MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
Soul of an office, Microsoft Outlook is an application which can manage all the personal information of the person using it. Member of the Microsoft Office family, a user can get hold onto this application from the Microsoft Office Suite. Microsoft Outlook primarily manages the emails of the user but it is perfectly capable of offering features such as calendaring upcoming events, managing tasks, sorting contacts, jotting down notes, logging in the journal. Last but not the least, the user can also use it as a web browser to browse on the internet.
PST FILES (PERSONAL STORAGE TABLE)
The files from the Microsoft Outlook are automatically stored in the PST format which is the short term for Personal Storage Table. These files created locally by Microsoft Outlook store all the databases available in the application such as mails, calendar, events, contacts, journals etc. Hence, this data is extremely important to the person as well as the organisation the person is working for.
EFFECTS OF THE ERROR- ‘OUTLOOK PST IS IN USE AND CANNOT BE ACCESSED’
Although the Microsoft Outlook will introduce the user with various errors, the most disturbing and damaging is the one mentioned below:
‘OUTLOOK PST IS IN USE AND CANNOT BE ACCESSED’
This error restrains the user from opening the files which means that the access to the PST files is denied to the user. Also, if this error continues to persist, it can bloom into a bigger problem which could include the loss of the data, slowing down of the computer system, crashing of the Microsoft Outlook application which could be the reason for more loss of the data which was unsaved or at last the Microsoft Outlook could simply fail to launch pausing all the ongoing work.
CAUSES OF THE ERROR
Whilst there is no way to figure out the reason which in particular have resulted in this error in the specific case, below mentioned are a few of the common reasons which usually result in this problem:
- Improper closure: When the computer system is shut down improperly, the Microsoft Outlook or any other application for that matter, doesn’t get proper time to save all the data correctly and close. This mostly results in errors, corrupted and unsaved files.
- PST files in use: The backup process of the Microsoft Outlook could be running in the background which will be using the PST files the user wishes to open.
- Add-ins: Although the add-ins are created for facilitating the experience of the Microsoft Outlook user, it sometimes can become a headache instead of a pressure release. Presence of a fault add-in in the Microsoft Outlook application can result in some errors and ‘OUTLOOK PST IS IN USE AND CANNOT BE ACCESSED’ could be one of them.
- Damaged PST files: The PST files saved by the Microsoft Outlook could already be severely damaged or even corrupted for any reason which could result in the mentioned error.
- Anti-Virus: Antivirus program running in the computer system of the user could delete the file extensions by mistaking them for viruses which will result in such errors.
WAYS WHICH WILL HELP IN TROUBLESHOOTING THE ERROR
The first and foremost thing which one must try is restarting the computer system as it will properly shut down all the applications and restart them in the correct manner. This may end the popping up of the error and the user might be able to access the PST files required.
TERMINATE ALL THE PROCESS RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
- Open the Task Manager.
- Select the processes by the names ‘Outlook’, ‘Lync’, ’communicator’, ‘UCMAPI’
- End the mentioned processes and close the Task Manager.
- Restart the Microsoft Outlook
DISABLE THE CACHED EXCHANGE MODE
- Close the Microsoft Outlook application.
- Open ‘Control Panel’
- Select Mail > Email Accounts > Email Tab.
- Select the email address which is not working (username.pst)
- Click on the ‘Change’ button.
- Uncheck in front of ‘Use Cached Exchange Mode’
- Click on the buttons: Next > Finish
- Restart Outlook.
REPAIR PST FILES USING OUTLOOK REPAIR TOOL
- Download Stellar Outlook Repair Tool and install it in the computer system.
- Select the ‘the damaged/corrupt PST files’ in the type of data followed by selecting the location.
- Click on the ‘Scan’ button and let the software search for the PST files in the location which could be repaired.
- Preview the files from the list created by the software and select the ones which are to be repaired.
- Repair these files by clicking on the ‘Recover’ button.
- To finish the process, select a new location and save these repaired PST files for future use.
CONCLUSION
PST files of the Microsoft Outlook are extremely important to the organization and its users so it is really important to have these files safely stored in the database. In case of failure to do so, the error ‘Outlook PST is in use and cannot be accessed’ can occur and the files of the Microsoft Outlook could not be accessed.In such a case, there are various ways which can help in resolving the issue and you can pick the best one suiting you from the article. If nothing works then taking help from a DIY data recovery software such as Stellar Outlook Repair Tool can help you out of the situation.