Outlook Search Issue - No Results Found

 

Step 1: Check Outlook Search Settings

1. Open Outlook.
2. Go to File > Options > Search.
3. Click Indexing Options….
4. Ensure Microsoft Outlook is listed under Included Locations. If not, click Modify and check it.
5. Click Advanced, then under the Index Settings tab, click Rebuild to recreate the search index. This may take time depending on mailbox size.

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If “Indexing Options…” is Grayed Out

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Locate Windows Search in the list.
3. If it's Stopped, right-click and select Start.
4. If it's Disabled:
• Right-click > Properties.
• Set Startup type to Automatic.
• Click OK, then Start the service.

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Step 2: Ensure Windows Search Feature is Enabled

 

1. Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.
2. Click Turn Windows features on or off (left pane).
3. Ensure Windows Search is checked. If not, check it and click OK.
4. Restart your PC if prompted.

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Step 3: Additional Fixes (if issue persists)

 

• Check File Indexing Permissions:
• Navigate to your OST/PST file location (usually under C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook).
• Right-click the file > Properties > Advanced.
• Ensure "Allow this file to have contents indexed..." is checked.

 

• Run the Windows Search Troubleshooter:
• Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
• Run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter.

 

• Repair Outlook Data Files:
• Run scanpst.exe (Inbox Repair Tool) to fix corrupted PST/OST files.

 

• Create a New Outlook Profile:
• Go to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles > Add.
• Set up a new profile and test search functionality.