Share via

Unable to Search Items in PST File (New Outlook)

Sengupta, Abhra Abir (CW) 0 Reputation points
2026-04-06T06:37:24.6533333+00:00

when searching for items in pst. new outlook does not work at all. what is the solution pls?

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For business
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Henry-N 13,890 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-06T08:40:41.7366667+00:00

    Hi @Sengupta, Abhra Abir (CW), 

    Regarding the issue where search does not work for items stored in a PST file in New Outlook, I’d like to clarify a current limitation. 

    May I confirm whether you are trying to search for emails that were imported into Outlook via a PST file, but no results appear in the search bar?  If so, this behavior is expected at the moment. 

    Search functionality for PST files in New Outlook is currently unavailable because some PST related features are still being developed. As a result, searching within emails stored in PST files may not return results at this time. This behavior is related to the current implementation status rather than an issue with your settings or environment. 

    You may refer to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap : Microsoft 365 Roadmap | Microsoft 365 

    Because this is a product level limitation, the best way to ensure the Outlook product team is aware of your need is to submit feedback directly through the official Microsoft Feedback Portal. This is where the Outlook engineering team actively reviews customer suggestions, and many features have been implemented based on community feedback.  

    How to submit your suggestion  

    1. Visit the Microsoft Feedback Portal  
    2. Navigate to: Outlook · Community  
    3. Select Send feedback  User's image
    4. Provide a clear description, for example:   “Please add full search support for PST files in New Outlook.” 

    If you post your idea, feel free to share the link here. I’d be happy to upvote it, and I’m sure other users with the same need will appreciate the visibility.  

    As moderators, we don’t have the ability to change Outlook’s product roadmap, but we are happy to help clarify what is currently available and guide you to the correct place for suggestions.  

    Thank you again for raising this. While I know it may not be the immediate solution you were hoping for, I hope this helps clarify the current state and the best path forward.  

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".            

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread  

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-04-06T06:37:33.28+00:00

    Searching PST content is not supported in the new Outlook for Windows. PST files are only supported in classic Outlook for Windows, and even there they are not searched unless included in the search scope.

    To search items in a PST file, use classic Outlook instead of new Outlook:

    1. Make sure classic Outlook is installed (not the new Outlook app).
    2. Open classic Outlook.
    3. Add/open the PST file:
      • Select File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.
      • Browse to and open the .pst file.
    4. Adjust the search scope so the PST is included:
      • Click in the Search box.
      • On the ribbon, change the scope to All Mailboxes (or select the PST’s folder tree) so Outlook searches the PST as well.

    If using the ARM version of new Outlook, PST files are not supported at all; classic Outlook must be used to open and search PST data.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.