asked on Can't search in Outlook 2007
I recently had to re-format my HDD and I backed up Outlook completely. I have done this before so I have never had a problem....Until this time. When I search hundreds of emails for things, Outlook can't find anything! It says it is still indexing, however it has said this for days. I went to Control Panel and to indexing options and had it rebuild all indexes. It took a while but it completed the re-indexing. However, it did not solve the problem in Outlook. I still cannot search for anything, even simple stuff. It still says it is indexing. For instance, If I search for johndoe@yahoo.com and I know there are many of these emails, Outlook says there is none! Even though I am looking right at them! I hope you experts have answers for me because this is really causing me headaches!! Thanks.
OutlookWindows 7Windows OSEmail Clients
Last Comment
ArtG2521
First check that after the rebuild you installed the latest Service Pack for Office 2007
SP3:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=27838
Then check that you installed Windows Search
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=23
Then re-index.
Now depending on how big you HDD is and how much data you put back on it, it can take quite some time to complete the index.
If you are working on the machine while its indexing, this would extend the amount of time required for index
I have seen some PCs take up to 7 days to completly finish the indexing
SP3:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=27838
Then check that you installed Windows Search
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=23
Then re-index.
Now depending on how big you HDD is and how much data you put back on it, it can take quite some time to complete the index.
If you are working on the machine while its indexing, this would extend the amount of time required for index
I have seen some PCs take up to 7 days to completly finish the indexing
If the above doesnt help
Could also try the Windows Search repair tool
http://support.microsoft.com/mats/windows_search/en-us
Could also try the Windows Search repair tool
http://support.microsoft.com/mats/windows_search/en-us
ASKER
I will attempt these fixes and let you know.
I'm curious, are there any 3rd party programs that could do the job better at searching through Outlook?
I'm curious, are there any 3rd party programs that could do the job better at searching through Outlook?
If its a personal Computer there are a few 3rd party tools you could use to organize / search your Outlook Items
See
http://www.slipstick.com/addins/productivity-addins/outlook-search-tools-for-personal-use/
See
http://www.slipstick.com/addins/productivity-addins/outlook-search-tools-for-personal-use/
ASKER
I've tried all the fixes (except 3rd party program) and nothing works. I've rebuilt the index 3 times, doesn't work. I go to tools>instant search>indexing status and it says it is still indexing 49 items. That number sometimes never changes. I searched on a simple email address that I copied from an email in my inbox and it can't find it! This is really bizarre and is really causing me problems.
If I buy a third party program to solve this, I hope they are not dependent on some function within Outlook and will not work either (?). Any more ideas??
If I buy a third party program to solve this, I hope they are not dependent on some function within Outlook and will not work either (?). Any more ideas??
ASKER
PS - I left Outlook open for 1.5 hours and the index status went from 49 items remaining to 51????
ASKER
On 3/21 Outlook said it had 278 items left, but now today it says 49 again. This is crazy. I have installed Lookeen. It's pretty good except it will not index my inbox or sent box. I emailed them on this but no reply yet.
ASKER
I uninstalled Looken and installed Xobni. So far, the results are better, but strange. I do a search on an email address and it finds the least 2 recent emails sent to me by this contact, but then skips over 5 more that it never finds and then shows some of the older ones. I still suspect that even Xobni is having trouble with my in box and sent box. It is possible that Xobni is not done indexing, however, I cannot see how to check this.
How big is your mailbox? Are we talking hundreds of folders each with hundreds/thousands of items or are we talking just a few folders and items?
ASKER
About 25 sub-folders under my In box with maybe a couple hundred emails.
A couple of hundred in each folder or a couple of hundred total? I'm just trying to get a feel for what's being indexed/searched.
ASKER
Like 500 or so total.
Is your mail stored on an Exchange server or in a PST file?
ASKER
PST file.
Now that Xobni is done indexing, it is as I described before. It will not index or display results from my inbox or sent box, but it works fine from every other folder in Outlook. If I move mail from my inbox or sent box to ANY other folder, Xobni picks it up with no problem.
Outlook search will not display from ANY box or folders.
Now that Xobni is done indexing, it is as I described before. It will not index or display results from my inbox or sent box, but it works fine from every other folder in Outlook. If I move mail from my inbox or sent box to ANY other folder, Xobni picks it up with no problem.
Outlook search will not display from ANY box or folders.
I have to wonder if your PST file is damaged or your Outlook profile corrupt. How about creating a new email profile as a test?
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ASKER
Please read my comments above as a tech support person at Lookeen came up with the answer which will help a lot of people that are experiencing the problem I had.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/instant-search-is-not-finding-items-HA010198085.aspx