# Error "cannot overwrite used library" **URL:** \ **Category:** Technical Support\ **Created:** [April 23, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435 "2012-04-23T11:43:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/aca169/32.png) [@Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/u/Johneysteel)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/1 "2012-04-23T11:43:35Z")
When trying to save my blend file i get this error. Can someone tell me what it means? Im using this file for animations, but now I cant save changes to it. I use two other blender files to read the animations from this file. It was working fine until just now. ---
**Author:** ![Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/aca169/32.png) [@Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/u/Johneysteel)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/2 "2012-04-23T12:04:15Z")
![](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/3X/e/a/eaddbf3ce8d0cf1ad324c140530b558e938b03fc.png) Save Attempt ### Attachments ![](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/3X/6/6/66b0b7e42c3c1f012de525ec36311e1d01b1cc90.png) ---
**Author:** ![Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/aca169/32.png) [@Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/u/Johneysteel)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/3 "2012-04-23T14:35:26Z")
Im still unable to save changes to my animation blend file. As a temporary fix, I decided to use save\_as and name the file animation2.blend Seeing as I only need the animation Data, ill replace the old file, with a copied new one. While using the new file ill keep an eye out for changes I make so if i recreate the problem, ill have an idea of where i went wrong. An explanation for the “Cannot overwrite used library” Error will still be much appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/aca169/32.png) [@Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/u/Johneysteel)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/4 "2012-04-26T16:58:48Z")
I think I found a solution to the problem! At some point my animation file was linking back to itself… Though I’m not sure how I managed to do this. To fix this problem, remove the library link of the file linking to itself. That can be done in the blender outliner. ![](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/3X/0/9/09c5e333a6a68fc3f6287eb5e81aeab9256888b0.png) -The blend file is linking to itself. ![](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/3X/7/c/7cc32cda9a8ba004f0cfc0ff49c01b1a4ef6c680.png) ![](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/3X/5/a/5adaf56b0a4391ad9ca9112de3b63632639cc06e.png) - Save Attempt Fail ---
**Author:** ![Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/aca169/32.png) [@Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/u/Johneysteel)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/5 "2012-04-26T17:04:52Z")
![](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/3X/5/a/5abb763d7c0edb79cc5a26ddf47f5b3c500cc2e3.png) - Open blender Outliner. Next to “View”-“Search”, click on the drop-box that reads “All Scenes” (by default) and change it to “Libraries”. - put your mouse over the path and hold Alt-key and Left Mouse Button click on it. This should allow you to edit the path. ![](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/3X/8/4/840e020d3eaea4a7312c167c56916e93f2d82d0b.png) - Erase the path to remove the library reference. ![](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/3X/8/0/804fc5b72fe717224413c082d40e418344b785d4.png) - You should now be able to save your file! ---
**Author:** ![Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/aca169/32.png) [@Johneysteel](https://blenderartists.org/u/Johneysteel)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/6 "2012-04-26T17:16:34Z")
For some reason, my outliner was set to “Show Oops Schematic” when I opened it. This may come as a second problem to someone not familiar with blender’s outliner interface. Click “View” -\> “Show Outliner” and it will show the outliner as seen in the screenshots. ---
**Author:** ![Michaelll](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/michaelll/32/739599_2.png) [@Michaelll](https://blenderartists.org/u/Michaelll)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 10:11am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/7 "2025-07-05T10:11:20Z")
Dude, you may not believe it, but this is still relevant! After writing a script with GPT chat, I had the same problem. CrashLog didn’t help me at all, but your post did! I can’t imagine how you found out what the reason was… Thanks for your hel ---
**Author:** ![Dmitry\_Stogov](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/dmitry_stogov/32/1413749_2.png) [@Dmitry\_Stogov](https://blenderartists.org/u/Dmitry_Stogov)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 10:51am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/8 "2025-10-14T10:51:54Z")
This saved me in 2025 😃 Thanks, man. ---
**Author:** ![ten.callaghan](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@ten.callaghan](https://blenderartists.org/u/ten.callaghan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2026, 8:58pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/9 "2026-09-15T20:58:13Z")
Same for me! Thank you dude from 13 yrs ago ---
**Author:** ![chanli](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@chanli](https://blenderartists.org/u/chanli)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/error-cannot-overwrite-used-library/539435/10 "2026-09-28T16:24:18Z")
Thanks to this post, it provided me with a reference when I encountered this problem. In Blender version 5.2, the button for solving this problem has changed. Starting in 2026, the order is: **Outliner → Display Mode → Blender File**. You will then see the link you want to delete. Move your mouse over the link, right-click, and select Delete. ![螢幕擷取畫面 2026-09-29 000258](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/9/9/3/993ed6c460aaa7115bcf5818428af6f3432c735e.png)