.


Are there any ideas to how this could be resolved? I have alot of emails in
these PST's and would prefer not to have to start from scratch.


Thanks,

Chris

 

[Gordon]

I am having a problem with my Outlook PST files.

My set up is Vista Business 32bit and Outlook 2007 B2TR where my PST files
are stored on a local network drive.

When opening Outlook, I recieve the message:
"Cannot Start Microsoft Office Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook Window.
The
set of folders cannot be opened. The file xxx\Outlook.pst cannot be
accessed."

On going to the location of the pst file, I can rename, but not copy or
move.
"Error 0x80070021: The process cannot access the file because another
process has locked a portion of the file."

There are no processes using this file as I have tried to access the same
file from another computer to the network drive. I have also tried to use
"unlocking" tools which say the file is not locked by any process.

It seems that Outlook didn't unlock the file after it was closed the last
time and has left it in a half-locked state.

I have tried to run the SCANPST application on it, however it too cannot
access it to scan it.


Are there any ideas to how this could be resolved? I have alot of emails
in
these PST's and would prefer not to have to start from scratch.


Thanks,

Chris

This is why Microsoft does NOT support the use of pst files over a
network......You also run the very considerable risk of corrupting pst files
that are accessed over a network. Put the files onto a local drive, and if
you need to have them on a network location for daily backing-up then write
a script to copy them after Outlook has closed.

 

[chrismcb]

I didn't know Microsoft didn't reccomend the use of pst files over a network,
I won't be doing it again, however, I cannot move these files to my computer
as it is locked.

 

[Gordon]

I didn't know Microsoft didn't reccomend the use of pst files over a
network,
I won't be doing it again, however, I cannot move these files to my
computer
as it is locked.

Check in your task manager that Outlook.exe is not still running - if it is,
stop it and then try...

 

[chrismcb]

Thanks, but I have tried all that - there is no process locking the file.

I really don't know why it believes it to be locked as i have tried on
multiple computers to see if i can move it, but they all say it is locked.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks, but I have tried all that - there is no process locking the file.

try disconnecting all machines from that drive and then re-connecting one
machine....you don't have a PDA docked anywhere, do you?

 

[Gordon]

Thanks, but I didn't have a PDA connected.

I ended up resolving the situation on my own:

I connected to the remote hard drive using a Unix machine which, I
presume,
didn't see the file as locked and managed to make a copy of the files then
delete the originals.

Glad you sorted it!