If you do not have Instant Search enabled for Microsoft Outlook then there will be a message that displays on every screen asking you to click to enable it. This message is really annoying however it is also easy to get rid of. Follow the directions below to remove the message without having to install Instant Search.
Outlook Message:
Click here to enable Instant Search
Steps to Remove Instant Search Message:
- Open Outlook Options: With Microsoft Outlook open click on Tools in the top navigation menu and select Options from the drop down. Then click on the Other tab in the new configuration window as shown below in the image.
- Open Advanced Options: Now click the Advanced Options button to display another configuration window as shown in the below image.
- Disable Instant Search Message: Now remove the checkmark from the box next to “show prompts to enable Instant Search”.
- Verify Message Is Disabled: Now verify the message is disabled by clicking the OK button at the bottom of each of the configuration windows that have opened. The message should no longer appear above the center column in Microsoft Outlook.
Upgrade to Outlook 2007:
A good book for the basics of Outlook 2007:
Outlook 2007 For Dummies (Paperback)
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i don´t like instant search, i prefer search tools like Lookeen…
much more functional and faster…
mike
Hello Mike,
I have never used Lookeen. Could you provide more details and the reasons it would be a better choice over Outlooks Instant Search? I definitely agree that Instant Search that is built into Outlook is horrible and too resource intensive. I personally have switched all of my mail to sync up via IMAP with Gmail. So when I need to search all of my mail I just go to gmail.com and use the Google resources instead of my local resources. Any thoughts on this method?
Thanks again for the information on Lookeen. I am going to check it out.
hi,
thank you for your response.
i think your “gmail-method” is working but i can not trust all my mail to google.
mails should be stored on a place i know “where” it is. :)
with instant search i often had the feeling, that is does not really search everything in outlook. the result was, that i perfomed multiple searches when i didn´t get a result for a specific search. very exhausting, typical for microsoft ;).
my solution (outlook 2007 with lookeen) works really good.
i´ve all the mail on my machine and can search AND find everything very fast.
also withing attachments, which is very important for me personally.
search results are categorized (all, mail, contact, attachments…) and come really fast.
also spaces of time can be searched. lookeen also searchs multiple .pst´s, works with exchange, open folders…
hope this posting is helpful for some people…
greets mike
Hello Mike,
Great. Thanks for the details.
Your step 1 says “Then click on the Options tab in the new configuration window as shown below in the image.” I think you meant to say the Other tab, not Options tab
Hello Joe,
You are absolutely correct. I have now corrected it in the article. Thanks!
The “Search Inbox” seems to be there to stay. As does that annoying gold star (favorites) in IE.
But you can get rid of the “Type a question for help” nonsense by going to tools | customize and then right clicking the box and unchecking it.
Hello Flim Bittlewhistle,
Correct. The main thing the article was about though was cutting down on the resources that Outlook uses by constantly updating the search cache so “Instant Search” happens quickly. On laptops like mine with limitied resources it cuts down on resources that could be used on applications you are actually using!
Anyhow thanks for the extra information on how to get rid of the “Type a question for help” bit…
Thanks.
alex
Thanks very much for this. I am very glad to be rid of that intrusive message.
Hello Brian,
No problem. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback.
Thanks.
alex