Fix PST File Is in Use and Cannot Be Accessed Issue Easily

Mark Regan
Published: February 13th, 2026 • 8 Min Read

If your are you finding a solution of your Outlook PST file is in use and cannot be accessed issue? Don’t worry, you are on the right page when it comes to solutions related to Microsoft Outlook. This problem usually occurs when Outlook is not closed properly, and its process (outlook.exe) is still running in the background, which makes the file busy and prevents you from accessing Outlook.

This usually occurs when the system crashes or when the file is infected with a virus, or the PST file becomes too large. In such cases, the file might become damaged. This also occurs if you lack read and write permissions for the folder and file set to “read-only.”

Sometimes it happens when you move your PST file to a new location and don’t change the path in the Outlook application, due to which Microsoft Outlook is unable to read that file, and you see the Outlook error file in use.

This guide explains to you why this happens, and how to fix the Outlook PST file in use error with the manual and professional solutions. After reading this complete guide, you will know what to do if you face this situation again in the future. Read this guide completely to find the solution for inaccessible PST files.

Before directly jumping to the solution, first identify the root cause of this issue, and why you face this issue when you try to access your PST file.

Common Root Causes of Outlook PST File in Use Error

The PST file in use and cannot be accessed error shows due to some major reasons that you need to know before fixing all of that. Here are all the reasons below.

Un-displayed Processes: Sometimes, after closing Microsoft Outlook, it does not close completely, and its processes run in the background. Along with this, Microsoft Teams and other related applications are using the PST file. Due to which system understands the file is in use, and it will show a PST file sharing violation.
Antivirus Locks: Antivirus software temporarily locks the PST file during the scanning procedure. If you are syncing or creating a backup from Microsoft OneDrive, the sync process is accessing the file, and you will see Outlook data file is in use by another application error.
Integrity issues: When your computer system suddenly shuts down or the PST file size exceeds 2GB, your files might become corrupted. Sometimes, the headers of data files get damage due to which Outlook is unable to access them, and you see the PST file in use after crash.
System Issues: If you lack proper file permissions or incorrectly configure your Windows registry key, then you encounter the PST files access issue.

These were the major reasons due to which you face PST file sharing violation error.

Fixing PST File in Use and Cannot Be Accessed Manually

You can fix Outlook PST file in use error manually by following the solutions listed below carefully.

1st Method: System Restart

Close all the running application in your computer PC.
After that, go to the start menu and click on the restart button.
Wait for a few minutes before restarting your computer.
Done! After the restart, check the PST files.
If this solution doesn’t work, then you can try the next solution.

2nd Method: Check Background Application

On your Windows home screen, press the command below.
Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
After that, check the running applications, select those applications that are using PST files.
Then, click on the End Task button.
Done! This ensures that any hidden process is holding PST files or not.
When this solution doesn’t work, you can try a new solution below.

3rd Method: Use In Safe Mode

Open the run application on your Windows PC.
Use the shortcut key below to directly open the Run command application.
Win + R
After that, type the {outlook.exe /safe} command and hit the Enter key on your computer.
If you open Outlook in Safe Mode, the issue is with add-ins.
To fix this issue with add-ins
Open the Outlook application on your computer PC.
Go to the file menu, choose Options, and click on it.
Select the add-in options in the menu and delete the add-ins that create a problem.

4th Method: Use Administrator

Go to the Outlook shortcut and right-click on the Outlook application Icon.
Select the option “Run as administrator.”
This solution ensures the program permissions to access the PST file.
Before using the run as administrator option must close already running Outlook.
Done! After using this method, you can pass the PST file is being used by another process.

These are the manual methods to solve the PST file locked by another process problem. You can try all of the tested manual solutions to fix issues, but before using all of them, remember that every single solution has limitations that you must be aware of.

Limitations of Using Manual Solutions

When your PST file is locked by any external software, you may access the file even after restarting.
Sometimes, hidden software starts running automatically after a restart of the computer and keeps accessing the PST file.
The task manager only shows visible processes; you cannot stop other running software that is running in the background but not showing in the task manager.
Safe mode identifies only add-in-related problems, but when files are corrupted and lack permissions, this solution fails.
Third-party software locks the PST file, due to which the PST file is not allowed to open in another application at the same time.
When you are already using Microsoft Outlook in the background, the “Run as administrator” option does not work.

These were the limitations of using all the described manual solutions to resolve the PST file in use and cannot be accessed issue.

If you are still unable to fix your Outlook error file in use issue with all the shared solutions, you can try a professional solution to fix the PST file sharing violation issue.

Solve Outlook PST file in Use Error Professionally

Now you already know all the manual methods to resolve the PST file in use after crash. But the limitations of manual solutions seem risky; to avoid them, you can try BitRecover PST Repair Tool. This tool simply repairs your PST file without data loss, with complete data integrity. It also repairs corrupted PST files in just a few clicks.

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Steps of Professional Solutions

Open the application on your Windows PC.
Choose options between folders and files and hit NEXT.
After that, select the corrupted Outlook PST files in the folder preview option.
Then, click on the NEXT button.
Now, select PST as the saving Option and set the destination path on your computer.
Finally, click on the repair button.
Done, your PST files have started repairing.

After a few seconds, you will get your normal PST files and your PST file in use and cannot be accessed issue is resolved completely.

Advantages of Using Professional Solution

This application can recover permanently deleted emails.
You can export repaired PST files in other formats such as MSG, EML, HTML, PDF, MBOX, vCard, and ICS.
The folder structure is maintained during the complete repair process.
It supports bulk data files, handles large GB PST files efficiently and safely.
The software comes with user friendly interface that makes it easy to use for non-tech users.

Final Thoughts

This guide gives the right solution for the PST file in use and cannot be accessed issue. This guide explained the detailed causes of this error, and why users see the Outlook PST file in use error when they are trying to access their PST files in Outlook. In this guide, we shared four manual solutions and a professional solution to solve the Outlook error file in use problem. After the use of manual solutions we have found major limitations that occur when we are trying to solve this problem, such as restarting the computer might not always work out; running Microsoft Outlook application as an administrator might not always work on it, and the safe mode option might be helpful if the problem is related to file corruption. The professional solution fixes this issue seamlessly without any limitations, account corruption, with data integrity, and attachments of PST files.

Now, it’s up to you which method you are going to choose in case this same error happens again in the future. You can download the free trial version of the suggested professional solution and check it’s working.