Search not working in Monterey

From my research (Spotlight), this is an issue regarding the quarantine flag on sandbox apps (TextEdit, Pages), and the problem is specifically with Monterey. In another thread, someone said that they were told verbally that Apple is aware of the problem and working on it – sorry to be so vague, but there's no documented evidence, just word-of-mouth.

This article was helpful in understanding the problem: https://eclecticlight.co/2019/05/03/serious-flaw-in-macos-quarantine-can-stop-you-from-opening-documents/

Hi!

Just have installed beta version of MS Outlook v16.57 - and searching is working fine. So you have an option - update to this beta or wait for GA (general availability).

Also, some details from Microsoft side - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/search-in-outlook-for-mac-returns-no-results-after-installing-macos-monterey-12-1-075c5f09-35db-4205-aba3-eea2f168c71b

HTH.

I found that update the OS to Monterrey 12.1 fixes the Spotlight search "No Results" problem. I have MacBook Pro 14 inch 2021.

For Outlook, searching email only works when you switch to New Outlook (top right). This has not been fixed by updating the OS but it may still work as I have a big inbox and it may still be indexing since the update earlier today. I'll update here if it does.

I have the same problems and maybe the same MacBook Pro 14inch M1 Max.

On Outlook there is not any switch for the New Outlook. I have installed Outlook 16.58 (22010406).

Can you give us more details about the update that fixes Spotlight search?

Also my Outlook suddenly appears the button.

But in the new Outlook can not import emails.

Now I am back to old Outlook and importing emails.

Hope after can search the emails when I switch to new Outlook.

Any infos about fixing Spotlight search problem?

Just worked through this with my campus Mac specialist and had similar discussion with genius bar folks -- bottom line, if you are using an exchange server and mac outlook with Monterey 12.1 you cannot get the search to work -- the new outlook does not support exchange, the old outlook doesn't work w/MS's new search technique (no longer using spotlight)

One useful workaround -- your spotlight will still search your mail -- so if you use spotlight and type whatever you were looking for (say a user name) - then in the list of all files you will find all the mails -- it's a pain in the butt, but works for what it can

meanwhile both MS and Mac folks says "fix is coming" ... so keep your eye on the updates

How do i get beta version of MS Outlook v16.57 ? I'm on 16.56 - no search is making outlook useless. Can't use new Outlook as Flag (setting a date for an email to be flagged) doesn't appear to be there!!

Same problem - MacBook Pro M1 Max, brand new, 2021 - file search will not work, particularly on remotely shared drives with large numbers of files. Index rebuild does no good. But same problem does exist on local external drives. This problem has been present for a while but it has actually gotten worse with 12.1, as in more consistently search returning no results at all, or only one file that was recently opened among dozens of files that should show in the search. I've noticed it does return a list of subfolder names that match the search, but not file names that match the search.

This is a very egregious bug and needs to be fixed quickly. Used to work fine in Catalina and, I believe, in Big Sur as well. The fact that it's been uncorrected for this long is unconscionable, given the premium prices Apple charges for their hardware. If this sort of thing continues I'll have to get a PC.

Because it's probably, actually, a HUGE bug that they are having no luck in correcting.

Has anyone else noticed that TextEdit is behaving strangely? I use it in text-only format sometimes, and those documents can take up to 30 seconds to load and to save, a significant interval when doing research (frankly, pencil-paper is faster and more stable).

This bug has nothing to do with TextEdit.

It is Microsoft turn. According to a Apple Developer Thread, the Outlook search bug has been fixed with Outlook 16.58 Beta. Not sure when Microsoft decide release the v16.58 final.

"This bug has nothing to do with TextEdit.

It is Microsoft turn. According to a Apple Developer Thread, the Outlook search bug has been fixed with Outlook 16.58 Beta. Not sure when Microsoft decide release the v16.58 final.

Tom Binroth"

Actually, this thread has two subjects. One is specific to Outlook/Microsoft, the other is the general bug in Monterey Spotlight which doesn't search within documents the way Spotlight did in and prior to Catalina. It was to that I was referring, and my secondary question regarding TextEdit is related thereto. Not to Microsoft. fyi.

The intrinsic Spotlight bug is worse than an inability to search for strings within the file content. (In fact, as far as I can tell from my testing, that capability still seems to work). The largest problem with the bug that I’ve seen is that it is unable to return a list of file names that contain the search string. This, as you indicated, has nothing to do with Microsoft components. It’s a problem with Finder and Spotlight within MacOS itself. Should probably be in a separate thread than the Outlook issue.

The most recent upgrade to outlook 16.57 (22011101) has made it so I can search mail again using the old outlook - this fixes the original problem -- will still need to see what happens with new outlook and exchange - but for now I recommend latest update to your mac outlook as the best solution

I have this problem too and have gotten nowhere with technical support after weeks of trying. I'm actually returning my new Macbook Pro because of it. The Monterey operating system is full of major problems.

Figured something out ... I wondered what would happen if I re-organized the files in the location I was having search problems. I had seen that searches in other directories worked OK. The directory having the problem contained close to 16,000 files but many were in subfolders - probably on the order of half of them were in subfolders and, in rare cases, some were two-deep in subfolders. First I split the contents as they were into 6 large subfolders, thinking the issue might have been sheer numbers. That made no difference - still nothing returned in filename string searches. I then flattened all the file structures by placing the files directly under each of their respective 6 large subfolders. That worked. Searches are now returning correct results within each of those 6 subfolders. Also, I tried searches on the top folder (the one that contains the 6 large subfolders). Those searches are working correctly also. So I'm a little baffled as to why nothing worked before. My next step will be to combine all the files in the 6 subfolders into the top folder, making the structure flat. If there is a scaling issue, that should show it. In any case, after attempting many of the fixes suggested with indexing, this re-org of the files appears to have fixed the issue. And I did not force any re-indexing. But perhaps that happened on its own when the files were moved out of the original numerous subfolders. Anyway, it's fixed the searches both locally and remotely from an SMB share.