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Search and Indexing not working in Outlook 365

Anonymous
2023-03-14T10:58:58+00:00

I have recently had to reset my Windows 11 laptop (V 22H2).

I have linked Outlook 365 to my Gmail account and Windows settings shows that search indexing (Enhanced) is now complete (number of pending items is 0).

However, when I search for a single word term that I know exists in multiple emails in one of my Gmail folders, there are no search results provided.

Microsoft Outlook is included search Indexing Options although <user>/AppData is excluded - and that is where my OST file is saved. Do these settings conflict?

Can anyone help please with my search and indexing settings?

Thanks

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-03-14T11:53:53+00:00

    Hi Dave

    I'm AnnaThomas and I'd be happy to help you with your question. In this Forum, we are Microsoft consumers just like yourself.

    Sorry for the trouble this might have caused. Please try the following steps

    Verify Outlook Search Indexing Options:

    Open Outlook 365 and click on File > Options > Search. Click on the "Indexing Options" button and check if the location of your OST file is included in the indexed locations. If not, click on "Modify" and add the location of your OST file to the indexed locations. Restart Outlook and check if the search is working.

    Rebuild Outlook Search Index:

    Open Outlook 365 and click on File > Options > Search. Click on the "Indexing Options" button and then click on "Advanced". In the "Advanced Options" window, click on "Rebuild" button. Wait for the indexing process to complete (it may take some time if you have a lot of emails). Restart Outlook and check if the search is working.

    Repair Office installation:

    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features. Find "Microsoft 365" (or "Office 365") in the list and select it. Click on "Change" button and select "Online Repair". Follow the prompts to repair Office installation. Restart Outlook and check if the search is working.

    If none of these steps solve the issue, you can also try creating a new Outlook profile and see if that resolves the issue.

    I hope this helps ;-), let me know if this is contrary to what you need, I would still be helpful to answer more of your questions.

    Best Regards,

    AnnaThomas

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  1. Stefan Blom 339.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2023-12-12T19:11:17+00:00

    The reason this is not helpful is that there is no "File" option in my MS Office 365 application on my Mac

    You should start a separate thread for your question regarding Word for Mac. This thread is about Word for Windows.

    Use the Ask a new question link at the top of the forums page.

    5 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2023-12-12T18:42:12+00:00

    The reason this is not helpful is that there is no "File" option in my MS Office 365 application on my Mac

    4 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2023-03-14T12:33:20+00:00

    Alright Dave, keep us posted

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-03-14T12:24:00+00:00

    Thanks AnnaThomas - I will try a rebuild.

    I expect it will take some time (many hours). I will provide feedback then.

    dave

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