Search in outlook 2016 shared mailbox is not working

Copper Contributor

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?

132 Replies

@reidor 

 

To confirm the issue what is your Outlook Profile configuration?  

 

How many Exchange user accounts are in the profile?

How are the shared mailboxes added to the profile?  

 - Automapped

 - Added as another Exchange account in the profile

 - Added as an additional mailbox to the profile

 

Aside from the bug I see there is another issue a few tenants are reporting.  Those tenants have added the accounts as another Exchange account in the profile.  The suggested workaround for that issue is to add the shared mailbox as an additional mailbox.  Those steps are in this topic, https://support.office.com/en-us/article/open-and-use-a-shared-mailbox-in-outlook-d94a8e9e-21f1-4240....  See the steps under "If that didn't work, then manually add the shared mailbox to Outlook:".

 

Another thing to try depending which issue is to set this registry key that tells Outlook not to use Server Search and just use local Windows Desktop Search (requires Outlook restart).  Covered in this article.

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\outlook\search
DWORD: DisableServerAssistedSearch

Value: 1 

 

If you use the reg key and that works but you need to see further back than 3 months of data then you can adjust the Sync Slider to download more email for indexing.  Steps to do that are in this article.

@Gabe Bratton 

Hi Gabe,

 

It's now April and there hasn't been an update to this thread in 10 days.

Can you please provide an update to this issue?

Can you please advise a revised ETA?

 

Thanks

Tim

@Deleted 

 

The Outlook and Search teams are still working on it.  I'll post back as soon as I know more definitive roll out schedule.  I apologize its taking so long.  Its being worked with priority, just a complex solution to implement.

 

As a possible short term workaround you can set this registry key to disable server search until the fix comes out.  It has its own tradeoffs but its worth testing if it might work in the meantime.  I suspect some are already using it but just want to make sure this option is shared.

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\outlook\search
DWORD: DisableServerAssistedSearch

Value: 1 

Hi Gabe,

Thanks for the quick response.
I will ask my client if they will accept a work around and if so, implement.

Thanks
Tim

@Gabe Bratton 

 

Any further update on this issue? I have the same problem. Disabling Server search did not work for me. Search also did not work with separate .ost file for shared account. If I disable Download Shared Folders and use it as an online account search does work, but that does not suit our situation. Need it to work offline too.

 

Please advise when this is likely to be rectified.

Hi All,

I was waiting also for some news about that but i finally resolved my issue. And it works really well now !!

Plus... with Microsoft support :) (they found the trick).

 

So on the first user's laptop, the search on other mailbox wasn't working.

- I added the shared mailbox as a real mailbox. (Really important step because the search field option let me at this step to select "All Mailbox"). (You know, it's also the trick to know about the automapping shared mailbox etc).

- Then in Outlook -> click on the search field -> click on Search Tools -> Search Options -> Indexing options.. -> Modify -> Uncheck Outlook.

- Close Outlook.

- In Windows Services -> Look for "Windows Search" -> Set it at "Automatic".

- In Windows -> Look for "Indexing Options.." -> Modify -> Check Outlook.

- Start Outlook and let it "build" the indexation file.

*** IF you want, you can also "rebuild" the index file. (In Indexing options -> Advanced -> Rebuild)***

After a couple of minutes, the search in other shared mailbox was working really f*** well.

 

On a second laptop's user, unfortunately there was too many files/app installed on it etc. So.. too many indexed files. Also there was an old "trace" about Outlook 2007 installation etc so i reinstalled a new fresh Windows (10). Installed Outlook. Set the shared mailbox as a real one. And the search was working also directly without playing in Indexing etc etc.

 

Here are my tricks (Microsoft ones in fact :)) guys.

 

Thanks!

 

@HGSRWF 

 

I would expect disabling server search would workaround the issue by causing Outlook to use local search.  If that did not work then local search might not be fully indexed or functional.  If you disable server search reg key does search work in the other mailboxes?  If not need to investigate why local search is not working.  Does it give an error or just no results?  In the Windows Event Viewer, Application Event Log, are there any Search events being repeated?  The Known Issue here is the main local search issue I know we still get support cases on.  See if it might match what you are seeing.

 

The fix for the multi-ex search not working is in testing right now.  As soon as I know it will go to production I will post back on the thread with an update.  

@Gabe Bratton 

Search is working fine in other mailboxes, it is just in the Shared Mailbox that search is not working.

@HGSRWF 

 

In case it matters there are two places we can set the reg key.  Adding the second one in case it somehow works better for you.  Also, please restart Outlook after you set the reg key.

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\office\16.0\outlook\search
DWORD: DisableServerAssistedSearch
Value 1

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\outlook\search
DWORD: DisableServerAssistedSearch
Value: 1

 

Just to check if local search is working, when you search and get the error below and you click "Lets look on your computer instead", do you get results?  You should if local search is working properly.  That is the same search is what the reg key is setting as default.

 

searc.png

 

 

Hi All,

 

The current status for the multi-ex shared mailbox search fix is to go to production on 4/11.  I'll monitor the roll out status and update if anything changes.  

Thanks @Gabe Bratton  - Lets hope this fixes our issues!

I appreciate your monitoring of this thread too :)

@Gabe Brattonstatus? Lots of people in our org who can't wait for this update.

@gXXXXX 

 

The search fix for multi-ex shared mailboxes has rolled out to the service.  Most everyone should have it now.  

@Gabe Bratton 

 

Hi Gabe,

 

You could advise on the KB number please ?

 

Thanks

 

Phil

Having same issue with several customer tenants. Looking for any documentation or KB as well. Thanks.

@in-stalsame here, doesn't seem to work for my users yet anyway.

@Phil1966 

 

Phil,

 

There is no specific KB for this issue.  It was a service side fix.  Normally we document issues in public update KBs for client side fixes.  

@in-stal 

 

I have tested the fix on my test tenant and I can see the fix is working.  Double check this is the same issue your users are having.  With this specific issue the shared mailbox was added as an additional account in the profile.  You would see the error below "Something went wrong and your search couldn't be completed".  If you click the link to look on your computer local search would return results.  If you are seeing this error the fix might not be out fully to all tenants yet.  It was mostly WW by the time I posted yesterday though.

 

searc.jpg

@Gabe Bratton 

 

Excellent, thanks for the replies guys thought this was a client side fix not tenant side...will check it and see what results we see..

 

Cheers

 

Phil

@Gabe Bratton 

 

Excellent, thanks for the replies guys thought this was a client side fix not tenant side. will check it and see what results we see..

 

Cheers

 

Phil