Microsoft confirms update KB5008212 breaks Outlook's search feature

"After the KB5008212 update is installed, recent emails will not appear in search results," Microsoft explains in the recently published Office support document.

Currently, Microsoft is investigating this issue and will provide more information and patches as soon as possible.

This new issue was very similar to one that appeared when users upgraded to Windows 11. At the time, users were instructed that the problem could be fixed by disabling Windows Desktop Search and switching to the tool. Outlook search.

Temporary fix

Here is Microsoft's recommended solution that you can refer to while waiting for the patch to be released:

1. Open Run then type regedit then press Enter
2. Access: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Policies/Microsoft/Windows
3. Click Edit > New > Key and name the new key Windows Search
4. Select the newly created Windows Search key
5. Click Edit > New > DWORD Value
6. Name the new value PreventIndexingOutlook and press Enter
7. Right-click PreventIndexingOutlook and select Modify
8. In the Value data box, enter the value 1 and then click OK
9. Exit Registry Editor and then restart Outlook

When you want to switch to using Windows Desktop Search, you will have to go back to the steps above and edit the value of PreventIndexingOutlook to 0 and then click OK.

The fact that Microsoft updated to fix this error but generated another error is probably not too strange for you. Hopefully in the new year 2022, Microsoft will limit this so that users have the best experience.

Samuel Daniel

Update 07 January 2022