Fix Outlook freezing when searching emails or contacts

I will guide you How to fix Outlook crashing when searching for emails or contacts

If Outlook is blocking the search for emails or contacts, see this post. Following the effective troubleshooting steps, we will show you how to resolve the issue. To help users find important emails, contacts, or specific information within their inboxes or large mail folders, Outlook's search feature is essential. They can quickly find what they need, which allows them to save time and be more productive. However, it may occasionally not work as expected.

How to fix Outlook crashing when searching for emails or contacts

You are not alone if you are having issues with Outlook not responding or crashing when using the search feature. As Outlook crashes when searching for a specific user, many users have mentioned similar issues.

Why does Outlook not react when you do a search?

Outlook can be caused to crash or stop responding during searches if the search index is damaged or not configured correctly. Using an outdated version of Outlook, damaged PST or OST files, or corrupt cache can cause it to block during search operations. Some third-party add-ons may also interfere with Outlook's search function, causing it to block or not reply.

Resolving Outlook's Block When Trying to Find Emails or Contacts If Outlook blocks the search for emails or contacts, try these suggestions: Rebuilding the search index Enabling Windows search from the registry Recovering Outlook data that has been damaged Delete the cache and create a new Outlook profile Delete certain Outlook settings We'll look at this in detail.

1. Restore the rebuilt search index.

The rebuilt search index updates the indexed data, removing any damaged or obsolete entry that could be causing performance problems during searches.

Click on the File button on the upper left corner of Outlook's window to rebuild the search index. Select Options from the left sidebar. In Outlook, this will bring up the Options dialog box.

Click on the "Indexing Options" button after you've navigated to the "Search" section.

You'll see a list of locations that are being indexed in the Indexing Options dialog box. To access advanced features, choose Microsoft Outlook and then click the button. This opens the door to advanced options.

To begin rebuilding the search index, click on the Rebuild button in the Problem Solving section. After finishing the indexing, confirm the action in the dialog box that appears.

After finishing, restart Outlook and check if the search function has improved.

(2) Remove the Windows Desktop Search

Feature Disabling the Windows Desktop Search service can resolve Outlook search problems, which will force Outlook to use its built-in search.

Go to Run (press Win + R), type regedit, and then hit Enter to disable Windows Desktop Search for Outlook.

Using the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key: HKLM:\SOFTWARE<MicrosoftWindows Policy Press the right button on Windows, choose New > Password, and then enter the Windows Search name.

Press the right button on the Windows Search key, choose New > DWORD (32-bit), and then type the name PreventIndexingOutlook.

Make a double-click on PreventIndexingOutlook, set your Value data to 1, and then click Accept.

To apply the changes, restart Outlook.

This will cause the built-in search to be used instead of Windows Search for Outlook. Set the DWORD value to 0.

3] to revert the changes. Repair corrupted Outlook data files.

Outlook's search function can be adversely affected if corrupted data files, such as PST and OST files, cause incomplete indexing or prevent Outlook from accessing and retrieving data correctly during searches.

To restore corrupted Outlook PST and OST personal data files, use the Outlook Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) and check if it helps.

4. Remove the cache and create a new Outlook profile.

The Outlook cache stores indexes of emails, contacts, and other data, which allows for faster recovery when searching or accessing these elements. However, incorrect search results or even Outlook freezing during searches might be caused by a damaged or outdated cache.

To remove Outlook's cache, use Win + R, type %localappdata%MicrosoftOutlook, then press Enter. As it does so, it will cover all the files that are in the RoamCache folder.

After removing cache memory, open Outlook, click on the File menu, and then go to Account Settings > Manage profiles. Press Remove in the Mail dialog box after selecting the old profile.

To create and configure a new Outlook profile, click Add and follow the instructions.

Acquire your email accounts according to the instructions and reopen Outlook with the new oneprofile. Next, test the search functionality and return to creating the search index.

5] Disable certain Outlook preferences

Disabling features that affect search functionality in Outlook has enabled some users to resolve the issue. Among these are: A] "Disable the viewing of contact photos." Disabling the display of contact photos reduces the graphical load, which can improve Outlook performance when searching or browsing email and contacts.

"Uncheck "Show user pictures when available" in the File > Options > People menu.

"B] Disrupting online file indexing"Outlook may crash or slow down search operations due to indexing of large online files. By disabling this feature, Outlook can focus on indexing only the main window, which decreases the likelihood of blockages during search operations.

Navigate to File > Options > Search and, after that, click on Indexing Options. Uncheck "Online File" in the window that opens and select Modify to see the changes.

Conflict management with iFilter

An iFilter is a software element that allows Outlook to index and search the content of certain types of files, such as PDFs or documents edited in Word. It is possible that their own iFilters were installed if third-party software was installed. During search operations, Outlook may crash due to conflicts between various filters.

For the next step, uncheck "Turn off attachment preview." Then, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Attachment Handling. The application will not try to show a preview of the attached files using iFilters that could be incompatible with each other.

Section D: Auto-deactivation of downloads By disabling automatic downloads, you may prevent Outlook from automatically downloading potentially large files that could cause it to crash during search operations.

Access the Trust Center by going to File > Options > Trust Center Configuration. "Do not download images automatically in standard HTML emails or RSS elements" should be marked as the option to disable automatic downloads as you continue.

How to Fix Outlook freezing when searching emails or contacts