How to Fix Outlook Search Problem

Microsoft Outlook has been the most frequently used email platform. Its worldwide reputation and user-friendliness kept this tool on top. Outlook gives control in your hand to add and amend the settings of your emails. Being able to provide such services, Outlook also requires maintenance and look after. Regular settings check and cleaning the trash must be done.

One of the most common problems that you may face is with Outlook Search. ‘Microsoft Outlook Search not working’ is a quotidian issue that occurs. However, to fix Outlook search problem you must take a glance at Outlook Search Index as this is the only base on which the search functions.

Steps to Fix Outlook Search Problem

Here we’re going to demonstrate how you can fix Outlook search problem:

Step I – Make these changes in computer:

1. Press “Windows”   + “R” keys to load the Run dialog box.

2. Type ‘Control Panel’ and Click on ‘OK’ or Press ‘Enter’.

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3. Click on ‘Programs and Features’

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4. Click on ‘Turn Windows features on or off‘ option on the left-hand side.

5. (Click ‘Yes’ on UAC Warning) and Uncheck the ‘Windows Search’ feature from the appeared list and click on ‘Yes’ on warning message.

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6. After Clicking on ‘OK’ at ‘Windows Feature’ you must restart the computer by clicking on ‘Restart Now’

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7. Re-Enable the ‘Windows Search’ option in ‘Windows Feature’

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Also Read: How to use the ‘Out of Office Assistant’ in Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010 and 365

Step II – Go to Outlook and perform these changes:

1. Navigate to Outlook Options -> select ‘Search’ in the left -> and click on ‘Indexing Options…’

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2. Under ‘Indexing Options…’ select ‘Modify’

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Here you can confirm if Outlook is selected for indexing. Though in previous versions of Outlook, you could specify which mailbox or .pst/.ost files within Outlook to index; however, in Outlook 2016 you can either index Outlook completely or you do not index it at all.

Also Read: How to Configure Windows Live Hotmail with Outlook

Here, we follow a simple procedure:

• Uncheck MS Outlook from Indexing
• Close Outlook
• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Delete) and check Outlook.exe should not be running in Process Tab.
• Wait for 10 minutes, open Outlook and Select (check) Outlook again from Indexing

3. Rebuild the Index by following below steps:

• Go to File -> Options -> Search
• Click on ‘Indexing Options…’
• Click on ‘Advanced’
• Select ‘Rebuild’ under the ‘Index Settings’ tab.

Also Read: How Outlook Lets You Recover Accidently Deleted Items from Email

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          While the Index is being rebuilt, your search may not work. You must wait until the rebuild is done. When your Index is rebuilt, you must restart Outlook and then search. This should fix Outlook search problem.

 Altogether, following both above said steps will be refreshing and resetting the complete working of Microsoft Outlook. This procedure lets Outlook make a fresh start. Resetting Index Options and rebuilding it makes everything count what’s left behind due to any technical glitch.