Article ID: 269778 - Last Review: November 25, 2003 - Revision: 2.0

OLEXP: Error Message: The Address Book File Has Been Locked by Another Application

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This article was previously published under Q269778
For information about the differences between Microsoft Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook e-mail clients, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
257824  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/257824/EN-US/ ) OL2000: Differences Between Outlook and Outlook Express
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SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to open the Address Book in Outlook Express, you may receive the following error message:
The Address Book file has been locked by another application. Please close the other application and try again later.
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CAUSE

The Address Book file that is used by Outlook Express is marked with the read-only attribute.
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RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, locate the Address Book file that is used by Outlook Express, and then remove the read-only attribute from its properties:
  1. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.
  2. In the Named box, type *.wab.
  3. Set the Look In box to include your local hard disks, and then click Find Now.

    NOTE: If you find more than one .wab file, make the changes in the following steps for all files.
  4. Click the .wab file, and then click Properties on the File menu.
  5. In the Properties dialog box, click to clear the Read-only check box.
  6. Click Apply, and then click OK.
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MORE INFORMATION

This issue does not occur if Address Book sharing is enabled when Microsoft Outlook 98 is installed on your computer in the Internet Mail Only (IMO) mode.
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APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 Service Pack 1
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 Service Pack 2
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.0
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Keywords: 
kbprb KB269778
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Retired KB ArticleRetired KB Content Disclaimer
This article was written about products for which Microsoft no longer offers support. Therefore, this article is offered "as is" and will no longer be updated.
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