MobileMe: About the "Use a MobileMe calendar for the default Outlook calendar" feature
Summary
With MobileMe Control Panel 1.5 or later for Windows, you can use a MobileMe calendar for the default in Outlook. This feature requires Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007 to be installed.
This article explains the behavior of this feature and outlines what will happen in some common scenarios. Unless otherwise mentioned, the calendars that exist in the examples provided are "Home" and "Work," and the default calendar is set to "Work."
Products Affected
MobileMe
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Enabling "Use a MobileMe calendar for the default Outlook calendar"
This feature can be enabled by clicking the Options button in the Sync tab in the MobileMe Control Panel (on the same line as the checkbox to enable Calendar syncing).
All events from the calendar you select will be merged with the default Outlook calendar. Changes made to the default Outlook calendar will appear on the selected calendar at me.com and other devices.
Below is what you will see when you first enable the Work calendar as the default calendar:
| Windows Computer where default calendar is enabled | Work calendar disappears from Outlook, all events in the Work calendar on the computer merged to the default calender titled "Calendar" |
| MobileMe Calendar (www.me.com/calendar), iPhone/iPod touch syncing with MobileMe | "Calendar" is removed. All events that were previously in that calendar are moved to the Work calendar. |
| Macs syncing with MobileMe | "Calendar" is removed. All events that were previously in that calendar are moved to the Work calendar. You may receive a data change alert reflecting this change. |
| Other Windows computers syncing with MobileMe (without the default "Calendar" enabled) | All items that were in "Calendar" are moved to the Work calendar, but the default "Calendar" remains. You may receive a data change alert reflecting this change. Items added to "Calendar" will not sync with MobileMe. |
Note: For consistent behavior, it is recommend that on every Windows computer syncing with MobileMe, you configure the same default calendar behavior
Disabling "Use a MobileMe calendar for the default Outlook calendar"
Below is what you will see when you disable the Work calendar as the default calendar:
| Windows computer where default calendar is disabled | Work calendar reappears in Outlook. All events that were previously in "Calendar" are moved to the Work calendar. |
| MobileMe Calendar (www.me.com/calendar), iPhone/iPod touch syncing with MobileMe | No changes to the Work calendar. "Calendar" is added to calendar list. |
| Macs syncing with MobileMe | No changes to the Work calendar. "Calendar" is added to calendar list. You may receive a data change alert reflecting this change. |
| Other Windows computers syncing with MobileMe | No changes in appearance. Items in "Calendar" will now sync with MobileMe. |
Changing the default Outlook calendar selection
Below is what you will see when you change the setting from one calendar to another (in this example, from Work to Home)
| Windows computer where default calendar is changed from Work to Home | Work calendar reappears in Outlook. All events previously in "Calendar" are moved to Work. All events previously in Home are moved to "Calendar," and the Home calendar disappears from Outlook |
| MobileMe Calendar (www.me.com/calendar), iPhone/iPod touch syncing with MobileMe | No change, all events remain in their current calendar |
| Macs syncing with MobileMe | No change, all events remain in their current calendar |
| Other Windows computers syncing with MobileMe | No change, all events remain in their current calendar |
Deleting the Work calendar from www.me.com/calendar or another computer
If you delete the Work calendar from another computer (or whatever calendar happens to be configured with the option to "Use a MobileMe calendar for the default Outlook calendar"), on your Windows computer, on the next sync with MobileMe, all events currently in "Calendar" will be deleted, and the option to "Use a MobileMe calendar for the default Outlook calendar" will be disabled.
Adding a calendar named "Calendar" from another computer or www.me.com/calendar
If you have the option to "Use a MobileMe calendar for the default Outlook calendar" enabled, and then add a calendar named "Calendar" on another computer or www.me.com/calendar, the next time your Windows computer syncs, the "Use a MobileMe calendar for the default Outlook calendar" will become disabled.
Additional Information
If you are using this feature, it is recommended that you update to iTunes 9 and MobileMe Control Panel 1.5 on all Windows computers syncing with MobileMe, and Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later on all Macs.
If you do not see the Options button in the Sync tab of the MobileMe Control Panel, make sure you have updated to iTunes 9 and MobileMe Control Panel 1.5 or later, and have Outlook 2003 or 2007 installed. If you still do not see the Options button, you need to successfully sync Calendars once with MobileMe (click Sync Now). Once the sync is complete, reopen the Control Panel and the Options button should appear.
Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.