How do I do this? When I search all elements it still only searches the inbox and not the personal folders (PST files) I have.

How do I search ALL elements? I am currently only getting the results I want using Google Desktop

Hi,

I think you can create a search folder in outlook 2010. To create a search folder, follow steps below:

• Open the Folder tab and select New Search Folder under the new group.
• Open the New Search Folder creation window. You can select the criteria for search folders.
• Then select the email account for which you want to search. Once complete you can see a new folder created in your email account which is a virtual folder and gets email from other folders based on your preference.
• In case your criteria is not listed, scroll down and select custom search folder and click the Choose button.
• Select the name for the custom search folder and then click on the Criteria button.
• Select the folder criteria, it can be based on subject, from, to email etc.
• Once completed, click OK and the custom search folder will search for all emails in your current mail box.

yeah thanks. however it must be an easier way than this? this seem hilarious to me

Hi,

Try this: Click File->Options->Search, under Results tab choose 'Include results only from All folders'.

• Proposed as answer by cesDavid Friday, May 25, 2012 2:33 PM

no that won't work either. also, when i try creating a custom seach i get an error saying (translated from my language) that i cannot search more than one outllok datafile simultaneously.  what a joke.

ive checked out another install and discovered that i am incorrect - that i am able to search all folders like i wanted. the clue is to check windows search indexing. i discovered that my index has somehow stopped. i rebuilt it but i do not see Microsoft Outlook as an option in search index. do anybody know how to add microsoft outlook to search when it's missing?

Thanks, Jennifer!

That worked for me.

Outlook 2010's new way of searching all folders is unhelpfully obscure. 

The new capabilities of creating search folders, while powerful, are complicated overkill for such a simple function as searching all folders -- something nearly everyone wants and needs to do from time to time -- perhaps even most of the time.

Microsoft, please go back to the Outlook 2007 easy-and obvious-method of searching all folders. 

Thanks.

 

I am having the exact same problem

I open a pst that list projects from 2004 to 2009

I click on search all subfolders using advanced search and it does not automatically check all the subfolders

This is how it always worked before outlook 2010

What am I doing wrong?

• Proposed as answer by WeeFella Friday, November 23, 2012 1:40 PM
• Unproposed as answer by WeeFella Friday, November 23, 2012 1:41 PM

The search function in Outlook 2010 requires you to have windows desktop search installed so if you are still running windows XP you need to install it manually. Then provided Outlook is selected in the indexing (it is by default) then it will search all mail. You can do a search from the Windows start menu in Vista/Windows 7.

You can search an entire PST or multiple PSTs easily within outlook 2010 (although I can only verify this for Windows 7 Professional and Microsoft Office Professional 2010)

1. Click on any folder e.g your inbox

2. Click into the Search box at the top of the messages list to reveal the Search Tools ribbon

3. The first icon on the left side of the Search Tools ribbon is "All Mail Items"

If you hover over this it confirms "Expand your search to cover all Mail folders"

I tested and confirmed it found items in both of my PST files (personal folders). If yours is still not finding items then check your Outlook selections in Windows desktop search.

1. Click on the Windows icon and type "search" in the Search programs and files box  

2. Select "Change how Window searches"

Good luck

• Edited by WeeFella Friday, November 23, 2012 2:05 PM

Actually you don't have to make a search folder or change your search options, but the solution is not easy to find. When you select the search box, a Search menu tab will appear (also called Search Tools, it's orange). All the way on the left you can click the All Mail Items button. It's clunky and out of the way but the option is there.

This is great if you want to create a search folder that searches your Mailbox.

How do I create a Search Folder that searches ALL my email: mailbox and local personal folders? Otherwise, once I archive my email it won't be found.