Troubleshooting: Outlook Search Not Working | Fixing Search Issues

• January 21, 2023
• Written by:
• James
• Reading Time: 10 minutes

Outlook is a useful tool for everyone because it includes communications, time management, and other automated features. Many users discovered Outlook search not working problem at some point. This could lead to frustration if you need to find a specific email quickly. 

Outlook search not working Mac is a somewhat regular occurrence. The main reasons why the Outlook search doesn’t work on a Mac include improper folder locations, special characters in the profile name, or insufficient Spotlight indexing. 

Even outlook search not working windows 11 makes people unable to find what they require. The outlook may stop searching for various reasons, but the underlying problems are typically clear.

Also Read: Outlook Spam Filter Not Working

Seven Useful Methods to Resolve Outlook Search Not Working

If you are tired of the Microsoft outlook search not working issue, then you must try out these simple methods listed below.

Method 1: Launch Outlook Again Utilizing Task Manager

Restarting Outlook is the first thing to try. After closing an application, it often continues to operate in the background. To totally restart Outlook:

1. To begin, hit Start and enter “task manager.”
2. When you come across Task Manager in the search results, tap it.
3. Press the End task after selecting Microsoft Outlook.
4. Relaunch Outlook.

Method 2: Be Certain That Outlook Email Messages Are Indexed

It’s still possible for your search to fail even if Outlook is listed in the search index since the filter type for email messages isn’t being indexed. Follow the steps as it is:

1. Click File in Outlook, then select Options.
2. Click Search in the left menu window.
3. Select Indexing Options under Sources.
4. Click Advanced in the Indexing Options dialogue box.
5. Make sure the file extension MSG is checked in the File Types tab. Additionally, select the options to index file contents and properties under How should this file be indexed? section.
6. Press OK.

Method 3: The Most Recent Version of Microsoft Software Should Be Used

It’s possible that an outdated version of the Microsoft Auto-Update program is to blame for your inability to view the Check for Updates option in the Help menu.

1. Started, open any Microsoft Office program like Word, Excel, or Outlook.
2. Select help on the screen.
3. Look for the updates in the context window.
4. Hit the Update button. (The “Check for Updates” option will be available after starting the software.)

Method 4: Ascertain That Outlook is Being Listed for Search

You can also check the search options in Outlook. The search engine stopping indexing Outlook for searches is one of the most frequent problems. Fixing this is simple.

1. Select Options from the File menu in Outlook.
2. Click Search in the left menu window.
3. Select Indexing Options under Sources.
4. In the list of locations that are being indexed in the Indexing Options dialogue box, you ought to notice Microsoft Outlook.
5. Microsoft Outlook is not mentioned, click Modify, tick the option, and then click OK.

Method 5: Build a Fresh User Account

Perhaps a problem with your Outlook profile can cause the search to cease working. If you want the answer to the “how do I fix outlook search not working” issue, it may be worthwhile to move your data and information from your old profile to the new one if the new profile works.

Method 6: Repairing Outlook

Outlook Built-in repair tools can frequently resolve the issue of an unresponsive Outlook search feature.

1. Open the Outlook Search Repair Tool after downloading it.
2. If prompted, remove any duplicate installations of Outlook.
3. When prompted, restart your computer.
4. Decide whether to Re-index.
5. Give the utility time to finish. Have patience as it takes a while to complete.
6. Terminate Outlook Search Repair when the phrase “Reindexing has finished!” occurs in a message.

Method 7: Make Use of the Registry Editor

The outlook may be manually reset by utilizing the registry. Since various problems can result from inaccurate entries, we advise only performing this step if you are an experienced Windows user. Forced cleanup of any corrupted files. You should create a registry backup before completing this step.

1. To launch the Run dialogue box, press the Windows Key + R.
2. Press Enter after typing Regedit.
3. Locate HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook in the Registry Editor.
4. Restart your computer, then check Outlook’s search feature.
5. Each time your computer boots, the registry item should automatically be rebuilt.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

One of Outlook’s most helpful features is the capacity to perform searches based on the sender, date, phrase, etc. Therefore, maybe one of the methods listed above in this article has resolved your Outlook search difficulty, allowing you to resume reading your emails. Please contact us if you are not able to solve this issue on your own. Our technical experts will guide you in the best possible way to get rid of any tech issues including this one.

Read More Helpful Article Here:

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Written By

James

My name is David Wayne, and I work as a technical support specialist for the online industry. In the last 7 years, I have fixed a variety of email issues, such as Outlook server errors, Outlook send receive errors, Outlook working offline problems and etc. So if you are facing these types of problems, please do not hesitate to contact us without any hesitation.