Forum Discussion

Ernesto Iblon's avatar
Ernesto Iblon
Copper Contributor
Dec 01, 2017

Search in outlook 2016 shared mailbox is not working

Hi , since we are using Outlook 2016 , the search inside shared mailbox is not working. Also users are not able to activate subfolder search on shared mailbox.   Is there any solution?
Eddy_Veldboer's avatar
Eddy_Veldboer
Copper Contributor
Aug 27, 2020

Thanks for helping out on this issue. I am still surprised a basic search doesn't include subfolders for shared mailboxes that are connected in Outlook via the default process (AutoMapped + download shared folders turned on). Also after raising a support ticket at Microsoft, the engineer acknowledged this is a 'known issue'. 

Workaround A) provided is to disable 'download shared folders'. This way subfolders are included in the search result. I keep my fingers crossed Outlook keeps performing and won't stop responding when heavy used. 

Workaround B) Otherwise I have to apply the other successfully tested workaround, but would have a higher impact on our users: 

  1. cmdlet: Remove-MailboxPermission -Identity <shared mailbox> -User <user> -AccessRights FullAccess 
  2. Remove shared mailbox connection from at users Outlook. (be patient until it disappears)  
  3. cmdlet Add-MailboxPermission -Identity <shared mailbox> -User <user> -AccessRights FullAccess -AutoMapping $false
  4. Wait a while and Start users Outlook and connect mailbox via new account, but be sure to choose 'login with other account' and using the users credentials and MFA. 
  5. Restart Outlook and WAIT after the folder/client error when trying to open the shared mailbox. 
  6. Keep fingers crossed after a while the shared mailbox magically opens up 😉

Hopefully this will help others, since it took me a whole day to believe this is true.. 

If you are reading this, please vote on the UserVoice because I am shocked it currently only has 40 votes.. https://outlook.uservoice.com/forums/322590-outlook-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/36925879-do-search-in-folder-and-subfolders-when-shared-ma

Jason Grimme's avatar
Jason Grimme
Copper Contributor
Sep 16, 2020

Eddy_Veldboer agreed, we have about 400 shared mailboxes used by around 1000 people all over the globe, and we just standardized on automounting all shared mailboxes, caching shared content, and not allowing users to add mailboxes to their MAPI profile outside of automounting.  We're still onprem and planning a move to the cloud and wanted to have a predictable, supportable experience.

Now we're being inundated with complaints about searching being broken, and turns out deploying what's been noted as the 'best practice' breaks a very simple, critical function.  It's frustrating that the server has a fully built out index of the database sitting there and the clients don't just reach on and use it.

I've voted on the topic as well, any idea what something has to get to for it to have any traction or attention?