Published 2024-03-15 by TechNet New England
Outlook search depends on the Windows Search Index. When the index is corrupt or incomplete, search fails. ## Fix 1: Rebuild the Search Index 1. Go to **Settings > Privacy and security > Searching Windows**. 2. Click **Advanced indexing options**. 3. Click **Advanced**. 4. Click **Rebuild** under Troubleshooting. 5. Click **OK**. Rebuilding can take several hours. ## Fix 2: Repair Outlook 1. Go to **Settings > Apps > Installed apps**. 2. Find Microsoft Office/365. 3. Click the three dots > **Modify > Quick Repair**. 4. If Quick Repair does not fix it, try **Online Repair**. ## Fix 3: New Outlook Profile If search works in Outlook web (outlook.office.com) but not the desktop app, create a new Outlook profile. Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles > Add. The new profile rebuilds the local data store. ## Fix 4: Re-add Outlook to the Index 1. Go to **Settings > Privacy and security > Searching Windows > Advanced indexing options**. 2. Click **Modify**. 3. Make sure **Microsoft Outlook** is checked. 4. Click **OK**. ## When to Contact IT If search still does not work after rebuilding the index and repairing Office, the issue may be related to Group Policy, cached Exchange mode settings, or mailbox size. Your IT provider can investigate.