Windows error 32 (ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION): meaning and diagnosis

Status / error code:		Category:

Constant name:
Source:		Operating System:
Description: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

Could be also:
Constant	Type	OS
KERN_EXCEPTION_PROTECTED	Kern return	Mac
ippStsSrcSizeLessExpected	Intel Ipp Status	Any
EPIPE	errno	Any
KERNEL_APC_PENDING_DURING_EXIT	BugCheck Code	Windows

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	ERROR_REM_NOT_LIST

ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION

ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION means that the requested access and sharing mode conflict with an already open handle to the same file or device. It is not, by itself, proof that the caller lacks permission.

Why it happens

Every CreateFile call declares both the access it needs and which access it allows later callers to request. A new open fails when its requested access conflicts with the sharing flags of an existing handle. The sharing policy remains in force until that existing handle is closed.

Common cases

An application opens a file with dwShareMode equal to zero and later attempts to open it again.
A reader or writer omitted FILE_SHARE_READ or FILE_SHARE_WRITE even though concurrent access is intended.
A missing FILE_SHARE_DELETE prevents another process from renaming or deleting the file.
A writable file mapping or another process retains an incompatible handle longer than expected.

How to diagnose it

Check the desired access and sharing mode of handles opened by the application first. If another process owns the conflicting handle, identify why it keeps the file open. Retrying can be appropriate for a short-lived lock, but a retry loop cannot resolve an intentionally incompatible sharing policy.

See Microsoft documentation for CreateFile.

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