Outlook Search not showing Recent Emails (December-2021)

[VineeshKV88]

Hi All,

The outlook search option stopped working properly after WIndows10 update.

The issue has happened after installing a security update from Windows (December 14, 2021—KB5008212).

I had tried re-building the Indexing but it was same. Once the issue started I had searched for the solutions and finally found that recent Windows update has created the issue. I had uninstalled that particular update and the search issue was fixed.

So let us know when the fix will be available for this bug?

[#2]

I liked your work-around so much I just set it up to restart the Windows Search service automatically on every login using task scheduler, a .bat, and a .vbs file. This requires an admin user privilege to be set once in task scheduler to run. Steps are below incase someone wants to do the same:
1. create "run.bat" with this code:
:stop
sc stop WSearch

rem cause a ~10 second sleep before checking the service state
ping 127.0.0.1 -n 10 -w 1000 > nul

sc query WSearch | find /I "STATE" | find "STOPPED"
if errorlevel 1 goto :stop
goto :start

:start
net start | find /i "Windows Search">nul && goto :start
sc start WSearch
exit

2. Create in the same directory "SilentRun.vbs" with the code:
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.Run chr(34) & "run.bat" & Chr(34), 0
Set WshShell = Nothing

3.Create the scheduled task
a. Open Task Scheduler->Create Task...
b. Under General Tab: Name=RestartWindowsService ; Run with highest priviledge=Checked ; Configure for=Windows 10
c. Under Triggers Tab: New->Begin the task=On workstation unlock
d. Under Actions Tab: New-> Browse -> Select SilentRun.vbs ; Start in=URL in Program/script field except for "SilentRun.vbs"
e. Under Conditions Tab: Start the task only if the computer is on AC power=Unchecked

[#3]

@zpropst 

As 21h2 was installed before 8212 the outlook indexing issue was created after 21h2 was installed.  Rebuilding teh index takes over 24 hours, so to date not convinved that thye rebuild resolves anything.

We have 6 pcs running win10 with the problem, we have one win11 with outlook just installed, no issue yet

Fingers crossed we get a fix asap.  Just add me to the list for  the fix

[#4]

How can I confirm that the computer got this KIR?

[#5]

At first I thought my customer has the same issue, but in their case with on-premises Exchange 2010 server:
- at least for some users, the missing mails cannot be found in Outlook as well via OWA Webmail! Which is weird.
- more weird is that MacOS users with Office for Mac have the same problem

As a temporary workaround I can (on Windows clients) restart Windows Search service, restrart Outlook, which then catches up with missing indexes. Takes few minutes to index those few hundred mails and up it works until client restarts computer.

But what about MacOS clients?
And most of all, OWA Outlook Web Access - it's server 2008R2, that's Windows, but not nearly the technology of Windows 10. How can it all has the same issue with search indexing on Exchange Server?

[#6]

Hi Would someone help me trying to uninstall KB5008212?

Unable to uninstall, it shows in the list of updates, but not in the list of updates that may be uninstalled. When trying to uninstall via Command prompt it says it isn't installed; digging down it is indicated as being superceded.

It was insatlled on 17/12 (after 20h2), the next rollup KB5008876 was installed on 14/01 is also superceded. KB5010793 was updated today, but doesn't show in my list of updates!! (updates show as fully upto date).

I don't have system protection backups so unable to rollback Win10.

Any suggestion how to get rid of 8212 to resolve Outlook search issues?

[#7]

uninstall wont help, only one good reaction is workaround, make a key in registry:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/outlook-search-not-showing-recent-emails-after-windows-up...


In Windows, right-click Start, and then select Run. In the Open: box type regedit, and then click OK. This will open the registry editor.

Find this subkey in the registry and then click it:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

Click Edit > New > Key and name the new key Windows Search.

Select the new Windows Search key.

Click Edit > New > DWORD Value.

Type PreventIndexingOutlook for the name of the DWORD, and then press Enter.

Right-click PreventIndexingOutlook, and then click Modify.

In the Value data box, type 1 to enable the registry entry, and then click OK.

Exit Registry Editor, and then restart Outlook.

[#8]

I tried this but still not working @deLorenzzo 

[#9]

I am having the same problem. Any fix announced? This is an absolutely unacceptable failure on the part of Microsoft.

[#10]

@TMadd27 

To the right of your search box in Outlook, change the selection from current mailbox to all mailboxes or all outlook items. I believe KB5008212 screwed something up, but this resolved my search issues

[#11]

@VineeshKV88 

I have been dealing with this issue for months -- so long so that Microsoft got frustrated and blamed us.

FWIW:

We're running Exchange 2019 on MS Server 2019.  Outlook 2013 works fine.  Anything newer than Outlook 2013 doesn't show recent emails nor recent calendar items when searching.

The Windows scroll bars are really narrow now -- so there's that.

[#12]

thank you, this worked twice for me already........apparently after every window update (twice now since Dec 2021), i meet with the same problem - unable to search for recent emails in Outlook.

[#13]

Or Current Folder.. There is a registry key you can add to make one of these the default, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Search\DefaultSearchScope (DWORD) - since setting it in the actual program options doesn't seem to do anything. . .

I think there are a couple of separate issues with search in Outlook, easily confused. One is related to Windows search indexing & the recent updates - recent results are missing. Another is related to Exchange mailboxes & FAST searches, and has been cropping up for years - only recent results are found (or none.) Probably others as well. Search in Windows has always been a mess, especially in Outlook. And like always, redesigning it opened the whole can of worms all over again. . .

[#14]

You might have a problem with the Exchange index on the server & need to rebuild it. Use the cmdlet Test-ExchangeSearch and powershell script ResetSearchIndex.ps1 if necessary.

[#15]

Can you please suggest process

[#16]

I still have not seen the update but apparently it has finally been addressed by means of a KIR, at least for Windows 10 users, which in my case represents the majority of users.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-fixes-outlook-search-issues-for-windows-10...

[#17]

Fault still present on Outlook, so it is not fixed, and so presumably KB5008212 has still not been rolled back. I'm on the latest OS build 19044.1466.

[#18]

Who can explain because I am lost. Do I need to install group policy KIR for computers that are joined to the domain? Or will every computer get the KIR automatically? How can I confirm that the computer got the KIR?

[#19]

@VineeshKV88 

Hi Vineesh,

I received an invite from Microsoft to upgrade to windows 11.  I am also having the same problem as you.  Outlook search is not showing recent emails.

Can you or anyone else tell me what to do?

Thanks.

ben

[#20]

after reindex the email.. no more mail can find me .. disaster

[#21]

Hi,

Does this kir also works for KB5008212 ? I think not.