How to Get Rid of Instant Search Outlook 2007

by Contributing Writer

Overview

If the "Instant Search" feature bothers you or interrupts your work while you are using Microsoft Outlook 2007, there is luckily a way to turn the feature on and off. The "Instant Search" feature is meant to serve as an aid in helping you find documents or emails more easily than a traditional search bar, but sometimes it can become burdensome and can actually hinder your progress.

Step 1

Open your Microsoft Outlook software and wait until the program loads completely. Allow the program to search for any incoming messages before moving on to the next step.
Step 2

Click on the "Tools" menu and select the option marked "Instant Search," followed by "Search Options." Allow the program a few seconds to load the next page.
Step 3

Clear the check boxes under the option that states "Index messages in these data files," in the "Indexing" section of the screen. By clearing these boxes, you will disable the "Instant Search" feature built into the program. You will still be able to search throughout the program when needed, but the performance of the search will be hindered with this option disabled.