.pst file in use...but it isn't

[perfimage]

I have been experiencing a problem lately with an Outlook XP installation
where upon opening outlook, it says the .pst file is in use. Problem is, it
isn"t.

Here is the setup, really very simple peer to peer.

Windows 2000 Server as a file server serving 4 client machines.
Windows XP machines (clients)
1 MAC OSX client.

All machines are mapping a drive to the same file share on the server. This
file share contains a directory in whch the pst file resides. Only one
client machine is configured to use this file as their message store. The
client can use the machine all day long and shut down correctly at the day's
end. the next day when they launch Outlook, they receive a message
indicating the message store could not be opened, the .pst file is in use,
close all other applications that may be usning the fule and try again.

I ran the scanpst tool on the message store about 2 weeks ago and found some
errors, which could not be repaired. I then created a new data file,
attached Outlook to the new data file, removed the original data file and
then inported messages from teh original into the new data file. I ran the
scanpst on the new data file which indicated no errors.

Any idea what could possibly be locking this file up or how to determine
what is locking it up.

Just to make sure all is understood, the pst file is kept on a server to
make sure it is backed up nightly along with the resto fo the files, the back
up utiltiy (ntbackup) is not indicating any problems. Ntbackup logs are not
showing any fle open that it cannot backup.

Thanks in advance.

 

[James]

Your backup utility must be runing(maybe in the background?) when you try to
start Outlook. Stop the backup job and see what happen.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I have been experiencing a problem lately with an Outlook XP
installation where upon opening outlook, it says the .pst file is in
use. Problem is, it isn"t.

See if something here helps:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/outlookdoesntclose.htm
This lists programs that typically can keep the Outlook or the PST open.

 

[perfimage]

Thanks for the reply but...I thought of that already, which is why I pointed
ous the bacup utility and no mention of any errors in the first place.
According to the backup logs, the backup utility is finishing at roughly
12:05 am....the shop opens up at 9 am.

There is another user with a different data file on the same server who is
not experiencing this problem at all. The only difference is they are using
Outlook 2007 and not XP.

 

[perfimage]

Well, so much for the problem possibly being related to Outlook or machine
related. one of the other machines experienced the same problem today.

After looking up this problem, it appears that storing the pst on a network
is not supported or recommended. Citing that it can cause tremendous amounts
of network traffic. I suppose this may be what is happening to these folks.

It looks like we will be moving the pst to a local location then using the
backup utility to back the files up to the server so they can be backed up in
teh nightly backup.

Any other suggestions?

 

[perfimage]

I am gonna revisti this one:

Since my last post, I have moved all the pst files local and installed the
PST backup utility.

This worked GREAT for about a month, now we are seeing the same "File in
use" message when we try to back the pst file up to a locaion on the server.
the only way to resolve the issue is to reboot the server.

Any ideas on why only the PST files seem to have this problem? We are not
experiencing ANY sort of issue with ANY other files, only PST files.

I foune a few references to tweaks that coule be made to the server to help
with PTS file issues, but have not found any documentation on these tweaks.
Anyone know about these tweaks?

Thanks.

RED