Get Rid of Outlook PST Indexing Issue – Know the Solution

  author
Written By Deepmala
Chirag Arora
Approved By Chirag Arora  
Published On October 6th, 2023
Reading Time 5 Minutes Reading

Summary: Find out the methods to resolve the Outlook PST indexing issue as given here. Also, learn how the instant search works in Outlook and the causes for it not working. Get started quickly.

The expeditious growth of storage capabilities in the business arena has questioned the ability for quick searching an information and so it is with Microsoft Outlook, the most preferred emailing client in business enterprises.

It is expected to locate a message, contact name, or even an appointment quickly among the large accumulation of data stored on the hard drive. The instant search capabilities of Outlook are pretty awesome.

However, it has been noticed by users that sometimes Outlook instant search not working error is shown. This error leads to not finding items in Outlook and the Outlook search returns nothing as results.

In some cases, it responds by displaying data before a certain date or show items left to index.

In such cases, what usually users do is that they leave it for getting indexed overnight. However, to their dismay nothing seems to change the problem.

Here, the users look for solutions that will help them to index all their messages present in Outlook completely.

What Are the Causes for Outlook PST Indexing Issue?

  • Outlook data files are not indexed completely
  • Presence of large sized attachments in Outlook data file
  • Installation of add-ins in Outlook is not done properly
  • Outlook data file corruption issues due to several reasons

Knowing the possible causes for this error to be caused, we can proceed further to resolve the issues.

Fixing up Outlook Indexing Problem

To troubleshoot the instant search issues, we have to check whether the given Outlook data file has been marked for index or not. This can be done by executing the following steps to fix Outlook instant search not working issue:

Note: In case your Outlook data file corruption is the issue, this method will not work Go to the expert technique for that.

For Outlook 2010: Select the following settings

File>> Options >> Section Search >> Button Modify >> Expand Microsoft Outlook

expand-ms-outlook

Make sure that the Outlook accessible file is selected. If it is not listed, then the user has to create the Outlook profile again.

For Outlook 2013: Select the settings mentioned below

File>> Options >> Section Search >> Button Indexing Options…. >> Button Modify

button-modify

To resolve Outlook PST indexing issue, ensure that Outlook is selected over here. In case of Outlook 2013, a user cannot mention the data files that need to be indexed.

Note: If the problem related to indexing is caused due to the reasons other than the corruption of Outlook supported file format, then the above mentioned solution is applicable.

If the corruption lies in the Outlook data file, you should skip to the upcoming segment which shows the perfect way to repair the damaged files.

Let’s find out how!

Outlook Instant Search Not Working Error Solved by Experts

As the professionals suggest, the PST Repair Tool is by far the most useful and the best solution to remove corruption from an Outlook data file.

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This tool is capable of recovering minor as well as major corruption from the Outlook data files without losing the properties of the files.

As per your requirement, the tool can fix single or multiple damaged files in a single go altogether. Even the password protected files can also be recovered without any hindrances in a quick time-span.

Steps to Fix Outlook PST Indexing Issue

1. Run the tool and click on the Add File option to insert the corrupted files.

2. Select the Scan Mode as per corruption level and hit the Export button.

3. Choose the file format and apply the Advance Settings for selective data transfer.
4. Pick a destination path for the end result and hit Export to complete the process.

The Quick Scan Mode is for minor corruption issue and the Advance Scan Mode is to remove high level of corruption for resolving Outlook instant search not working error.

Now, understand how this instant search feature of Outlook works.

How Does the Instant Search in Outlook Work?

The main entity that is responsible for Outlook searching abilities is that it works comprehensively with Windows Search.

In order to meet the requirements of significant search, indexing capabilities were provided with Windows Vista.

These capabilities were further improved with Windows 7, the main motive behind it was to create a better search experience for users.

All the emails saved on the computer are indexed to enable faster searching of items.

Nevertheless, Outlook PST Indexing issue, as we know, is sometimes faced by the users.

Concluding Words

If the PST file has been marked for indexing, but still the instant search is not showing up results, then it indicates that there is corruption within the Outlook data file. For fixing up corruption related issues, one can use the Scanpst.exe tool that repairs the header of the corrupted file.

Or you can use the software as explained above. If the corruption issue doesn’t lie within the Outlook supported file format, then the given manual method works well to fix Outlook PST indexing issue.