What to do if Microsoft Outlook Search is Grayed Out or Not Working in Windows 10

Are you one of those users who are currently experiencing some issues with Microsoft Outlook Search such as a grayed out Outlook Search or it’s totally not working at all? If you are, then you’ve come to the right place for this article will tackle this particular problem as well as show you ways to fix it.
There are certain cases where you’ll find your Microsoft Outlook Search grayed out or not working or even disabled. And you’ll get error messages like: “Something went wrong and your search couldn’t be completed, or Search results may be incomplete because items are still being indexed.”

This problem has been a pain in the head for many users along with those in the business field recently. To solve this, follow our different suggested fixes below.

Fix #1 – Fix the Outlook Search using the Outlook Options

Some users often jump to the registry when they’re having problems with any particular software. However, that shouldn’t be anyone’s first option since we all know that the Registry is quite sensitive and any modifications can affect your computer. To fix problems like the Outlook Search not working, the first thing you have to do is to navigate to the Outlook Options using the program itself. To do this, follow these steps.

Open Microsoft Outlook and go to the Outlook Options
After that, click the Search tab located in the left pane
And then click on the Indexing Options and select Microsoft Outlook
Move forward by clicking the Modify button and then select Microsoft Outlook again by ticking the box beside it
Click OK

That should fix the problem. If not, head over to the next fix.
Fix #2 – Fix the Advanced Outlook Search grayed out issue using the Registry
If the previous solution didn’t work, open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search

On the right side of the pane, create a new DWORD (32-bit) and then name it PreventIndexingOutlook and put a value of 0. And then click the OK button and then check if it fixed the problem.
Fix #3 – Fix Outlook Search using the Group Policy Setting

If needed, you can take a look at the Group Policy settings and make a bit of changes. To do so, follow these steps:

Type in msc in the Start search to open Local Group Policy
Navigate to the following setting:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search
And on the right side, look for Prevent indexing Microsoft Office Outlook and make sure that it is set to Not Configured or Disabled.

That should do it and everything should be good to go, assuming you’ve followed the instructions properly.
If nothing worked, there is also a one-click solution you can try that might fix the problem with your Microsoft Outlook Search. Aside from that, this one-click solution will also help you with your other computer problems, such as corrupted registries or slow PC performance. This one-click solution is known as PC Cleaner Pro. This program is a useful tool that could repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system.

Perform a full system scan using PC Cleaner Pro. To do so, follow the instructions below.

Turn on your computer. If it’s already on, you have to reboot
After that, the BIOS screen will be displayed, but if Windows pops up instead, reboot your computer and try again. Once you’re on the BIOS screen, repeat pressing F8, by doing so the Advanced Option shows up.

To navigate the Advanced Option use the arrow keys and select Safe Mode with Networking then hit
Windows will now load the Safe Mode with Networking.
Press and hold both R key and Windows key.

If done correctly, the Windows Run Box will show up.
Type in explorer http://www.fixmypcfree.com/install/pccleanerpro
A single space must be in between explorer and http. Click OK.
A dialog box will be displayed by Internet Explorer. Click Run to begin downloading PC Cleaner Pro. Installation will start automatically once download is done.