The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process

[jershon26]

Hello! Very new to Alteryx here.

I'm getting another error when I run my workflow (attached below):

Error: Output Data (8): Can't open file: G:\Shared drives\Vigilant Solutions, LLC_Finance Folder\ADMIN\Month End Close\Vigilant Analysis Support\Weekly MSI Report\2023\11-November 2023\Vigilant Weekly Reporting - New.xlsx: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process. (32)

Can someone please take a look at my workflow and help to explain what the issue might be? I tried looking on other discussions and couldn't really find a solution. I know for a fact I'm the only one accessing the output files. 

[SPetrie · Accepted solution]

You are trying to write to the sheet in the output of one part of the workflow and read it in in another part.

How are you trying to use the data? if the output of the first is the same as the input of the second, connect the end of that first flow instead of using a file input. That way you are not fighting yourselft. The workflow has the file open, so you cannot write to it at the same time.

[Qiu]

@jershon26 
As pointed out by @SPetrie We should try to avoid to output the data to Excel file and read it in the same flow.
At least we should change the output format to .yxdb, which is very good data format.

There is another issue I can observe is that you are trying to write the data to the two sheets of one Excel.

In such case, we use the Tool of Block Until Done.