Can’t Search Shared Mailbox Subfolders in Outlook? Fix it Now

“Our customers switched from the familiar Outlook 2019 to the new cloud-based Office 365. While everything went well with the setup, they noticed searching emails in shared mailboxes on Outlook isn’t quite the same. Unlike Office 2019, searching in Outlook 21 doesn’t look inside subfolders by default. There are ways to fix Can’t Search Shared Mailbox Subfolders in Outlook, but it’s a small difference that caught some users by surprise.”

Sometimes folders vanish from your Outlook for Windows. As a result, this can happen because of clashes with other programs, or if Outlook’s files get messed up. Apart from that, there are ways to fix it and get all your folders back.

Reasons for Causing Unable to Search in Subfolders of Shared Mailbox in Outlook Error

Have you ever wondered why your Outlook folders disappear? There are a few reasons:

• Clashing programs: Sometimes other software on your computer, like antivirus or extra tools, can fight with Outlook and cause problems, like missing folders.
• Corrupted profile: A corrupted Outlook profile can lead to missing folders and other issues.
• Damaged data file: A damaged Outlook data file can’t hold your information properly, so folders may vanish.
• Wrong settings: In rare cases, a setting you might have changed in Outlook could hide your folders.

How to Fix Can’t Search Shared Mailbox Subfolders in Outlook Issue?

Shared mailboxes are different. They don’t have their login, but you can still access them if your boss gives you special permissions. This section helps fix any issues if you have the right access but can’t see the shared mailbox in your Outlook.

#1. Turn on Detective Mode in Outlook:

• First, open Outlook and go to File > Options > Advanced.
• Under Advanced, check the box next to “Enable troubleshooting logging (requires restarting Outlook)”. Click OK.
• Then, close and restart Outlook.
• At last, Outlook will create log files in a temporary folder on your computer (usually under %localappdata%\Temp or C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Temp). These logs might reveal why the folder is missing.

The above solution should resolve the Can’t Search Shared Mailbox Subfolders in Outlook issue. If not, follow the upcoming approach.

#2. Turn Off Auto-Mapping:

Auto-mapping can sometimes malfunction. Disabling it forces a manual reconnection. IT can use PowerShell (a special program) with these steps:

• Remove existing permissions for the shared mailbox.
• Re-grant full access permissions with auto-mapping disabled.
• Manually add the shared mailbox to your Outlook profile.

However, this creates a fresh connection and eliminates potential issues with auto-mapping.

#3. Upload Shared Mailbox Manually:

You can try adding it manually to fix the Outlook Search Not Finding Shared Mailbox Subfolders error:

• First, open Outlook and go to File > Account Settings >.
• After that, click on your email address (under the Email tab) to open its settings.
• Then, click More Settings.
• Under the Advanced tab, check the box next to “Download Shared Folders”.
• Now, click Add and type the exact name of the shared mailbox.
• At last, click OK three times (once for each open window).

This should manually add the shared mailbox to your Outlook.

#4. Rebuilding Outlook Profile:

As a last option, you can try creating a new Outlook profile. However, this might be needed if your current profile is damaged and preventing you from accessing the shared mailbox. Here’s how to do it:

• First, close Outlook and open the Control Panel on your computer.
• Afterwards, find and click on Mail.
• Then, click Show Profiles, then Add.
• Next, give your new profile a name and click OK.
• Subsequently, enter your Microsoft Outlook credentials to set up your email account in this new profile.
• Now, close the Control Panel and launch Outlook.
• When prompted, choose your new profile name and click OK.
• Then, Outlook will launch with your new profile. Give it a moment to sync everything up.
• Once finished syncing, check your mail folders. The shared mailbox should now be visible!

Important: If creating a new profile still doesn’t fix the search problem with shared mailbox, contact your IT administrator for further assistance. Moreover, they might need to grant you the proper permissions or check for other issues.

If somehow you can’t open or get the shared mailbox subfolders in your Outlook account, it highlights that the uploaded data in your Outlook is corrupted or damaged. To repair the inaccessible PST files, opt for the Cigati PST Repair Tool. This software will recover them without facing any challenges. After repairing the files, you can convert your accessible files with the help of the Cigati PST Converter Software.

End Verdict!

Getting Can’t Search Shared Mailboxes Subfolders in Outlook error can be frustrating, but there are solutions. Start by checking your permissions and enabling troubleshooting logs to see if there are simple fixes. If that doesn’t work, you can try manually adding the shared mailbox or as a last alternative, create a new Outlook profile. If you’re still stuck after trying these steps, reach out to your IT team as they can check for permission issues or other problems specific to your setup.

You May Also Read: Add Shared Mailbox to Outlook

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