How to rebuild Full-Text Index Catalog for Exchange server

issue: Customer complained of not being able to search mail through Outlook web access

 

resolution

 

Find out customer's home server/db. Check the server to see the last date files were indexed. Confirm customer's complaint with your finding. If indexing isn't running properly

 

follow these steps to resolve

 

1. go to exchange powershell

2. type net stop MSExchangeSearch. this will stop the search service and indexer

3. go to the index directory and delete the index catalog folder. You can delete the catalogs for all storage groups as needed

4. go back to the shell and type net start MSExchangeSearch

 

You are done. Check to make sure service started and customer is able to search mails via OWA