Windows 7 - Outlook 2007 won't open

Just installed Office 2007 on a new laptop for my wife with Windowns 7 Home Permium. Outlook was working OK for a few days but now ever since yesterday it won't open and gives the following error message:

"Cannot start Microsoft Office Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opended. The file C:\Users\Lyn\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst is in use and cannot be accessed. Close any application that is using this file, and then try again. You might need to restart your computer."

As far as I can see there is no other application running, and I have restarted the computer more than a dozen times, but always the same error message when you try to open Outlook.

I have downloaded all the updates, including office 2007 SP3. I have tried to run Scanpst but it cannot locate the Outlook.pst file presumably because it is in use (or it thinks it's in use) by another program/user. Additionally you get the same error message when you try to open Outlook in safe mode.

H-E-L-P!!!

From another thread, Cannot open Outlook 2007 I used captian Jack's advice to run Outlook /resetnavpane and it at least got Outlook open for the first time since yesterday.Do we have to run this everytime we open Outlook 2007? or will this correct/repair the problem permanently?

Outlook /resetnavpane should have repaired your Outlook. Now, if you open it normally, Outlook should be ok.

Sounds like a corrupted PST file... this has worked everytime for me:

Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost) - Outlook - Office.com

Please let me know how it goes...

Thanks for your assistance. Outlook opened OK this morning for my wife so I will consider this problem "solved".

Once again much appreciated.

You're very welcome!