[Fixed] Outlook Search Not Working On Windows 10

MS Outlook search is not working is one of the most common errors of Outlook, which generally prompts before Outlook users while working on the Outlook. Once you get this problem, you will fail to work properly and the situation will become extremely frustrating.

Whenever you enter any text in the search box, you may find that the Outlook search fails to work and display an error message “Something went wrong and your search couldn’t be completed”.

Generally, this problem appears, if the indexing of the data file is damaged or corrupted. Apart from that. the faulty Outlook indexing service or Windows’ own indexing service can also be responsible for this problem. So, fix this problem as soon as possible to use your Outlook seamlessly.

Solutions to Overcome Outlook Search Not Working Issue on Windows 10:

Here, we are going to discuss some of the most effective solutions that will help you to fix the issue of Outlook search not working. One of the following solutions will help you to overcome this problem. Therefore, perform and implement them accordingly as instructed below. 

Solution 1 – Uninstall the Outlook and Reinstall It

The Outlook search not working issue can be caused due to corrupted Outlook application. So, you need to uninstall it and then reinstall it. Follow these steps hereunder:

1. Press the Start button and click on the Control Panel.
2. From the Control Panel window, double-click on the Programs & Features section.
3. On the Programs & Features section, scroll down the page and find the Outlook, select it. After that, click on the Uninstall option.
4. Once the uninstallation process is done, reboot your computer and then reinstall it. 
5. To reinstall it, go to the official website of Microsoft and look for the latest version of the Outlook.
6. After finding it, download it and then install it properly. 
7. Once the installation process is done, restart your computer and then check if the issue is solved or not. 

Solution 2 – Repair the Outlook 

One of the most reliable solutions that we have provided to fix this problem is to repair the Outlook. To do that, follow these directions mentioned below:

1. Press Win + X buttons together to launch the WinX menu list and select the Control Panel.
2. Go to the Programs & Features section and locate the Outlook 2016 or Microsoft Office, select it. 
3. After that, click on the Change option from the top menu. Select the Quick Repair option. Now the repair process has started. 
4. After completing the repair process, restart your PC and then try to search for anything on Outlook to check if the problem still occurs or not. 

Solution 3 – Rebuild Search Index

Another effective solution by which you can solve the Outlook 2016 search not working issue is to rebuild the search index. Perform the following steps cited below:

1. Open the Outlook.
2. From the Outlook window, click on the File option from the top menu.
3. When you are in the File window, go to the Options and select the Search tab on the left panel.
4. Click on the Indexing Options option and then select the Advanced button.
5. Click on the Rebuild option and then click on the OK option to begin the rebuild. 

Solution 4 – Update the Microsoft Office

An outdated version of the Microsoft Office can easily be the cause of this problem. Therefore, you should be able to fix this issue by updating the Microsoft Office. You can do this by going through the directions below:

1.  Visit the official website of Microsoft.
2. Search for the latest version of the Microsoft Office.
3. Once you find it, download it by clicking on the Download button.
4. After completing the download file, install it properly. 
5. Once the process is finished, reboot the Windows 10 system and then check if the issue has been fixed or not. 

Solution 5 – Check if the Mailbox is Indexed Correctly

According to the users, the incorrect index of the mailbox can result in the search not working issue in Outlook. So, you need to check if the mailbox is indexed correctly or not. Here are some steps that you can follow:

1. Launch the Outlook and select the File.
2. In the File window, navigate to the Options and choose the Search on the left panel.
3. On the right window, click on the Indexing options…
4. Click on the Modify option and open the Indexed Local window.
5. From that window, tick on the index MS Outlook from the Change selected locations section and then click on the OK option. 

Solution 6 – Using the Registry

Using the registry, you will be able to solve this problem on your computer. To know more about it, follow these steps hereunder:

1. Press Win + R buttons at the same time to open the Run box.
2. Type Regedit and then hit the Enter button or click on the OK option.  
3. From the Registry Editor window, go to the following paths HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
4. On the right window, right-click on the Windows Search and select the New Dword (32-bit). 
5. Double-click on it and then set the Value Data is to 0. 
6. After performing these steps, click on the OK button and then reboot the device. 

Solution 7 – Make Sure the Windows Search Service is Started

If the Windows Search service has stopped working, then you can come across the Outlook search not working problem on your computer. So, you need to ensure that the service is started by following these steps cited below:

1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select the Command Prompt(Admin).
2. On the Command Prompt window, type sc config wsearch start= auto“ and then hit the Enter button.
3. After executing this command, you can see that the SUCCESS message will display. 
4. After that, again type net start wsearch in the Command Prompt window and then press the Enter button.
5. Once it is executed, the Windows Search service will be started. 

Solution 8 – Close the Program from the Task Manager

If the Outlook search does not work properly, then you can close the program from the Task Manager. Let’s take a look into some steps that you can follow:

1. Press CTRL +SHIFT + ESC buttons together to launch the Task Manager window.
2. From the Task Manager window, select the Outlook on the Applications tab and then click on the End Task option.
3. Then, go to the Processes tab, locate the OUTLOOK.EXE, select it and then click on the End Task option. 
4. After doing this, open the Outlook and then check if the Search feature works correctly or not. 

Solution 9 – Allow Access to Windows Search

If the problem still persists, after performing the above-mentioned solutions, then you need to try this solution to get rid of this issue from your device. Here’s how to do that:

1. Launch the Run box.
2. Type services.msc and then click on the OK option or hit the Enter button.
3. On the Services tab, look for the Windows Search, right-click on it.
4. Select the Properties option.
5. From the Properties window, go to the Login tab and mark on the box next to the Allow service to interact with desktop option. 
6. Once you are done, click on the Apply button followed by the OK option. 

These are the complete steps following which you can get rid of the Outlook search not working issue.