OWA Search is Not Working in Exchange 2016/13: Resolving the Issue Manually

"Guys, I have installed Microsoft Exchange 2016 and enabled Outlook Web App. Everything is working fine except the search function, it is does not look up any e-mails. Can anyone please help why OWA search is not working in Exchange 2016 and what to do. I have never worked with OWA before."

"Yesterday we have set up Outlook Web App with Exchange 2013. We attached some files to this same profile. But, now we are searching the old mails it is not showing the anything in the search result. Please help."

OWA Search Not Working! Are you also facing this problem in MS Exchange 2016/13? This blog will discuss a solution to resolve this issue where a user is not able to work with the search function of Outlook On Web in Exchange 2013 or 2016. It is can be resolved from few easy steps only.

Above the mail column, there is a search function given in the OWA 2013/2016 like given in the following image:

The search index, in Microsoft Exchange 2013 , is saved with the Mailbox store where the users are placed. To build Outlook Web App 2013 or OWA 2016 and the search engine of MS Exchange again, one must follow the given steps.
Let us see how to fix this issue of OWA Search is Not Working in Exchange 2016/13.

First, navigate to the stop the Microsoft Exchange Search service, in Exchange RTM. In the case of Exchange CU1 and CU2, stop both the services i.e. Exchange Host Search & Exchange Search service along with the Search Host Controller, stop this one also.

By restarting the "Microsoft Exchange Search" service or by creating a new mailbox database and then to move the mailbox to the new database, we can imitate this issue again.
If in case, the issue can't be recreated on the database of new mailbox, follow the steps given below to rebuild the index again:

1. First, stop the service "Microsoft Exchange Search" on the mailbox server.


2. Now, locate database of the user mailbox.
After locating the path, you will get a folder name with a long ID along with a word Single on the end.
The path will be like the following example:
C:\Program Files >> Microsoft >> Exchange Server >> V15 >> Mailbox >> Mailbox Database ID




If the location of the mailbox database is not known then, use the following PS command to find the path:
Get-MailboxDatabase "the problematic mailboxdatabase" |fl name,*path*


3. Rename the folder as .old.


4. Now, start "Microsoft Exchange Search" service.
   Begin the service of "Microsoft Exchange Search" again, The server will now initiate to rebuild the search index. It will take some time to build up again, so you have to wait for sometime.


5. Now, run the following command to check the status of the Content Index Status is healthy or not.
Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus


6. If the ContentIndex State status is healthy, go back to Outlook or OWA 2013 and check if the search works.

The above mentioned solution is discussed to resolve the error OWA search is not working in Exchange 2016/13. The steps given are easy and simple to use.