How to Resolve Outlook Search Not Working?

Does another Outlook mean new or different Outlook search issues? Not exactly, however Outlook is an email client that is used quite frequently, and like anything that is used frequently; it requires some attention and maintenance to keep it working. Therefor, even if you’re using the new Outlook 2016, you will eventually run into some issues.

One of the most common problems that occur with most Outlook clients is the search tool not working as it should. Microsoft Outlook Search not working is an problem that is common across all versions because all of them have the same base on how it functions, and that is the Outlook Search Index. There’s no need to worry though, there are things that will assist you get your Outlook 2016 search up and running again.

Rebuilding the Index

The great method to solve this issue is rebuilding the index, which will automatically fix all other minor problems. So, to rebuild the index, you have to follow these easy steps;

Go to Control Panel and click “Indexing options.” A window will appear like this:

Now, select the “Advanced” option to rebuild the index. A window will screen on your display showing the “Rebuild” button. Click this button to begin the rebuilding process.

The rebuilding method can take several hours for the completion. So, it’s better to keep the system at rest until the rebuilding method is completed.

Apart from rebuilding the index, some other alternatives are also available if you want to ignore the long method of rebuilding the index.

Remove the Window Search Feature and Install Again

One reason behind this issue can be the damaged Windows Search option. Therefor, if the installation of Windows search got damaged, you can remove and reinstall it simply. If you’re using Windows 7, then follow these best steps to reinstall the window search feature;

Go to Control Panel>>Programs and click on “Turn Windows features on or off” in the left pane of the screen.

Now, deselect “Windows Search” option from the list and click “OK” to uninstall the Windows search option.

Now reboot your system

Once the system reboot is done, you can enable this feature with the same process.

But, if you are using Windows 8 or 10, then you will not find “Windows Search” option in the program's. To disable “Windows Search” in Windows 8 or 10, follow these steps:

Open the Run Window via Pressing Window Button + R, type services.msc in it and click “Ok.”

Scroll down to “Windows Search” in the displayed window and double-click on it.

A window will be displayed on the screen, now find “Startup type:” and select “Disable.” Then click “Stop” to stop the service and click “Apply,” and then Restart the computer. The “Window Search” option will be disabled from your system. You can turn it on, via following the same steps.