What causes the error 0x80070021? How to solve the Outlook error 0x80070021? This post from MiniTool will show you several solutions. In addition, you can also visit MiniTool to find more Windows tips and solutions.

What Causes Error 0x80070021 in Outlook?

The error 0x80070021 may occur when you are trying to copy files from one location to another. In most cases, the error 0x80070021 occurs when you are trying to manage files in the Outlook, especially when using Outlook express. 

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When you come across the error 0x80070021 in Outlook, it always comes with an error message which says that the process cannot copy the file as another process has locked a portion of a file.

We analyzed several posts and we have learned what may give rise to this outlook error 0x80070021. The error code 0x80070021 may be caused by the following reasons.

  • Outlook data is being used by another program.
  • The unknown process is conflicting with the Outlook data file.
  • The search email indexer is installed.
  • MS Office communicator is conflicting with Outlook.

In the following section, we will show you how to fix the Outlook error 0x80070021.

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Top 5 Ways to Fix Error 0x80070021 in Outlook

In the following part, we will show you the solutions to the error 0x80070021.

1.  Perform a Clean Boot

As we have mentioned, the error 0x80070021 occurs because another program is using the file. So, in order to fix the Outlook error 0x80070021, you can choose to perform a clean boot so that a minimum of programs are running.

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Press Windows key and R key together to open Run dialog, then type msconfig in the box and click OK to continue.

2. In the pop-up window, go to the Services tab and check the option Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all.

check hide all Microsoft services

3. After that, go to Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.

4. You can see several startup items are listed here. Select the unnecessary items and choose Disable to continue.

select unnecessary items and choose Disable

When all steps are finished, manage Outlook file again and check whether the error 0x80070021 is solved.

2. Close Outlook

The possible reason for the error 0x8007002 is when Outlook might be running on the background even after it is closed.

So, in order to fix the Outlook error 0x80070021, you can try closing Outlook and check whether this issue can be solved.

Now, here is the tutorial.

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

When it is finished, trying to copy or manage Outlook data files and check whether the error 0x80070012 is solved.

If this solution is not effective, try other solutions.

3. Uninstall the Search Email Indexer

Another culprit of the error 0x80070021 the process cannot access the file is the COM Add-in which may prevent the Outlook from closing completely. In essence, it forces the Outlook to leave behind a background process even the application is closed. Uninstalling the COM Add-in is able to end the conflict that can trigger the error code 0x80070021.

Now, here is the tutorial.

  1. Open Outlook application and click File to continue.
  2. Then choose Options from the vertical menu.
  3. Select the Add-ins tab.
  4. Go to the bottom section of the screen and click on the drop-down menu associated with Manage.
  5. Select COM Add-ins and click Go to see the list of installed Add-ins.
  6. Select the Search Email Indexer and click on Remove to get rid of it.

When it is finished, try managing Outlook file again and check whether the error 0x80070021 Windows 10 is solved.

4.  Boot into Safe Mode

In order to fix the error 0x80070021, you can choose to boot the computer into Safe Mode.

Now, here is the tutorial.

  1. Press Windows key and R key together to open Run dialog, then type msconfig in the box and click OK to continue.
  2. In the pop-up window, go to the Boot tab.
  3. Then check the option Safe boot. Then your computer will boot into Safe Mode.

check the option safe boot

After your computer enters the Safe mode, manage Outlook files and check whether the error 0x80070021 is solved.

5.  Uninstall Microsoft Office Communicator

If there is a Microsoft Office communicator installed on your computer, you may also encounter the error 0x80070021. In this situation, you can choose to uninstall the Microsoft Office Communicator.

Now, here is the tutorial.

  1. Type Control Panel in the search box of Windows and choose the best-matched one.
  2. Then choose Uninstall a program under Program section to continue.
  3. In the pop-up window, select the Microsoft Office Communicator and right-click it. Then choose Uninstall to continue.

After uninstalling the Microsoft Office Communicator, manage Outlook files again and check whether the error 0x80070021 is solved.

Final Words

To sum up, this post has introduced 5 ways to fix the error 0x80070021. If you come across the same error when managing Outlook files, try these solutions. If you have any better solution to fix the error code 0x80070021, you can share it in the comment zone.

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