Finder's search functionality quit working, always returns "0 items"

dafocks wrote:

1. Running iMac 24-inch, M1, 16 GB (w M1 chip) and macOS: Ventura 13.2.1 (22D68)

Finder's search functionality quit working, always returns "0 items"

2.

Search also seems broken in MS Outlook for Mac, v 16.72 (23040900).

Relaunch Finder on the fly and test

>Force Quit>Finder>Relaunch

Verify your Spotlight settings.

>System Settings>Spotlight

Verify your privacy setting does not exclude...

>System Settings>Spotlight> Privacy

If necessary rebuild the Spotlight Index

Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support

ref: A Spotlight Search, made within an open F… - Apple Community

No resolve

—A SafeBoot How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support will sort many anomalies.

This test will tell you if third party interference; most* extensions etc are not loaded in safe boot mode.

Reboot as normal and compare your results.

—Test issue in another user (or guest user) account Change Users & Groups settings on Mac - Apple Support

This will tell you if it a universal issue or isolated to your user/admin account. 

I've an iMac 24" M1 OS Ventura 13.4.1

First thing to do is follow the steps in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MolCR5-WOGQ

BUT in addition to adding the folders in the Outlook 15 Profiles folder (I had the Main Profile and New Profile folders) in the Spotlight Privacy box, ALSO ADD THE Mac HD ICON into the Spotlight Privacy box. Click Done. Then, as explained in this video, reopen the Spotlight Privacy box. TAKE EVERYTHING OUT -- ALL THE FOLDERS and HD ICON. Click Done. I then opened Spotlight in the Menu bar of my Mac and put "outlook" in the search field. Don't press "return" when you do that. Just let it be. A blue indexing "progress" bar should appear. For me it took 1.5 hours to index. When done, I opened the Outlook app. Did a test search on my emails and contacts. Voilà. Works like a charm! Hallelujah! Hope this helps.