Err Msg: Drive Cannot Be Locked for Exclusive Use (136425)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.0
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.1
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.2
This article was previously published under Q136425

SUMMARY

When you perform an operation that requires exclusive access to a volume, the following error message appears:
The drive cannot be locked for exclusive use. Please check to see if some application are currently accessing the drive. If so, close them and try again.
For example, this error may appear when you:

  • Run CHKDSK /F from the command line

    -or-

  • Run Disk Manager and attempt to change a driver letter

    -or-

  • Run Disk Manager and start regeneration of a fault tolerance (FT) set

MORE INFORMATION

You can work around the first two situations by postponing the action until after you have rebooted the computer. However, regeneration of an FT set must start immediately.

A file is open when:

  • An application that was started from the volume is still running.
  • An application that is running has loaded a DLL file from the volume.
  • An application has a file open on the volume.
  • An application's current directory is on the volume.
If the error continues to appear after you have stopped all applications and services that could be accessing the volume:

  1. Remove the Page File.

    If there is a page file on the volume, define a page file of sufficient size on another volume and reboot the computer.
  2. If you were running Microsoft Mail and or Schedule+, start Mail and click Exit and Sign Out on the File menu.

    Microsoft Mail and/or Schedule+ have hidden processes that run in the background.
  3. If you run a Systems Management Server client, close the two hidden Systems Management Server processes: Appctl32 and Pcmwin32.

    Use Kill.exe from the Psstools directory on the Systems Management Server CD, or Process Viewer from the Windows NT Resource Kit to terminate the processes.
  4. If you log on to the machine with any logon script containing any Systems Management Server batch file, then remove the batch file from the logon script and log on again before starting the regeneration.
  5. If the error occurs when you try to delete a partition or regenerate a stripe set with parity, do the following:
    1. Start the Disk Administrator.
    2. On the Tools menu, click Assign Drive Letter, and then click "Do not assign a drive letter".
    3. Click OK. Click Partition on the menu and then select Commit Changes Now.
    4. Exit Disk Administrator, reboot the system, and then try to delete the partition or regenerate the stripe set with parity.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:6/14/2005
Keywords:kbinfo kbnetwork KB136425
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