Fix Microsoft Outlook Mail Search Not Working Issue – Top 7 Techniques

In this current technical arena, Microsoft has improved their functionality to make users more clear and precise. As a result, recent versions of Outlook has been a worthy successor to its previous editions. Thus, many people are used to having Outlook application for communication. Generally, Microsoft Outlook contains lots of emails, contacts, calendars, notes, tasks, etc.

So, if a person needs to find any message or any data, then they can search the mailbox. But sometimes it is difficult to find emails due to various reasons. One of the most common reasons is that Microsoft Outlook mail search is not working. Thus, when it comes to finding any emails from the Outlook account, there are several different approaches available. In this section, we will describe top seven methods to resolve Microsoft Outlook search all mail items not working issue.

How to Fix ‘Outlook Search Is Not Working on Windows’ Problem?

Find the below mentioned methods to easily find the manual solution:

Solution # 1: Rebuild Outlook Index

To resolve the Outlook Search problem, you need to recreate the Outlook index. There are two ways available to rebuild Outlook index. Also to resolve Outlook search grayed out issues, follow the given solution.

Way 1- By Using Program & Features

1. At first, go to the search bar and type Control panel & open it.
2. After that, click on the Programs >> Program & Features >> select Outlook or Microsoft Office (your version).
3. Now, select Change option from the top of the menu and choose either Quick Repair or Online Repair option.
4. Finally, click on the Repair button to resolve Outlook indexing problem without any internet connectivity.

Way 2- By Using Outlook Index Repair Menu

1. At first, open the Outlook and go to the File menu >> Options >> Search.
2. After that, select the Indexing Options, followed by Advanced and click on OK.
3. Now, click on Rebuild button to rebuild the Outlook search index again.

Solution # 2: Check the Locations of Outlook Index

Now, you need to check the Outlook Index locations by following these steps:

1. Open the Outlook program >> Click on File menu >> Search >> Indexing Options.
2. Now, choose the Modify option. Then, click the checkbox next to Microsoft Outlook (MSI\Gavin).
3. Finally, press the OK button and restart your system.

Solution # 3: Use the Windows Registry

To repair ‘Microsoft Outlook mail search not working’ issue by using Windows registry, you can follow the given below steps:

1. First, press Windows + R key to open the Run dialog box then type regedit & press Enter key.
2. Then, Registry Editor will open. Now, you need to press Ctrl + F key to open the search menu.
3. After that, copy and paste the following registry key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search

4. Finally, select the New Dword (32-bit) and click on the OK button to complete the process.

Solution # 4: Update the Microsoft Office

To resolve the ‘Microsoft Outlook mail search not working’ problem, you can also update the MS Office Suite with the latest version.

1. Open the Outlook application, go to the File menu >> Office Account.
2. Then, check the Update Options from the drop-down menu.
3. Select the Update Now option if it is available.

Solution # 5: Check the Setting of Outlook Indexing Group Policy

If something changing occurs in the Group Policy setting, then you may face any other issues. But it is worth to resolve the Outlook search problem. Unluckily, this option is only available to Windows 10 Pro users; it is not available for Home users.

1. To check the Settings, type gpedit in the Start menu then go to the User Configuration option.
2. After that, click on the Administrative Templates >> Search option.
3. Now, check the Default excluded paths and Prevent indexing certain paths for alterations.
4. If the policy statement is set to Not configured, then it will confirm this is not where your Outlook search problems stem from.

Solution # 6: Repair Corruption in Outlook

Sometimes, Microsoft Outlook searches all mail items not working because of corruption in Outlook and PST file. So, first, you need to repair it by using the scanpst.exe or Inbox Repair Tool. But, this Outlook inbuilt utility can only resolve the minor corruption.

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If you have a severely corrupted PST file and need to repair the damaged PST file, then you should take help from any reliable tool. One of the most famous and efficient tools is the SysTools Outlook PST Repair Software. It will recover both minor and major corruption in MS Outlook.

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If you are a Mac user and facing any issue in your Mac Outlook, then you can download the Mac version of the too to repair any issue in Mac Outlook.

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Solution # 7: Reinstall Microsoft Outlook Application

Another resolution method to fix Outlook mail search not working problem is to uninstall the Outlook application. After that, you can install the Outlook application again and access it. However, it is known that this solution is time-consuming and tedious. Also, it cannot be a reliable solution but this is the last resort that will surely fix the Outlook search problem. If all the above-discussed methods fail, then you can try this one.

For Mac Outlook Users: Read blog on Email Search not working in Outlook for Mac

Summing Up

As we discussed, Outlook users often need to find emails but when the mailbox has a huge amount of data items, then it becomes a difficult task to find any information. Sometimes, it also displays an error message “Microsoft Outlook mail search not working”. Therefore, in this write up, we have discussed the top seven methods to resolve Outlook search problem.