How to Solve “Search Problem in Outlook 2016”? – Simple Tips & Tricks

This blog addresses the common search problem in Outlook 2016 where users experience issues like search not working properly or getting incomplete or no results at all. It explores the underlying causes of these search failures and provides practical solutions to help fix them. While the focus is on Outlook 2016, many of these fixes are also applicable to other Microsoft Outlook versions, including Office 365, Outlook 2021, 2019, 2013, 2010, 2007, and earlier editions.

How Outlook Search Helps You Find Emails Faster?

Microsoft Outlook comes with a powerful search feature that lets you quickly locate emails and messages by typing keywords. You can even apply filters like searching for emails from a particular sender to find specific items more efficiently.

Common Issues When Outlook Search Stops Working

Despite its usefulness, Outlook search can sometimes malfunction. You might see error messages like “search couldn’t be completed,” or find that the search returns no results. Some typical problems users face include:

• Outlook doesn’t return any search results
• Search results are incomplete or missing emails
• Recent or older emails don’t appear in search results
• The search tab becomes unresponsive or greyed out (especially in Outlook 2016)

Main Causes Behind Outlook Search Problems

Several factors can cause search to stop working properly in Outlook. Common reasons include:

• Indexing issues that prevent Outlook from properly cataloging emails
• Corrupt or damaged Outlook data files (PST or OST files)
• Using an outdated version of Outlook that may contain bugs
• Conflicts caused by incompatible or malfunctioning add-ins
• A corrupt Outlook user profile
• Low system resources such as insufficient RAM, storage, or CPU power

How to Fix the “Search Problem in Outlook 2016”?

If your Outlook search isn’t working properly, here are some effective steps you can try to resolve the issue:

Note: If the Outlook search bar is missing, go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon. Under Choose commands from, select All Tabs. Find and select Search, click Add, then press OK to enable the search tab.

Step 1: Restart Outlook and Your Computer

Sometimes, Outlook search issues are caused by temporary glitches. Begin by closing and reopening Outlook. If the problem persists, restart your entire system. This simple step often clears minor bugs and helps Outlook function correctly again.

Step 2: Verify Outlook’s Indexing Status

Search problems often occur when Outlook’s indexing is incomplete or paused. Here’s how to check if indexing is finished in Outlook 2016:

• Open Outlook 2016 and click on the Search bar.
• Select the Search Tools drop-down menu and click Indexing Status…

If indexing is still in progress, you’ll see a message showing the number of items left to index. Once indexing is complete, the message will say, “Outlook has finished indexing all of your items.” Click OK to confirm.

Note: It’s best to wait for indexing to finish before relying on search results, as incomplete indexing can cause missing or partial search results.

Step 3: Rebuild the Outlook Index to Fix Search Issues

If Outlook indexing never completes or remains stuck on “indexing pending,” rebuilding the index can often resolve the problem. There are two ways to rebuild the Outlook index:

a) Repair Microsoft Office to Rebuild Outlook Index

• Open Control Panel and go to Programs > Programs and Features.
• Find Outlook 2016 or Microsoft Office in the list, then click Change at the top.
• Select the Repair option and click Continue to start repairing the Office installation.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the repair process.

Repairing Office helps fix corrupted files that may be preventing proper indexing.

b) Manually Rebuild the Index Using Outlook Settings

• Open Outlook 2016, then go to File > Options > Search.
• Click the Indexing Options… button.
• In the window that opens, select Microsoft Outlook and click the Advanced button.
• Click Rebuild to start rebuilding the search index.
• Click OK to confirm and wait for the indexing to finish.

Tip: You can also open Indexing Options directly from the Control Panel for quicker access.

Once the indexing process completes, check if the Outlook search problem has been resolved.

Step 4: Fix Incomplete or Missing Email Results in Outlook Search

If your Outlook search is showing incomplete results or missing older emails, try the following solutions:

a) Increase Email Sync Duration to Index Older Emails

By increasing the sync period, Outlook will download and index older emails, making them searchable.

• Open Outlook and navigate to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
• Select your email account and click Change.
• Move the sync slider to All to sync all emails.
• Click Next, then OK when prompted.
• Click Finish and restart Outlook.

After restarting, Outlook will index all mail items, allowing you to search for older emails.

b) Adjust Search Settings to Show All Results

By default, Outlook limits search results to 250 items to speed up performance. You can change this setting to display all matching emails, though the search may take longer.

• Open Outlook and go to File > Options > Search.
• Uncheck the box labeled “Improve search speed by limiting the number of results shown.”
• Click OK and restart Outlook.

Tip: Enable “Include messages from Deleted Items folder” to expand your search results further.

Step 5: Resolve a Greyed-Out Search Bar in Outlook

If your Outlook search bar is greyed out and unusable, repairing your Office installation often fixes the issue.

• On Windows 10, open Settings > Apps.
• Locate and select Microsoft Office from the list.
• Click Modify, then choose the Repair option.
• Click Continue to begin the repair process.

Once the repair completes, restart Outlook and check if the search bar is active again.

Step 6: Repair Corrupt Outlook Data File (.PST) to Fix Search Issues

A damaged or corrupt Outlook data file (.PST) can cause significant problems, including failures in the search function. Fortunately, Outlook includes a built-in tool called Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST.EXE) to detect and fix issues within PST files.

How to Use SCANPST.EXE to Repair PST Files

• Open File Explorer and navigate to either: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\
• Locate and double-click SCANPST.EXE to launch the repair tool.
• Click Browse to select the corrupt PST file. The default location is: C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
• Tick Start to begin scanning the PST file for errors.

Note: SCANPST.EXE supports PST files up to 2 GB in size and does not work on encrypted PST files.

• If errors are found, hit Repair to fix them.
• Once repair is complete, click OK to close the tool.
• Restart MS Outlook and check if the search issue is solved.

Alternative: Use BitData Migration Outlook Converter for Advanced Repair

If the built-in tool is unable to fix your PST file or if you have oversized or encrypted PST files, you can use a professional utility like BitData Migration PST Converter. This software offers advanced repair features for severely corrupted PST files and allows you to export recovered mailbox data into multiple formats such as PDF, MSG, MBOX, HTML, MHT, RTF, DOC, CSV, ICS, vCard, BMP, GIF, TIFF, JPEG, Zimbra, Thunderbird, IMAP, Lotus Notes, Hosted Exchange Server, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Office 365, OLM, and more. Also, it smoothly works on all Windows and Macintosh Operating Systems.

Step 7: Disable Problematic Add-ins in Outlook

Outlook add-ins can boost productivity, but outdated or incompatible add-ins may cause issues like crashes, freezing, or search malfunctions. To disable add-ins:

• Open Outlook and go to File > Options > Add-ins.
• At the bottom, in the Manage dropdown, select COM Add-ins and click Go.
• Uncheck the boxes next to add-ins you want to disable and click OK.
• Restart MS Outlook and check if the search issue is solved.

Step 8: Monitor and Optimize System Resources

Insufficient system resources like low RAM or high CPU usage can cause Outlook to perform poorly, including search failures.

• Open Task Manager by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting Task Manager or pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del and choosing Task Manager.
• Check CPU and memory usage while Outlook is running.
• Close unnecessary applications to free up resources.
• Consider upgrading your RAM or system hardware if performance issues persist.

Step 9: Update Outlook and Windows for Better Performance

Running outdated software can lead to bugs affecting Outlook’s search function. Ensure both Microsoft Outlook and Windows are up to date:

To update Outlook:

• Open Outlook.
• Navigate to File > Office Account (or Account).
• Click Update Options > Update Now to install the latest updates.

To update Windows:

• Go to Settings > Windows Update.
• Click Check for updates.
• Download and install any available updates.
• Restart your system and verify if Outlook search is fixed.

Step 10: Ensure Windows Search Service Is Running

Outlook search depends on the Windows Search service. If it’s stopped, search will fail.

• Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
• Scroll to Windows Search and check the Status column.
• If it’s not running, right-click and select Start.
• Double-click Windows Search, set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start), and click OK.
• Restart your computer and Outlook.

Step 11: Fix Outlook Search by Editing Windows Registry

Editing the registry can fix indexing conflicts causing Outlook search issues. Proceed with caution.

• Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open Registry Editor.
• Navigate to: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search
• Right-click on Windows Search, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
• Name the new DWORD PreventIndexingOutlook.
• Double-click it and set the Value data to 0, then click OK.
• Restart your computer.

Final Thoughts: Resolve Outlook Search Problems with These Methods

Outlook search issues often stem from incomplete indexing or corrupt PST files. You can try the above troubleshooting steps to fix these problems. If a corrupt PST file is the cause, repairing it is crucial.

Use the Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST.EXE) for minor corruption, or for more advanced repair, try PST File Converter. This powerful tool supports encrypted and severely damaged PST files, offers preview before saving, and allows export to multiple formats. It is especially useful when SCANPST.EXE fails.

After repairing the PST file, Outlook search should return to normal, making it easier to find your emails and improve your productivity.