Tip 914: Change Advanced Search 'Search subfolders' setting?

A popular question the past couple of weeks asks about the Advanced find option to search subfolders:

Each time I start an Advanced search I must select the option to "Search subfolders". Is it possible to make this the default?

Sorry, no, you can't set "Search Subfolders" as default in the Advanced find dialog. You'll need to select it each time or use Instant Search (which can search all folders in your profile, not just all of the folders in the current data file).

Search Subfolders default setting of unchecked is a change in behavior from Outlook 2003 and earlier. In the older versions users needed to uncheck Search Subfolders but beginning with Outlook 2007, the checkbox is deselected.

Published September 20, 2011. Last updated on January 21, 2016.

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