How can I fix Outlook Business Card Contact Search not working in Outlook 365 for Windows?

Question

Symptoms

In Classic Outlook for Windows (Microsoft 365 install), searching contacts in Business Card view fails:

• Typing any search term in the Search bar (Current Folder) triggers an endless “Searching…” loop
• No results appear, even when the contact definitely exists
• Issue persists for months and survives restarts, updates, and profile repairs
• No relevant solutions found online or via Copilot

Two temporary workarounds exist but are inefficient:

• Using the new Outlook for Windows (search works, but contact cards are inferior)
• Using the Search People field in Classic Outlook (works, but UI is modernized and less useful)

Answer 1

The described behavior (endless “Searching…” in Business Card view for contacts in Classic Outlook for Windows) is not directly documented in the provided context. However, the context does include supported steps for fixing Outlook search/indexing issues in Classic Outlook, which apply to contact search as well. Use the following supported actions in order:

1. Verify Outlook data is included in Windows Search indexing
   1. Exit Classic Outlook.
   2. Open Control Panel → Indexing Options.
   3. In Indexing Options, confirm Microsoft Outlook appears under Included Locations.
   4. If Microsoft Outlook is missing, select Modify, enable the checkbox for Microsoft Outlook, then select OK → Close.
2. Confirm MSG file type indexing settings
   1. Exit Classic Outlook.
   2. Open Control Panel → Indexing Options.
   3. Select Advanced.
   4. Go to the File Types tab.
   5. Scroll to msg in the Extension column and select it.
   6. Ensure Index Properties and File Contents is selected.
   7. Confirm the Filter Description shows Office Outlook MSG IFilter.
      • If it does not, the Windows Search service or Outlook filters are not installed correctly; in this case, contact Microsoft Support as indicated in the documentation.
   8. Select OK → Close.
3. Rebuild the search catalog for Classic Outlook
   1. Exit Classic Outlook.
   2. Open Control Panel → Indexing Options.
   3. Select Advanced.
   4. In Advanced Options, select Rebuild.
   5. Select OK → Close and allow time for the index to rebuild fully before retesting contact search in Business Card view.
4. Repair Office installation If indexing and filters are correctly configured but the issue persists, repair Office to ensure all Outlook components and search integrations are intact.
   1. Open Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program.
   2. Select the Microsoft 365/Office product.
   3. Select Change.
   4. For Click-to-Run installations, choose Online Repair (recommended to fix all components) and then Repair.
      • Quick Repair is faster but only detects and replaces corrupted files.
   5. For MSI-based installations, choose Repair → Continue and follow the prompts.
   6. After repair completes, restart Windows and test contact search again.

If, after these supported steps, Business Card contact search in Classic Outlook still shows endless “Searching…”, the context indicates that contacting Microsoft Support for assistance with Windows Search/Outlook filters is the next step.

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References:

• Troubleshooting Outlook search issues