Troubleshooting: Sharing Violation

Symptoms

The log reports a “Sharing Violation” or “File in use by another process.”

Cause

Windows prevents files from being copied if they are “locked” by another application for exclusive editing. This is very common with Outlook (.pst) files, database files (SQL/QuickBooks), or Excel spreadsheets that are currently open.

Resolution

1. Close Applications: Close any programs that might be using the file.