Troubleshoot linking items to contacts

The only folders that Microsoft Outlook searches automatically are the main Outlook folders. The folders the items are in may not be on the search list. You can add folders to the search list.
How?
1. Choose the Contacts folder you want.
2. On the File menu, point to Folder, click Properties for foldername, and then click the Activities tab.
3. In the Folder groups list, select the folder group you want to change.
4. Click Modify.
5. Select the check box next to folders you want to add to the search and clear the check box next to folders you want to remove from it.
Links are established only if Outlook can find the contact. In the item you linked from, check the names in the Contacts box. The names that are underlined are successfully linked. If a name is not underlined, you may have entered a contact name incorrectly, or you may have entered a name that‘s in a contact folder that’s not an address book. If you’re not sure why a contact name is not underlined, click the Contacts button and choose the contact from the list.

If the folders you search contain e-mail, it may take a long time to search all your folders for e-mail with links to a particular contact. Instead of searching all Microsoft Outlook folders, you can limit the folders that are searched automatically for related items. For example, you can limit the search to your Inbox folder and Sent Items folder. Limit the folders that are searched automatically.

Show How?

Choose the Contacts folder you want.
On the File menu, point to Folder, click Properties for foldername, and then click the Activities tab.
In the Folder Groups list, click the e-mail folder or other folder you want to change.
Click Modify.
Select the check box next to each folder you want to add to the search and clear the check box next to each folder you want to remove from it.

You may have deleted or moved the contact. Searching may still find the contact, but clicking the contact will not open it. You need to add the contact again.
If the contact you linked to is not in a folder that’s set up as an address book, you won’t be able to use the Check Names feature in Microsoft Outlook to resolve the e-mail address.
The links will no longer work if the items you linked to are archived. When you archive an item, it’s moved from your current information file and placed in an archive information file (Archive.pst). You need to search an archive file for related items.

Show How?

Open the file you want to search for linked items.
Choose the Contacts folder.
On the File menu, point to Folder, click Properties, and then click the Activities tab.
Click New.
In the Name box, type a name for the folder group.
This name will be added to the Show list on the Activities tab of all contact items.
Select the archive folder file you want to search.

Note Outlook can only search one set of personal folders at a time. For example, you cannot search in your archive folder and in another .pst file during the same search. You have to make a separate folder group for each set of folders and search in each one separately.