Forum Discussion
Redmen74
Sep 21, 2023Copper Contributor
Search function in Outlook is terrible
I have a problem with the PA to the CEO. When she searches for emails in his mailbox (which she has full access to), it returns 997 mails. As an example, I chose a folder with 4 emails in it. I typed in the word I was looking for, and hit enter. Outlook reported that no mail could be found, so it searched the entire mailbox.
I have recreated her profile, and switched off cached exchange mode. When cached exchange mode is switched off, Outlook finds the email.
I also renamed the outlook folder under c:\user\app data\local\Microsoft\outlook, same problem.
Searching for the mail in the portal works.
Any suggestions?
- OutlookUserCopper Contributor
I have Office 2021. I have 2 email accounts linked to my Outlook 2021 software.
The default email account is a outlook.com email address.
The second email address is a business domain email address.
I can send and receive emails on both email accounts.
But I can only perform searches, via Outlook 2021, via the business domain email address.
For the outlook.com email address, I am unable to type in the Outlook 2021 search box. The cursor just bounces out.
I have ensured my Windows Search services are running via the control panel.
I have updated my Office 2021.
I have rebuilt my index (it took 20 hours).
I have performed a quick repair of Office 2021 via control panel.
I have performed an on-line repair of Office 2021 via control panel.
No errors were detected from the said repairs.
After all of the above, the Outlook 2021 search box, for my outlook.com email account is still inaccessible.
But the Outlook 2021 search box for my business domain email address is still working fine.
After performing the above, I down loaded Microsoft Support & Recovery Security Assistant tool and received a diagnostic result that the Outlook profile, for the said Outlook.com email address, had a "404 Error" but provided no guidance on how to fix the problem.
My internet connection is very good. I am able to send/receive emails, in both email accounts, and can perform Outlook 2021 search in my business domain email account.
Accordingly, I do not understand the said "404 Error" diagnostic which indicates that my Outlook 2021 is not communicating with the Microsoft Outlook server.
Any advice on how to fix this problem without removing my Outlook profile, and replacing it, or uninstalling and re-installing Office 2021?
I am concerned if I remove/replace my Outlook profile, or uninstall/reinstall Office 2021, it will ruin my ability to perform Outlook searches in my business domain email account which is functioning just fine.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide.
- NikolinoDEGold Contributor
- RajeshPatel1790Copper Contributor
All MS have to do is allow third party tools to search the mailboxes, if they can't be bothered.
I needed to search for a term but it was a common term so the hit was high, I wanted to do something like "xxxxx" Not "YYYY" or "ZZZZZ" where Subject; kkkkk
you know like a query so we can refine our searches to a high degree. I get hundreds of emails a day and would like to have automatic filters by default too so all my searches to be in the current year and if I want prior years I can override it withing the query.
I use to work in Google at my previous company, going to Outlook seems such a backward step.
- Robin2225Copper ContributorI agree. I have used outlook since 1996. Outlook search has never worked. Even when I worked for Microsoft, they were aware of the issues. 20 years later, still bad. I use grep for windows. It searches all outlook psts/osts just fine. If anyone has any effective solutions, please let me know.
- NikolinoDEGold Contributor
Here are some suggestions to troubleshoot and improve the search functionality for the PA to the CEO:
- Rebuild the Search Index:
- Close Outlook.
- Go to Control Panel > Indexing Options (or use the Windows search bar to find it).
- Click on "Modify" and ensure that Microsoft Outlook is selected for indexing.
- Click on "Advanced" and then the "Rebuild" button to rebuild the search index.
- This process may take some time, so be patient. Once it is done, restart your computer and open Outlook to check if the search issue is resolved.
- Check the Outlook Search Options:
- In Outlook, go to File > Options.
- In the Outlook Options window, click on the "Search" tab.
- Make sure the "Include results only from" option is set to "Current Mailbox."
- Also, ensure that "Improve search speed by limiting the number of results shown" is unchecked.
- Use Advanced Search Queries:
- Encourage the PA to use more specific search terms and advanced search operators to narrow down search results. For example, using quotation marks to search for an exact phrase: "search term".
- Teach her how to use keywords along with other search operators like "from:", "to:", "subject:", "received:", etc., to refine search results.
- Update Outlook:
- Ensure that Outlook is up to date with the latest updates and patches. Sometimes, Microsoft releases updates that address search issues.
- Check for Add-Ins:
- Third-party add-ins in Outlook can sometimes interfere with search functionality. Disable any unnecessary or suspicious add-ins and see if it improves search performance.
- Check for PST Files:
- Ensure there are no PST files added to Outlook that are causing search issues. PST files are not indexed by default, and they can slow down searches.
- Check Exchange Server Configuration:
- Ensure that the Exchange server is configured correctly and up to date. If there are issues on the server side, it can affect Outlook's search functionality.
- Check Windows Updates:
- Ensure that Windows itself is up to date with the latest updates and patches. Sometimes, Windows updates can impact Outlook's performance.
By following these steps, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve the search issue in Outlook and improve the PA's experience with email searches. The text and steps were edited with the help of various AI’s.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
Was the answer useful? Mark them as helpful and like it!
This will help all forum participants.
- NikolinoDEGold Contributor
Hi everyone,
I can see that many of you are understandably frustrated with the search issues in Outlook. I fully agree that it’s incredibly important for software to "just work" and for search functionality to be seamless—especially in today's fast-paced work environments. I’ve faced my own challenges with Outlook over the years, which is why I try to share troubleshooting tips that have helped me or others in similar situations.
That said, I’d like to clarify a few things:
- Different Environments, Different Solutions: Outlook behaves differently depending on the version, environment (e.g., local or cloud-based), and individual setup (e.g., Exchange configurations). What might work for one user could be irrelevant for another. This is why I suggest a range of solutions—so that users can try what might work best for them. If a suggestion doesn’t apply to you or doesn’t resolve your issue, it’s okay to skip it.
- My Role Here: I’m just a fellow user, not affiliated with Microsoft in any official capacity. I’ve benefited from community advice in the past, and I try to pay it forward by sharing my own suggestions. It’s not about excusing the software's flaws—it's about offering practical steps to work around them until a more permanent fix is available.
- Frustration is Valid, But Let's Keep it Respectful: I get that it’s extremely frustrating when basic functions like search don’t work properly, especially if they seem to get worse over time. Still, I’d appreciate it if we could keep the discussion respectful. If my post doesn’t help you, please feel free to disregard it—there’s no need to direct your frustration at fellow community members who are trying to help.
- Feedback to Microsoft: If you feel strongly about the shortcomings of Outlook’s search, I encourage you to provide feedback directly to Microsoft. They might not see our discussions here, but feedback through the official channels can have a real impact, especially if it reflects a widespread issue.
I hope this message helps to clarify things a little. I will continue to help where I can and I am grateful for everyone's contribution and patience as we all try to navigate these challenges.
- steve1230Copper ContributorThese suggestions are completely useless because they are based on the premise that there is some sort of user error, or system specific issue that is causing the problem. The problem is that Outlook's search functionality SUCKS!! I have less than 100 emails in my inbox and it keeps returning empty searches on terms that it should obviously be finding. I have "rebuilt my index" hundreds of times over the past year and it takes forever. All I want to do is be able to quickly find related items in my inbox. Seems like the simplest thing in the world. I can't for the life of me understand how MS hasn't addressed it after all these years.
- Baba_Jaga_in_ExileCopper Contributor
NikolinoDE
You might or might not work for M'soft, what does not matter at all, but your suggestions are just not helping at all.
Outlook search just does not work. Simple as.
No tries and no excuses. 15 years ago was working now it does not. Microsoft is trying to tell us they have this great AI machine, yet it cannot make search working in Outlook.
I am searching for a string 123 among emails, to find all that have that string somewhere in subject or text, with latest email containing exactly that string, and stupid application says no such items , did you want items with 456 displayed.....
Howe is that not daft and pathetic?
And listing tonnes of "improvement" options?
Imagine you bought a car that is not working and salesman tries to tell you how to remove panels, replace engine and empty windscreen washer bottle to reduce weight.....