How to Fix Outlook Search Not Working

If Outlook’s search suddenly stops working, you’re not alone. Whether you’re trying to find that one crucial email or just want your inbox to behave normally, broken search can slow you down. The good news? It’s usually fixable.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to get Outlook search working again—fast.

1. Restart Outlook (and Your Computer)

Simple, but it works. Close Outlook completely and restart your computer. Sometimes background processes get stuck and a reboot clears it up.

2. Check Outlook Indexing Status

Outlook relies on the Windows Search Index. If it’s incomplete or paused, search won’t work properly.

How to Check:

In Outlook, go to File > Options > Search.
Click Indexing Options.
Make sure Microsoft Outlook is listed and checked.
Click Advanced, then go to the Index Settings tab and click Rebuild.

⚠️ Rebuilding the index can take time, especially if you have a lot of emails.

3. Update Outlook and Windows

Outdated software can cause glitches. Make sure both Outlook and Windows are fully updated.

For Outlook:

Open any Office app.
Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.

For Windows:

Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

4. Repair Your Outlook Data Files

If your .PST or .OST files are corrupted, search might break.

Steps:

Close Outlook.
Open File Explorer and go to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\ (XX depends on your version — like Office16, Office15, etc.)
Find and run SCANPST.EXE.
Browse to your Outlook data file and click Start.

Let it fix any errors it finds, then reopen Outlook.

5. Check Windows Search Service

Outlook search depends on the Windows Search Service.

To Restart It:

Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
Scroll to Windows Search, right-click it, and choose Restart.
Make sure the Startup type is set to Automatic.

6. Create a New Outlook Profile

If everything else fails, your Outlook profile might be corrupted.

To Create a New One:

Go to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles.
Click Add, name the profile, and set up your email again.
Choose Prompt for a profile to be used to test the new one.

7. Bonus: Try Outlook Web Access (OWA)

If you’re in a pinch and need to search right now, log into your email via your web browser. Outlook Web Access often works even when the desktop app doesn’t.

Final Thoughts

Outlook search issues are frustrating, but most of them are caused by indexing problems, software conflicts, or corrupted files—and all of these are fixable. Follow the steps above, and you’ll likely have search working again in no time.

Still stuck? Drop a comment below or contact your IT support—there may be a deeper system issue at play.