Like Outlook for Windows Outlook for Mac also uses the Spotlight Search box to search items within the application. Sometime Mac users face a common issue with Outlook 2011 i.e. Spotlight Search function does not work properly. When users search for an item, it shows no results and at the same time user finds that item manually from Outlook.
Mac Operating System uses OS X's Spotlight feature to index its mail items. When users search for the sender, recipient or a word within a message, Outlook uses Spotlight index to find that particular query.
If you are facing the same mentioned Spotlight Search issue then your Microsoft User Data folder has might got corrupted.
Let's discuss some manual methods of fixing the spotlight search indexing issue:
- Check that your Microsoft User Data folder is in the Documents folder within your user folder. In some cases this folder gets stored in the Preferences folder, it will not be indexed here and search won't work.
Just Move this folder to the Documents folders so that Spotlight will index it and you will be able to search the required messages.
- Check whether your Outlook messages are associated with Mac Outlook or not. In some scenario the Outlook messages lost their association, for example: they linked with the notes. In this scenario Spotlight Indexing not work Correctly.
To find out this, follow to your User folder/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2011 Identity/Data Records/Messages and find out a folder with .olk14 Message Extension.
Select and Press Command-l to bring up the info Window, and make sure that in the open with an area you see Microsoft Outlook. If you see something else, click on the pop up menu, choose Microsoft Outlook from the list and Click Change All. This will restore the correct association.
- The most reliable method of fixing Spotlight indexing issues is: Start System Preferences, choose Spotlight and Click on Privacy tab. Move to the Finder and Locate your Microsoft User Data folder. Drag this folder into the Spotlight Window. Let it be there for 30 seconds and then remove it from the Window. This will force Spotlight to reindex that folder. This is the common technique for reindexing folders.
If still the Spotlight indexing issue, not resolved. Then you have to perform a Complete Reset of Spotlight index, for this you can use Terminal app. You will find Terminal in Applications/Utilities, Start Terminal and enter the command and press Return:
sudo mdutil -E/
Then it will prompt for password, enter account password and press Return. Now enter:
sudo mdutil -i on /
and press Return again. This will cause a complete Spotlight reindexing. You can use your Mac normally.