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Cause & Solution For Outlook Error 0x80070021 – Know 5 Methods to Fix this Error

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Published By Ashwani Tiwari
Anuraag Singh
Approved By Anuraag Singh
Published On August 19th, 2020
Reading Time 5 Minutes Reading

“Hi, everyone! I am working on Outlook 2016 on my Windows 10 OS. When I tried to backup or copy my PST file, MS Outlook throws Outlook Error code 0x80070021 which states that- The process cannot access the file because another process has locked a portion of a file. Can anyone provide me a solution on how to fix this error 0x80070021 Windows 10″

If you’re also facing this Outlook error code 0x80070021 on a recurrent basis, this post is for you. Here, we are going to discuss everything about this 0x80070021 Windows 10 along with the reasons for its occurrence and the ways to fix the same.

Let’s get started on!

Do You Know The Possible Reasons Behind Outlook Error 0x80070021

These are various reasons that can damage your PST file and result in this error code 0x80070021 in the Microsoft Outlook application.

  1. When Outlook data is being used by another program.
  2. Large-sized of Outlook PST data.
  3. The unknown
  4. process is conflicting with the Outlook data file.
  5. The search email indexer is installed.
  6. MS Office communicator is conflicting with Outlook.
  7. Abnormal termination of the Outlook program.

Manual Methods to Fix 0x80070021 Windows 10

Now, here are some manual methods that help you in resolving this “error 0x80070021 the process cannot access the file”. Let’s have a look at them.

Method 1# Close Outlook Program with Task Manager

As we have mentioned in the above section the error 0x80070021 can occur when another program is using the same Outlook data file. Therefore, you can eliminate this error by closing some of the programs that are running.

  1. Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type msconfig in the box & hit OK to continue the process.
  3. In the pop-up window, go to the Services tab and check the option Hide all Microsoft service and click Disable all.
  4. After that, go to Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
  5. Several startup items are listed on the screen. Select the unnecessary items and choose Disable to continue.

If this method does not work for you, jump to the next solution.

Method 2# End MS Outlook Application

Another possible reason for the error 0x80070021 is when Outlook might be running on the background even after it is closed. Therefore, you can try to close the Outlook and check whether this issue can be solved.

  1. Right-click on the Taskbar.
  2. Select Task Manager from the context menu to continue.
  3. In the pop-up window, scroll down to find Outlook.
  4. Then right-click it to choose End task to continue.

Method 3# Remove Search Indexing Tool

Sometimes COM Add-ins, that are installed in your system prevent the Outlook to close completely. It forces the Outlook to run in the background process even the application is closed. The issue can be resolved, if you uninstall the COM Add-ins from your Windows OS.

  1. Go to the Menu>>click “Tools”, then go to “Trust Center”.
  2. Click “Add-Ins” on the left-hand panel. Scroll down and locate the tab from where you can “Manage” your COM Add-Ins.
  3. Now, choose “COM Add-Ins” from the drop-down menu and select “GO” to continue.
  4. Select the “Windows Search Email Indexer” option and click on the “Remove” button then hit “OK”.
  5. Close Outlook and re-open it, then try to do the file back up again.

Method 4# Performing System Restore

The System Restore tool in Windows is one of the helpful utilities that allow you to fix this error 0x80070021 Windows 7. Follow the steps that are mentioned below:

  1. Log in to your system as an administrator.
  2. Click on the Start tab & select All Programs>Accessories> System Tools.
  3. Now, click on the “System Restore” setting.
  4. Click on the “Show more restore points” option. Hit the “Next” box. Click a restore point from the list that appears.
  5. Select “restore your computer to a time earlier”.
  6. Click “Next” on the confirmation window.
  7. Restarts the computer when the system restoration procedure is completed.

Method 5# If Error Due to Data File Corruption

IF your data file is corrupted then you will face Outlook Error 0x80070021. To fix this issue you have to use PST Repair wizard. This tool is a specially designed tool that deals in repairing the corruption of file and fix the error 0x80070021 without any hassle.

Key Advantageous Features of Tool

  1. Rapidly repair large sized corrupted data file.
  2. Remove SMIME, OpenPGP Outlook encryption from multiple emails.
  3. Provides quick and advanced scan option to repair file, recover deleted data.
  4. Repair multiple files in bulk.
  5. Retains metadata properties of the files.
  6. Supports all versions of the Windows operating system.

Final Verdict

This blog cover one of the common Outlook errors – “Outlook Error 0x80070021”. We have mentioned the possible reasons behind its occurrence and some manual solutions to fix this error. But, if you face this error due to data file corruption then you have to use suggested automated tool. It will fix major or minor corruption issues & resolve Outlook error 0x80070021.

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