Outlook 365 searches emails in server by default. How to change this?

email microsoft-outlook search microsoft-outlook-2016

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Solution 1

This is an expected behavior when using Exchange account in Outlook 2016 as Outlook 2016 now uses the Exchange Search Index in priority for more consistent search results across various Outlook configurations and Outlook (Web) Mail apps.

To return the previous search behavior that relies on the local Windows Search Index, you can set the registry below:

Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Options\Search
Value name: DisableServerAssistedSearch
Value type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1

(You may need to manually create the registry key it it doesn't exist.)

For your reference(a forum article from MS Technet):

Outlook 2016 now uses the Exchange Search Index in priority

Solution 2

A small correction is required for the above registry path. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Search

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sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio

user245595 Part of the story about Monica Cellio. Parties in a dispute have usually better chance by talking to each other (not infallible, but worth a try). https://judaism.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/5193/stack-overflow-inc-sinat-chinam-and-the-goat-for-azazel

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio over 1 year

Outlook 365 searches emails in server by default. If there is a problem with the network, then after a while Outlook provides the option for searching locally, see figure (in Spanish).

How can I change the default to search locally?

Translation:

There was a problem and the search could not be completed..

There is a problem with the network connection.

Search email messages stored in this PC.
sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio over 5 years

Would this change the default behavior, or disable Server Assisted Search at all?
Yuki Sun over 5 years

@sancho.s, It will disable server assisted search at all. Instead, it will use search results from Windows search service.
sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio over 5 years

Is there any way to search, by default locally, and optionally (preferably with just one or a few mouse clicks) in the server?
Yuki Sun over 5 years

I am afraid there is no way to search local first then sever. You can vote for this post(outlook.uservoice.com/forums/322590-outlook-2016-for-wi‌ndows/…) in the Outlook UserVoice forum. Hopefully the thread with high votes can be heard and considered by the product team.
sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio over 5 years

Great answer! Hit the nail in the head.
Yuki Sun over 5 years

Glad to be of help :D Do you mind marking the reply as answer?