Outlook indexing does not seem to complete
Running Outlook 2007 on a Windows 7 platform, Outlook does not appear to be completing the process of indexing. Yesterday I needed to restore my hard drive from a saved image. Before the restore, I saved my outlook.pst file on a separate drive. After the restore, when I tried to import messages, there was an error that the pst file was damaged and needed to be repaired using the Inbox Repair Tool. I did the repair, and afterwards, there were messages in various folders which had been deleted several months ago. More importantly, I could not find certain messages in my archive folders by searching, and there was a report that indexing was still in process (137,043 items across all open mailboxes). This has persisted for most of the day, without noticeable progress. Please advise what is wrong and how to remedy it if possible.
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That's an entirely different question that could involve a multitude of troubleshooting steps and as the title of this question is only about Outlook Indexing, this is not the best place to be asking that question.
If an answer is discovered to the Junk Mail issue, no-one would ever find it because they would need to search for Outlook Indexing!
If an answer is discovered to the Junk Mail issue, no-one would ever find it because they would need to search for Outlook Indexing!
ASKER
Understood, and I'll post the question separately. I will post on this question again, or accept the answer, after giving the system some idle time for indexing and/or using the Control Panel Rebuild Index option. Thanks.
No problems - best to make sure the suggestion works before accepting an answer (in case it doesn't and you need more help).
Thanks for understanding about the Junk Mail issue.
Alan
Thanks for understanding about the Junk Mail issue.
Alan
PST curroption could cause this problem
users must be member of users or admin group.
users must be member of users or admin group.
ASKER
alanhardisty: after a couple of nights with no activity, the indexing is progressing, but it seems to be taking a long time. Around 30,000 messages were indexed, with another 60,000 or so to go.
ASKER
24-hours later, and still 60,000 messages have not been indexed. Indexing is "still in progress." I am going to restart the process in Control Panel as you suggested.
ASKER
In Control Panel under Indexing/Outlook/Advanced,
Restart should sort it out for you. Fingers crossed in a while it is making good progress and you can start to search again.
ASKER
After a minute, Windows reported "indexing complete." I'm attaching screenshots showing the contradiction. 
If you check back in the Control Panel again - has it updated at all?
ASKER
Yes. But as I watched, the number of indexed files went up, and then down, and then up again, staying within a range of 490-500 over a period of ten minutes.
Okay - give it 24 hours to sort itself out and then see how it is. Leave it on overnight if possible without using it and it should get busy indexing.
ASKER
The computer was on and idle all night. This morning, Outlook reports there are 77,000 messages still to be indexed. Control Panel reports 1305 files have been indexed and indexing is complete.
Ouch! Do you have a busy mailbox?
Do any searches in Outlook return a result that is useful?
Do any searches in Outlook return a result that is useful?
ASKER
I archive all deleted messages and keep them indefinitely. Even so, indexing was always effective before I performed the disk restore operation. Now, indexing returns results but they are incomplete. I may not be able to find a message which I know exists.
Okay - so it sounds like it is making progress. Give it another 24 hours and see how it is then if you would please.
ASKER
Only a few more files were indexed, so I closed the larger of two archive pst data files (it is 4 GB) and am waiting another 24 hours to see how well the remaining folders will be indexed.
Sounds like you have plenty for Outlook to get it's teeth into but it does seem to making good progress, which is good news.
ASKER
I think the restart has worked. More messages were indexed last night, so I re-opened the largest archive pst and searched for "the". As I watched, more and more messages were reported with "the" highlighted. So I'm satisfied the indexing is working now. Thanks for your help and prompt feedback.
ASKER