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Search for items and files
 

Do one of the following:

ShowSearch for any item containing a specific word or phrase

  1. Click Find on the Standard toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, press ALT and then SHIFT+F10.) to display the Find Bar.

  2. In the Look for box, type any text you want to search for in the most common fields of the item, or click the arrow on the Look for box to use previous search text.

  3. Specify the folders you want to search. If you have more than one account, Microsoft Outlook searches the folders in the current account only.

    ShowE-mail folders only

    1. Click Search In, and then click Inbox, All Mail Folders, Mail I Received, or Mail I Sent.
    2. Click Find Now.

    ShowSpecific folders

    1. Click Search In, and then click Choose Folders.
    2. Select the folders you want to search. To include subfolders, select the Search subfolders check box.
  4. Optional: Stop the search, clear the search, or create a Search Folder

    ShowStop the search

    • On the Find Bar, click Stop.

    To restart the search, click Find Now.

    ShowClear the search results and display all the items in the current view

    • Click Clear.

    ShowCreate a Search Folder based on the criteria for the current search

    1. On the Find Bar, click Options.
    2. Click Save Search as Search Folder.
    3. Type a name for the Search Folder.

ShowSearch for items or files using other criteria

  1. On the Tools menu, point to Find, and then click Advanced Find.
  2. In the Look for box, click the type of item (item: An item is the basic element that holds information in Outlook (similar to a file in other programs). Items include e-mail messages, appointments, contacts, tasks, journal entries, notes, posted items, and documents.) or file you want to search for.
  3. If the folder you want to search does not appear in the In box, or you want to search more than one folder, click Browse to select from a list.
  4. Select the remaining search options you want, and then click Find Now.
  5. Optional: Stop the search, clear the search, save the search, or create a Search Folder.

    ShowStop the search

    • Click Stop.

    To restart the search, click Find Now.

    ShowSave your search criteria

    1. On the File menu, in the Advanced Find dialog box, click Save Search.
    2. In the Save in box, click the drive or folder you want to save the search to.
    3. In the Places Bar, double-click the folder you want to save the search in.
    4. In the File name box, type a name for the search.

    ShowCreate a Search Folder based on the criteria for the current search

    1. On the File menu, in the Advanced Find dialog box, click Save Search as Search Folder.
    2. Type a name for the Search Folder.

 Note   You can only search for files saved in Microsoft Outlook folders.

ShowTip

If you can't see all of the search results, point to the bar above the search results until the pointer changes to Double-headed arrow, and then drag the bar up. Click the Maximize button.

ShowSearch for a public folder

  1. On the Tools menu, point to Find, and then click Find Public Folder.
  2. In the Contains text box, type any text you want to search for.
  3. Do any of the following:

    ShowChange where to search

    • All public folders are searched by default. To change the search criteria, click Browse, and select a new folder.

    ShowChange what attribute of public folders to search

    • In the In list box, select the attribute of public folders to be searched.

    ShowLimit the search to a certain date

    • Select the Folders created since check box, and then enter a date.
  4. Click Find Now.

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