Outlook 2003 in use and errors

[smleinbach]

While I was working on a Word document, I had Outlook (2003 Office Student
and Teacher Edition) open, and my computer screen suddently went from the
Word document to a blank screen of bluish/purple. I shut down by holding down
the on button and then turned my computer back on, and the Word document had
been recovered. However, my Outlook is not functioning properly, and I can't
seem to fix it.

It opens, and my emails are there, but when I compose a new message and try
to send it, I get the following error message:

"The file C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst is in use and could not be accessed. Close
any application that is using this file, and then try again."

I don't know how to determine what application is using the file. I have
tried to shut down all other programs, but I still get this message.

When I hit the Send/Receive button, it shows down in the righ-hand corner
that it is receiving messages, but they don't show up anywhere.

When I try to delete an existing message, I get the following error message:

"Errors have been detected in the file C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst. Quit Outlook and all
email-enabled applications and then use the Inbox repair tool (Scanpst.exe)
to diagnose and repair errors in the file."

I have tried to use the Inbox repair tool, but when I enter the name of the
..pst file I want to have scanned, it doesn't recognize anything. I'm not
even sure what name to enter, but I've tried Outlook.pst and Inbox.pst and
Personal Folders.pst, but nothing works.

I've also tried to restore/rollback my system to an earlier timepoint, but
it fails to rollback.

Please help! Thanks!

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

What happens if you use the "browse" option to locate your .pst file?

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.

After furious head scratching, smleinbach asked:

| While I was working on a Word document, I had Outlook (2003 Office
| Student and Teacher Edition) open, and my computer screen suddently
| went from the Word document to a blank screen of bluish/purple. I
| shut down by holding down the on button and then turned my computer
| back on, and the Word document had been recovered. However, my
| Outlook is not functioning properly, and I can't seem to fix it.
|
| It opens, and my emails are there, but when I compose a new message
| and try to send it, I get the following error message:
|
| "The file C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application
| Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst is in use and could not be
| accessed. Close any application that is using this file, and then try
| again."
|
| I don't know how to determine what application is using the file. I
| have tried to shut down all other programs, but I still get this
| message.
|
| When I hit the Send/Receive button, it shows down in the righ-hand
| corner that it is receiving messages, but they don't show up anywhere.
|
| When I try to delete an existing message, I get the following error
| message:
|
| "Errors have been detected in the file C:\Documents and
| Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application
| Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst. Quit Outlook and all
| email-enabled applications and then use the Inbox repair tool
| (Scanpst.exe) to diagnose and repair errors in the file."
|
| I have tried to use the Inbox repair tool, but when I enter the name
| of the .pst file I want to have scanned, it doesn't recognize
| anything. I'm not even sure what name to enter, but I've tried
| Outlook.pst and Inbox.pst and Personal Folders.pst, but nothing works.
|
| I've also tried to restore/rollback my system to an earlier
| timepoint, but it fails to rollback.
|
| Please help! Thanks!

 

[smleinbach]

Well, I'm not sure how to find it! If I look in C:\Documents and
Settings\Owner, there is no "Local Settings" subfolder (choices are Desktop,
Favorites, My Documents, Start Menu), and if I look in C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Office none of the folders in there (Media, Office11,
PowerPoint viewer, Templates) has a pst file. Can't find one in C:\Program
Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033, either.

Sorry to be so stupid -- if you could help me with telling me what path to
use, I'd be very grateful!

 

[Nathan Cope]

You won't be able to see Local Settings because it is a hidden folder.

To see hidden folders, open My Computer and click on Tools > Folder Options. Now click on the View tab and then click on the Show Hidden Files and Folders radio button.

You can normally find Outlook's .pst files at C:\documents and settings\USER\local settings\application data\microsoft\outlook\

 

[Don]

I had the exact same problem in fact except for the part about the purple screen I did a double take because I thought I had written your post.

I do not know if this will help but AI have been working on this for a day and a half and finally found the file that I needed to put in the "Inbox Repair Tool" and when I did it repaired the problem and I was up and running in about 3 min.

The file is:

C:\documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst

I hope this helped and good luck.

 

[Brian Tillman]

The file is:

C:\documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst

Not necessarily. Outlook doesn't care where the PST resides and the person
may have it in a folder other than the one where yours was found.