Hi Gerry,
I understand you are receiving the following error message when you open Outlook Express.
"Cannot delete ntuser.dat: It is being used by another person or program, close any programs that might be using this file and try again."
Based on my experience, this issue can occur if you have changed the message storage folder location or the user profile is not released after user's logging off. I suggest you perform the steps
below to test this issue.
Step One: Create New Identity
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Please create a new identity to isolate this issue.
1. Click Start, point to All Programs (or Programs), point to Accessories, and click Address Book.
2. Click on the File menu, and click "Switch Identity".
3. Choose "Main Identity", and click OK.
4. Click on the File menu again, and click "Switch Identity".
5. Click "Manage Identities". Click New to create a new Identity.
6. Type the name for the new Identity, and click OK.
7. Click Yes to switch to the new Identity.
8. Click on the File menu again, and click "Switch Identity".
9. Click "Manage Identities", select "Main Identity" for the following options, and click Close:
(1) Use this identity when starting a program.
(2) Use this identity when a program does not ask you to choose an identity.
10. Now, launch Outlook Express and to check whether or not the problem still occurs.
If the problem still occurs, please perform the steps below to test this issue in a new user account.
Step 2
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1. Click Start, and click Control Panel.
2. Double-click "User Accounts".
3. Click the "Create a new account" link.
4. Follow the instructions to create a new account with Administrator rights.
5. Log off the current user account and then log on the new account to test this issue.
Regards,
Scott Atkins MCSE, MCSA
Partner Technical Lead - Outlook
Microsoft Technical Support
for Platforms and Business Applications
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