Summary: In this guide, you will know the reasons for getting “the Outlook data file is already in use the current profile” issue. Additionally, we will provide you all the possible solutions to fix this error in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003.
When you receive the error message, saying that “the outlook data file (.pst) is already in use in the current profile, Close any application that is using the file, and then try again. You might need to restart your computer.”
However, the issue is not resolved even if you tried the solution that is suggested in the error message itself. Then we have some other fixes that can help to resolve the error message this Outlook data file is already in use in the current profile.
But before we proceed towards its resolutions, let’s understand the factors that may lead to this error.
These are the possible reasons for the occurrence of this error message in Outlook.
Besides these there could be other Outlook related process running behind, Outlook.exe running in the background, etc.
Below are some solutions that depend on the situations or reasons under which the error could have occurred. Let’s explore each one of them.
Important Note: Make a backup of the PST file before performing any solution.
This personal folders file (.pst) is already in use in the current profile may also occur if you have a similar file name for the PST that you are trying to access in Outlook and the PST already running in Outlook. So, first of all, you should check the PST file name and if it is found to be the same then change the name for the file and retry accessing it.
Execute the commands to run Outlook in safe mode:
The chance of corruption would be low if you open the PST file instead of importing the PST data. Follow the simple instructions to open Outlook Data File:
Sometimes PST files are protected by other users by enabling the Read-only feature. If it is enabled then the PST file may throw this error “this Outlook file PST is already in use in the current profile”. You can confirm the read-only status by performing these steps.
Inaccuracy in the path location could be a reason behind this personal folders file (.pst) is already in use in the current profile. Therefore, it is suggested to relocate the PST file. Follow the steps to reset the PST path location:
And if the issue still persists, jump to the next solution.
In case, if none of the above-mentioned techniques worked for you, then you can try repairing the Outlook PST file by using the in-built utility scanPST.exe provided by Microsoft.
Location of the this utility depends on the version of Outlook you are using. Most commonly you will find the tool at this location:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16
However, there are some drawbacks of the Inbox Repair Tool(scanpst.exe). It fails to respond if you have a large-sized and encrypted PST file. Don’t panic, we also have another alternative that can overcome all the limitations of the scanpst.exe.
Outlook data recovery is a reliable and efficient tool that can resolve all the major corruption issues from the Outlook PST file. It is designed with brilliant algorithms that perform a quick and advance scan in the PST file and fixes the errors.
The preview options of the tool allow viewing PST emails as Normal Mail View, Hex, Properties, Message Header, MIME, HTML, RTF, and attachments. Moreover, the utility retains the original hierarchy of emails and restore recovered data in PST, PDF, EML, MSG, HTML files.
By reading the article, you will know the reason for getting “the Outlook data file is already in use the current profile”. Then, we have listed different methods to fix this issue. However, the manual methods are failed to fix the error if your PST files are damaged. To repair those corrupted files, we recommended the automated tool that can easily turn the broken PST files into a healthy state without any data loss.
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