Since Microsoft has already addressed this issue, you might see this behavior if you are missing one or more Windows infrastructure updates. However, another potential cause for this issue could be that you have too many applications running on your computer. Try closing the unused apps and also restarting Windows Search to clear all the cache files that are affecting it. This could also happen on your system if a registry entry is not allowing the indexing process to work properly. You can fix this by enabling the correct registry entry. Besides the scenarios covered above, the indexing issue could also be caused by system file corruption. Here is a list of confirmed methods that should help you fix the issue.
Run the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter.
This issue could be caused by a generic system error that affects the indexing. This can have many different triggers, but fortunately, there is a fix that can be applied in most scenarios. If you haven’t done so already, try running the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter to identify the problem and fix it automatically. To do this, you need to access the Windows Settings and search for the troubleshooter’s section. Then, run the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter to see if it can identify the problem by leveraging any of the included automated repair strategies. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Install pending Windows updates.
This issue could also appear if you’re missing a key Windows infrastructure update. To ensure this is not the case, make sure your Windows is up-to-date – this issue was addressed with a series of hotfixes that Microsoft has pushed on every update channel (both public and insider channels). All you need to do is go to the Windows Updates screen and check if there are any available updates. If there are, install all of them.
Restart the Windows Search Service.
Another cause for this issue could be that an associated dependency (Windows Search) is encountering problems. The Windows Search process is the primary method for indexing files on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, so having it correctly configured is mandatory for the indexing process to work. In this case, all you need to do is restart the Windows Search process. This can be done from the Task Manager. Go to the Details section and end the SearchHost process. Here are the steps you need to follow to do this:
Remove Outlook from the indexing service.
The Outlook database files may be unable to work properly with the indexing service due to an interlock between them. In this case, you can try removing Outlook from the indexing service in order to use it properly. To do this, you need to access the Indexing Options and remove the location for Outlook. Note: The only issue with this method is that the search function in Outlook will operate somewhat more slowly after implementing this fix. Therefore, if you need optimal performance, you do not need to follow this procedure. Follow these steps to learn how to remove Outlook from the index service:
Close all the apps in use.
The Outlook 365 indexing problem could also be caused if your computer is unable to allocate enough resources to the indexing service. Your PC might be working slowly because there are too many apps running simultaneously, which can result in the indexing pausing or working very slowly. You can try to let your computer focus on the indexing process by closing all the other apps that are turned on and that you aren’t using. The easiest way to do this is via the Task Manager. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Enable the PreventIndexingOutlook registry entry.
Another cause for your indexing problem could be that the Windows Desktop Search is not working properly, or it’s being misconfigured by a registry key. You can fix this by forcing your computer to turn off the Windows Desktop Search via the Registry Editor; this way, you will make Outlook use its built-in search option. This can be done by creating a registry entry in the Registry Editor. You can always turn it off if it is not helping you. Here is a guide that will show you how to create the registry entry that you need:
7. Repair, install, or clean install your Windows.
If you’ve come this far without a viable fix, this Outlook issue could also be caused by some corrupted files that are affecting your computer. In this case, you can resolve these problems by refreshing all the files that your system possesses. Here are two different ways to do this:
Clean install – This procedure will reinstall your Windows, replacing every corrupted file with a healthy equivalent. The system problems should disappear, but remember that you will also lose all your personal files currently stored on your computer.Repair Install – If you don’t want to lose all the personal data stored on your computer, you should opt for a repair install. This procedure will fix all the corrupted files in your system while also preserving the data you don’t want to lose.
