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justletmelogin50's avatar
justletmelogin50
Brass Contributor
Oct 02, 2025

Outlook 365 - search broken for one user

Hi all,

 

Exchange 2019 hybrid

Outlook 365

 

Most users are migrated.  We have one user who has been migrated and their search is broken in a strange way.

 

They can only search for some words when using Current Folder or Current Mailbox.  Some words return results and some don't, even though all words searched for are definitely in the subject or body of emails.  However in the search options if they select All Outlook Items it will find any keyword.

 

Within Outlook, the Indexing Status shows as complete.

 

It was time to repace their PC and I hoped that would resolve it but it hasn't.  That rules out being a computer issue.  It was a newly set up PC.

 

Does anyone know what the issue might be?

 

thanks

j

1 Reply

  • RobertSparnaaij's avatar
    RobertSparnaaij
    MVP
    Oct 02, 2025

    The Current Folder and Current Mailbox search scope use Server Assisted Search whereas the All Outlook Items search scope use Windows Desktop Search.

    In other words, the issue is with the online index and not the local index so switching a computer is never going to solve it.

    Use Get-MailboxStatistics for the mailbox and look at the BigFunnelMessageCount, BigFunnelIndexedCount, BigFunnelPartiallyIndexedCount, BigFunnelStaleCount and BigFunnelCorruptedCount properties.

    In general;

    BigFunnelIndexedCount + BigFunnelPartiallyIndexedCount + BigFunnelStaleCount  = BigFunnelMessageCount

    BigFunnelCorruptedCount should be 0

    Any issue with this for an on-premises mailbox can usually be solve by using New-MoveRequest. When you are having issues with a mailbox in Exchange Online, you should open a support ticket via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. 

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