Question: I can't figure out how to set up a simple search. I am trying to find all messages that 'start with' a particular string. Here is an example of 4 message

```
1) Subject: ABC DEF
2) Subject: ABC XYZ
3) Subject: RE: ABC DEF
4) Subject: FW: ABC XYX

```

From this list; I only want to search for message 1 and message 2. But for some reason; the advanced find only show me options like

```
a) contains
b) is
c) doesn't contain
d) word starts with
..... and so on

```

but none of those work for me :(

Answer: 
There is no space between NOT and (Subject... ).

the right search is 
(subject: "ABC ") and NOT(subject: "RE: ") and NOT(subject: "FW: " )
Try this:

> 
> subject:abc and subject:def not subject:"re:"
> 
> 
> 

<http://www.groovypost.com/forum/microsoft-office/microsoft-outlook-search-syntax-t95537.html>