Home » Outlook » 7 Ways to Fix Outlook Search Not Showing Recent Emails

 

Outlook is an excellent email client that’s particularly useful for businesses and corporate entities. However, you cannot prevent it from developing issues at certain points in time. Many people regularly complain of Outlook search not showing recent emails. This inability to look for newer emails in the application makes it difficult for people to check and respond to crucial communication. This issue is mainly a result of the search index working incorrectly. 

Don’t feel that only your application is throwing up this issue. You would be surprised to find that the problem is rampant across all versions of Outlook. It is because each version utilizes the Outlook Search Index. In this article, you will find comprehensive solutions to apply when Outlook fails to search recent emails or does not finds them for you.

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Why Is Microsoft Outlook Search Not Showing Recent Emails

Incomplete indexing in Windows OS is a major cause of you not being able to find recent emails. If the indexing operation is incomplete, you’ll face issues uncovering recent emails. There might be corrupted files in your system that may cause this problem. 

You might also need to uninstall the KB5008212 update or install the KB5009543 update as per your Windows edition in order to get rid of this issue. Sometimes, you might also need to force the Outlook application to use its in-built search. If it doesn’t do that, you will not be able to find the recent emails.

Related Post:- Why Outlook Inbox Not Updating

Measures to Take When Recent Emails Not Showing in Outlook Search

Hopefully, by now, you must be aware of where the problem stems from. Here are some effective workarounds to employ. 

 

1. Repair the Outlook PST File

If you face this problem, corrupt files in the system need to be repaired. You can repair the Outlook PST file as follows. 

• Click the Windows key + E on your keyboard to launch File Explorer. 
• Next, tap ‘This PC.’ 
• In the address bar, input ‘scanpst.exe.’
• Now, hit Enter. Alternatively, you can tap the blue arrow to find the scanpst.exe file. 
• Now, double-tap on this file to run it. 
• The next step is to input the PST file name. 
• If you are unsure of the name, tap the ‘Browse’ button to find it. Generally, it is there in the ‘Users’ folder. 
• After finding the file, tap ‘Start’ to allow the app to begin restoring your data. 
• Note that you may be required to run the inbox repair tool many times to get the .pst file repaired fully. 

 

2. Modify the Sort Order for Emails

You can also modify the sorting order of your Outlook messages when you find Outlook email search not showing recent emails. Follow these steps carefully. 

• Head over to Outlook.live.com via your web browser. 
• Tap the gear icon and choose ‘Options.’
• You may view Outlook.com on the left part of the screen. 
• Go to ‘Reading Email.’ 
• Below it, tap ‘Group by conversation and Pre-load messages.’
• Below Conversation Settings, choose ‘Show messages individually.’
• Alternatively, instead of Outloo.com, you may view Outlook Mail. Expand the ‘Mail’ option and choose ‘Layout.’
• Now, tap ‘Conversations.’
• Below ‘Show items in this order,’ choose ‘Newest messages on top.’

 

3. Uninstall the KB5008212 Update

Removing the KB5008212 update can also be an effective resolution when you find Outlook not searching recent emails. You can remove the update by heading to the ‘Update and Security option.

• Find the ‘Update and Security option in settings.
• Now, press ‘View Update History.’
• Hit ‘Uninstall Updates.’
• Choose ‘KB500812’ then hit ‘Uninstall.’
• Restart your computer now.

 

4. Install the KB5009543 Update 

To fix this issue, you might need to install this update according to your Windows version. You can discover your Windows edition by typing ‘winver’ in the search bar and hitting ‘Enter.’ Go to this link, download, and install this update. 

 

5. Rebuild Index 

Indexing issues are a major cause of Outlook search not finding recent emails. You can rebuild the index by going to ‘File’ in Outlook.

• After going to ‘File,’ choose ‘Options.’
• Now, hit ‘Search’ and pick ‘Indexing Options.’
• Tap ‘Advanced’ in the window that appears.
• Now, head to ‘Troubleshooting’ and press the ‘Rebuild’ button.
• The indexing process will begin. Let the process come to an end. It will repair the search functionality.

 

6. Find If Outlook has Completed Indexing the Items

Incomplete indexing will not allow you to view recent emails. Open Outlook and follow these steps to inspect if Outlook has completed indexing the items.

• Choose ‘Search’ followed by ‘Search Tools.’
• Now, select ‘Indexing Status.’
• In the dialog box, check if it displays ‘Outlook has finished indexing all your items.’
• If the indexing is not finished, look at the rest of the items and check again after a couple of minutes. If they don’t reduce, you need to set indexing options.
• Input ‘Indexing Options’ in the search and tap on its app.
• Choose ‘Advanced.’
• Now, opt for ‘File Types’ at the top.
• Locate ‘msg’ in the ‘Extension’ column. 
• Choose it to enable the option ‘Index Properties and File Contents.’
• The ‘Filter Description’ column should show ‘Office Outlook MSG IFilter.’

 

7. Force Outlook to Utilize the Inbuilt Search

If you still find Outlook search not showing recent emails, you can try disabling the desktop search service of Windows for Outlook. Follow these pointers.

• Open the ‘Run’ dialog box.
• Now, input ‘regedit’ and hit ‘Enter.’
• Head to this key in your Registry Editor ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.’
• Right-tap on the Windows key and opt for ‘New’ followed by ‘Key.’
• Give a name to the new key. It can be Windows Search.
• Now, right-tap it and choose ‘New’ followed by ‘DWORD (32-BIT) Value.’
• Give the name ‘PreventIndexingOutlook’ to the new value.
• Double-tap this value and set its value data to 1.
• Hit ‘OK.’
• Exit the Registry Editor and restart the Outlook program.

 

Final Words

You might feel clueless on noticing Outlook search not showing recent emails. But these measures will help you sail through the problem with ease. You can then respond to important communication. If you face any issues using these workarounds, get help from Outlook support service experts.