Access error 3045 occurs when you try to open a database located on a server. This error can also occur when modifying the folder of the database. When this error occurs, sometimes, you won’t be able to access your database. This article will discuss the causes of Access error 3045 – “Could not use file; already in use” and the solutions to fix this error.
Causes of the Access Error 3045 –
Following are some possible causes of the “Could not use file; already in use” error in the Access database:
- Corrupt or missing lock files.
- The database you are trying to access is corrupted or damaged.
- Trying to update the database that is already open.
- You might be using an incorrect path to open the database.
- Microsoft Jet Database failed to generate the locking information file.
Methods to Fix Access Error 3045 – “Could not use file; already in use”
Let’s look at some easy and effective methods to fix the error.
Method 1: Check the Path of your Database
You may get the “Could not use file; already in use” error in Microsoft Access if the path to the database file is invalid. In such a case, you can check the path of your database using the below steps:
- Navigate to File and then click Options.
- The Access Options window is displayed.
- In the Access Options page, check the database path below the dropdown button of the Default file format for the Blank Database.
Method 2: Close all Access Database Files
Sometimes, the “file already in use” error can occur if you have opened multiple Access database files in your system. Check and then close all of them. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to the Microsoft Access icon on your taskbar and right-click on it.
- The list of recent documents will appear on the screen.
- Click on Close all Windows.
Method 3: Check Database Folder Permissions
Access error 3045 can also occur if you attempt to update the database in a folder that cannot be modified. You can check the read, write, and create permissions of the folder in which your database is stored. To do this, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Program Files and find the folder in which the database is stored.
- Right-click on the folder and click Properties.
- Choose the Security tab and then click Advanced.
- In the Advanced Settings dialog box, choose Change Permissions.
- Click on Administrators and then choose Edit.
- Set Apply to dropdown to this Folder, Subfolder, and Files.
- Now, click on the Full Control box under the Allow column.
- Click OK and then click Apply.
Method 4: Check your Internet Connection
Sometimes, you can get the “file already in use” error when opening the database file stored on a network file share. It can occur if there is an internet connection issue. To fix this, check your internet connection.
Method 5: Repair the Database
If the above methods fail to resolve the issue, the problem might be with the database file itself. The database file may be corrupt. Use the “Compact and Repair” feature in Microsoft Access to fix the database file. To use this, follow these steps:
- Open Microsoft Access.
- Double-click on the Blank Database on the Templates
- Go to File and then click
- Next, go to Database Tools and then click Compact and Repair Database Tools.
- Select the desired database in the Database to Compact From the window and click Open.
- Click on Compact after selecting Database
- Click on Save.
The Compact and Repair tool may fail to bring the desired results if the database file is too large or severely damaged. You can use a professional third-party Access repair tool like Stellar Repair for Access in such cases.
It is a powerful tool that can quickly repair severely corrupted database files (.MDB and .ACCDB) without any file size limitations. It can recover all the data from the database file without impacting its original format.
Conclusion
The Access error 3045 – “file already in use” may prevent you from opening the database. There could be several reasons behind this error. Follow the above-given methods to fix the error. You can use the Compact and Repair tool if the issue occurs due to a corrupted or damaged database.
If the tool fails to repair the database, you can use a professional Access database repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Access. It is a reliable Access repair tool that can quickly repair corrupted MDB/ACCDB files and recover almost all the data. You can download a trial version of the software to evaluate its performance.