How to fix Outlook freezing when searching emails or contacts

Is your Outlook freezing or becoming unresponsive when you're searching for emails or contacts? This can be a frustrating experience, especially when you're trying to locate important information quickly. Fortunately, there are several methods you can use to resolve this issue and get Outlook running smoothly again.

1. Check for and Disable Faulty Add-ins

Sometimes, add-ins can interfere with Outlook's performance. Disabling them can help identify if they are the cause of the freezing problem.

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on File in the top-left corner.

3. Select Options from the sidebar.

4. In the Outlook Options window, click on Add-ins.

5. At the bottom, next to Manage, ensure COM Add-ins is selected, then click Go...

6. Uncheck the boxes next to each add-in to disable them.

7. Click OK and restart Outlook.

2. Rebuild the Outlook Search Index

Corrupted search indexes can cause Outlook to freeze during searches. Rebuilding the index can resolve this issue.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Open the Control Panel.
3. Set the view to Large icons or Small icons if necessary.

4. Click on Indexing Options.

5. In the Indexing Options window, click on Modify.

6. Ensure that Microsoft Outlook is checked, then click OK.

7. Click on Advanced.

8. Under the Index Settings tab, click Rebuild in the Troubleshooting section.

9. Click OK to confirm.

The indexing process may take some time to complete. Once it's finished, restart Outlook and try searching again.

3. Update Outlook and Windows

Ensuring that both Outlook and Windows are up to date can fix known bugs and improve performance.

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on File and select Office Account.

3. Click on Update Options and select Update Now.

To update Windows:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.

2. Click on Windows Update.

3. Click on Check for updates and install any available updates.

4. After updating, restart your computer and check if the issue persists.

4. Repair Outlook Data Files

Corrupted data files can cause Outlook to freeze during searches. Repairing these files may resolve the issue.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Navigate to the following location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16 or C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16.

3. Double-click on SCANPST.EXE to open the Inbox Repair Tool.

4. Click Browse and locate your Outlook data file (.pst or .ost). By default, these files are located in C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\.

5. Select the data file and click Open.

6. Click Start to begin the scan.

7. If errors are found, ensure that Make backup of scanned file before repairing is checked.
8. Click Repair to fix the issues.

9. Once the repair is complete, open Outlook and check if the problem is resolved.

5. Start Outlook in Safe Mode

Running Outlook in Safe Mode disables all add-ins and can help determine if the issue is related to third-party extensions.

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type outlook.exe /safe and press Enter.

3. Outlook will start in Safe Mode. Try searching for emails or contacts.

If Outlook doesn't freeze in Safe Mode, the issue is likely caused by add-ins. You can disable them as described in the first method.

6. Create a New Outlook Profile

Sometimes, your Outlook profile may be corrupted. Creating a new profile can help fix the freezing issue.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Open the Control Panel.
3. Click on Mail (Microsoft Outlook).

4. Click on Show Profiles....

5. Click on Add... to create a new profile.

6. Enter a name for the profile and click OK.

6. Follow the prompts to set up your email account in the new profile.
7. Once done, select Always use this profile and choose your new profile from the dropdown menu.

8. Click OK and start Outlook.
9. Test to see if Outlook still freezes when searching.

7. Reduce Outlook Data File Size

Large data files can slow down Outlook and cause it to freeze. Archiving old emails or deleting unnecessary items can help.

1. In Outlook, click on File.

2. Select Tools and then choose Mailbox Cleanup.

3. Use the options provided to find large or old items that you can delete or archive.

8. Disable Windows Search Service for Outlook

If the issue persists, you can configure Outlook to use its built-in search instead of Windows Search.

1. In Outlook, click on File and select Options.

2. Go to the Search tab.

3. Uncheck the option Improve search speed by limiting the number of results shown.
4. Click OK.

By following these methods, you should be able to resolve the freezing issues in Outlook when searching for emails or contacts. Maintaining your Outlook data and keeping your software up to date can prevent these problems from occurring in the future.