Forum Discussion
Outlook search not returning results from body of email
Does anyone know if there is any big with classic outlook im running on windows 11 build: 26200.7019 25H2
when i search on classic outlook ever since i got a new windows 11 laptop it doesnt return search results from body of the email only from sender and subject any insights into this?
4 Replies
yes i also have the same issue, some updates from Oct 25, screwed up the search function in outlook, it not working like before.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channeli have rebuild the search indexes and also repaired office but didn't help.
the issue is on microsoft side and needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
its a very annoying problem!
That’s a common issue lately with Outlook on Windows 11, especially on the newer 25H2 builds. What’s happening is that Outlook’s search index isn’t fully built or synced, so searches only return results from headers like sender or subject, not from the email body. The quickest fix is to rebuild the search index: go to Control Panel → Indexing Options → Advanced → Rebuild, then restart Outlook and give it some time to re-index all your mail. Also, make sure Outlook is included in the list of indexed locations and that Windows Search is turned on under Services. If you’re using an Exchange or Microsoft 365 account, you can also try switching to Server-based Search in Outlook’s search settings. This issue has popped up after several Windows 11 updates, so rebuilding the index or toggling that search mode usually gets things back to normal.
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Don't forget to mark as solution if my answer suits youMr. Jenkins,
The new 25H2 build has created havoc on the search capabilities in windows. The windows file explorer search bar is a mess. I cannot search under "Name:" index, and when I search using the "content:" index, I get the endless spiral. I rebuilt my entire index build, but the problem persists, which I'm convinced lives deeper in the coding of the new update. Luckily, I managed to get a workaround for now. When I want to search under the "Name:" index, I have to now put "Name:" followed by the "AND" connector without anything else after it. This way the search actually performs. For example, if I'm searching for files containing the name "police," I now need to input the following name:"police" AND. Once I do that it works.
Outlook search is also problematic. I cannot search using the "body:" index. It doesn't work. Wish I could revert back to the older build of Windows.yes you are right, for me i can't even search things that are obvious in my email body now after one of the update that happen in Oct 2025.
example: email body containing: "F72" in textbox, i could successfully search all F72 related emails from most recent to oldest, but now, its not even appearing.
some items does appear and some not, and it doesn't seem to be complete.items that appear aren't exactly what i was searching for. its frustrating. i have turn on my old laptop on the outlook 2019 to search for the exact email i was looking for. as i needed to always copy the old contents in the older or recent emails.
i had also rebuild my indexes and also toggled .msg .ost .pst files to index both properties and file contents but also can't revert back to normal.
i am using outlook classic 2024 (Microsoft Office Home and Business 2024)
