Windows Search Not Working for emails

[bwatch]

I am having a problem with Windows 7 search when searching for emails:

1. When searching for an outlook email in the "instant search" bar in Outlook, the results are as expected (the correct results are displayed for the search term)
   
2. However, when searching exact same term as in #1 above, using Windows Key + F (Windows Search), no results are displayed.

Both of these search methods utilize the same index, application, etc...and are supposed to return identical email results, so this is perplexing.

I have tried numerous times rebuilding the index, and oddly the search results work correctly for a day or two after rebuilding, but then revert back to the problem described above.

Notes:

1. In looking at Indexing Options, it is completely indexed.
2. I have tried to rebuild the index several times with the same results.
3. In Indexing Options, Outlook items are selected and are getting indexed

(I had posted a similar topic a few months ago, but the problem has changed slightly so please pardon the double post)

 

[Roderunner]

Try this:-

 

[roncerr]

That reminds me, what is meant by "other files and libraries"...other that what?

 

[Roderunner]

I have no idea, I never need to use search. On the odd time I do I use 'Everything'

 

[burgerson]

I am having the same problem as bwatch - Windows 7 Search performs an index, and based on the number of items in the index it must be indexing e-mails; however, no e-mail results show up when a search is performed. The search worked fine one day, and literally the next it stopped working for e-mails. I have re-indexed several times - no change.

Anyone else experiencing this?

 

[roncerr]

The OP mentioned Outlook. Are you using the Outlook email program or the Windows Live Mail email program? I don't think you can search Outlook email files since they are grouped together in Outlook's Personal Store File (.pst). Text in a .pst file cannot be accessed except through Outlook.

Just to verify there are WLM emails, have you used the search box in Windows Explorer to search for *.eml ? (Click on the c:/<username>/appdata folder so that you are searching within that folder.) If there are any emails from WLM, they will show up there even if they are not being indexed. If they are not being indexed there will be an invitation to add them to the index at the top of the search results window.

 

[burgerson]

I am using Outlook, not WLM. They are aggregated in a .pst file. I can access the e-mails directly with a search in Outlook itself, for both current and archived e-mails, but the e-mails don't show in Windows Search.

 

[roncerr]

I am using Outlook, not WLM. They are aggregated in a .pst file. I can access the e-mails directly with a search in Outlook itself, for both current and archived e-mails, but the e-mails don't show in Windows Search.

If you have a lot of emails, they can get in the way of regular searches for non-email results. Since I am using WLM I experienced this problem until I removed *.eml files from the index. So it sounds like your system is working properly.