Download Now When using Outlook, there are times when you want to find some old mail from your folders, whether it is the Inbox or Sent folder. However, if the search doesn’t yield the results you’re expecting, it could be that your Outlook data file isn’t checked for indexing, so you need to check that the search index works correctly.

Why is Outlook search not showing recent emails?

One of the most common reasons Outlook is not searching all emails is the indexing function in Windows operating system. This is a common issue across all Outlook versions as each version uses a similar base to function, called the Outlook Search Index. The solutions presented above should also apply in these scenarios:

Outlook not searching recent emails – Setting the correct search scope might do the trick here. Outlook search not finding recent emails – Make sure to check if the indexing operation is complete as instructed. Then try any of the other options available.

This and other issues can be resolved through a few solutions as outlined below. For those of you that often rely on the search feature in Outlook, we suggest you take a look at what Mailbird has to offer. It may provide a better overall experience as it has very low error rates. Plus, Mailbird’s search function is extremely reliable and modern, with a built-in OCR function that helps you identify any image file via a keyword. Not only will you be able to search various keywords throughout your inbox, but Mailbird also lets you use and combine specific queries such as contact names, number of words, or specific dates or date intervals.

How do I fix Outlook search not showing recent emails?

1. Repair the PST file

You should know that you will need to run the Inbox Repair Tool several times to fully repair your personal folder (.PST) file. Also, the Inbox Repair Tool cannot repair every problem that is detected. In some cases, it will not be able to recover the files if they were permanently deleted or damaged beyond repair. At the same time, if you need to recover all your email on the Outlook platform really easily, you have to choose the best Outlook email recovery software and save your work. Sometimes Outlook’s search issue is related to file corruption, especially the .PST file which is the program’s database file. However, we have an excellent guide on how to repair corrupted files on Windows 10 that may help you with that really fast! If the scanpst.exe could perform the operation, it’s time to take out the big guns. SPONSORED Stellar Repair for Outlook will effectively solve .pst file corruption or damage. With a repaired .pst file you will not only have access to all the emails and contacts that may have been lost, but the indexing process will be complete successfully. This means that future email searches will return the correct results. Basically, Outlook search will work once again as it should.

2. Perform an SFC scan

3. Run Outlook in Safe Mode

If Outlook not search emails doesn’t happen in Safe Mode, then the issue isn’t with your basic drivers, but if it does, then check your drivers and/or update or reinstall them.

4. Perform a System Restore

Hopefully, the system will restore to the point in time before the Outlook problem started manifesting, and now it works fine again.

5. Rebuild the Index

Rebuilding the index of Outlook should also repair the Search function and after this process, the app should work smoothly again.

6. Repair or reset Microsoft Office

7. Check the search scope in Outlook

By default, Outlook is set up to look in its current folder but by performing the steps above, you will make it look into all your mailboxes when searching for an email.

8. Check if the indexing is complete

If the indexing isn’t complete, check the remaining items and wait for about five minutes and check again. Assuming they don’t reduce, try the next solution.

9. Configure indexing options

Make sure the Filter Description column shows Office Outlook MSG IFilter. If not, either the Windows Search service is not working correctly, or Outlook could not install the filters correctly. Check with Microsoft support for this issue.

10. Rebuild the search catalog

If indexing finishes without including Outlook data files or doesn’t finish, contact Microsoft support for help. With this solution, we also conclude our guide on what to do if Outlook is not searching all emails and we hope that our tips helped you fix this annoying problem. Another recommendation would be to delete the old emails that you don’t need from time to time. Sometimes, just that alone can make Outlook run faster and better and prevent any such problems and more. In the unlikely case that none of these fixes helped, you should consider our selection including the best Windows 10/11 email clients, and choose a better one. Did any of these solutions help resolve Outlook not searching all emails? Let us know in the comments section below.

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