iCloud changes your Outlook calendar and contacts.

Footplate wrote:

Thank you for your detailed information. I stupidly turned iCloud on for contacts and calendars over the weekend. Thinking, after talking to an Apple techo after OS 5 was installed, that the glitches might be fixed!

BIG MISTAKE!

By turning iCloud off, my contacts reappeared, along with the addresses of strangers - yet again.

And I have four versions of my calendar!!!

But my distribution lists will not work. Even though they have retained the contact data, the"properties" advise that the lists have been deleted.

One colleague has suggested that I uninstall OS 5 and start again. Before I take this step, has anyone done it and solved the issues?

Thanks,

Ron

Do you mean IOS 5 or not?

Yes, I do mean IOS 5.

Footplate wrote:

Yes, I do mean IOS 5.

That may not be possible but please try, post back after you have tried and we will look at what is wrong.

Plucking up the courage. It has taken me months to edit my contacts list in regard to the then additional 6000 addresses the system gave me. And to reload data into emptied addresses.

I spoke with Apple when all this first happened and the techo recommended against using iCloud "for a while".

Yes, when I do it and reload, I will certainly report back. It won't be today, though.

I am really looking for a fix for my now defunct distribution lists, at this time. And live with four calendars.

Cheers

Great entry. I have one issue I can't resolve and wondered if you did find a way to overcome it. If anyone sends me a meeting notice in outlook, and I accept it, then Outlook puts it in a new/separate calendar file that iCloud seems not to see and therefore can't sync - so no meetings show up on my iCloud calendar. Is there a way to get around this other than manually copying those appointments into the calendar that iCloud does synch?

Lots of functionality with Outlook does not work when you switch to iCloud and I think it is because they did not integrate iCloud with the default Outlook files for contacts, calendar, etc. but instead added the iCloud versions of these files which are extra files that the Outlook app does not work with. I would always drag an email into my calendar as it had the details for a plane flight or car rental for example but that always goes to the default Outlook calendar file which is not linked to the iCloud version so no synching and as you use the iClould you find all kinds of things that don't work, I didn't even get reminders for appts any longer and the list goes on.

If Outlook functionality is important to you, I think the only answer is to dump iCloud and go back to cable synching which really works. The instructions on how to do this are in this thread. Maybe one day Apple will fix all this but so far they don't get it. When you call Apple support they blame it all on Microsoft.

glenneyre1 wrote:

Lots of functionality with Outlook does not work when you switch to iCloud and I think it is because they did not integrate iCloud with the default Outlook files for contacts, calendar, etc. but instead added the iCloud versions of these files which are extra files that the Outlook app does not work with. I would always drag an email into my calendar as it had the details for a plane flight or car rental for example but that always goes to the default Outlook calendar file which is not linked to the iCloud version so no synching and as you use the iClould you find all kinds of things that don't work, I didn't even get reminders for appts any longer and the list goes on.

If Outlook functionality is important to you, I think the only answer is to dump iCloud and go back to cable synching which really works. The instructions on how to do this are in this thread. Maybe one day Apple will fix all this but so far they don't get it. When you call Apple support they blame it all on Microsoft.

"They" are Microsoft

iCloud is an account you subscribe to, it is not a sync service. Microsoft decided how Outlook should handle subscription accounts and that is that. If you have to use the default account (the one called Personal Folders) then you can't use iCloud. OK?

Think yourself lucky, Outlook for Mac can't use iCloud contacts and calendars at all, not even badly (like the Windows version)

You should throw Outlook out, it is mediocre. Use a different client. I like EMClient for Windows.

Csound1, does EMclient play nice with the icloud?

Joanne Mcguire wrote:

Csound1, does EMclient play nice with the icloud?

EMClient fully supports iCloud Mail, Contacts and Calendars, as this software is free I recommend that you download a copy and try it for yourself, you can try up to 2 accounts in the free one, the paid version ($50) allows for as many accounts as you like. Please note that EMClient is a purpose built Dav and Imap client, no support for Exchange.

Is EMClient cloud based or does it keep the files on your machine? I'm concerned mostly about email, I already have another contact and calendar manager.

Joanne Mcguire wrote:

Is EMClient cloud based or does it keep the files on your machine? I'm concerned mostly about email, I already have another contact and calendar manager.

It is not relevant whether EMClient is cloud based, iCloud is cloud based and it will remain that way regardless of client.

iCloud email is an Imap system, and just like 1000's of other Imap systems the mail is stored in the cloud (along with contacts and calendars)

If you don't want cloud based services do not use iCloud.

I KNOW that iCloud is cloud based (and I don't use iCloud's contacts or calendars). And it DOES matter to me whether EMClient stores things on a cloud. I've had too many cases of saved emails disappearing with iCloud.

Joanne Mcguire wrote:

I KNOW that iCloud is cloud based (and I don't use iCloud's contacts or calendars). And it DOES matter to me whether EMClient stores things on a cloud. I've had too many cases of saved emails disappearing with iCloud.

I'll try to keep this clear then, ALL Imap mail systems store mail in the cloud, iCloud is no different. The client MAKES NO DIFFERENCE!!

So if you DO NOT want your mail in the cloud, don't use iCloud, or any other Imap system, try a POP system, like Hotmail or some other.

OK now?

I'm using a similar solution to sync 3 different devices: Windows PC running Outlook 2010, Android Phone, and the new iPad (iPad 3?). This is all made possible by using Gmail as the conduit. This is how it works. I live and work in Outlook on my Windows 7 PC (Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, etc) and when I got my Android phone I wanted a way to sync all my Outlook information to my Android phone. After doing some research I found a product called CompanionLink for Google (www.companionlink.com). There is a trial version but I decided to purchase the one-time license and it has been well worth the money. After downloading and installing CompanionLink on my Windows 7 PC I configured it by supplying my Gmail credentials. Since I wanted Outlook to always be my golden copy I configured it to always do a 1-way sync (Outlook to Gmail) although you can do a 2-way sync if you wish. With a single click of the Sync button all of my Outlook information (Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks) was pushed to my Gmail account. Then almost instantaneously all of the Gmail information (which came from Outlook) was pushed wirelessly to my Android phone. So at this point my Windows 7 PC is in sync with my Android phone. This past Friday I purchased the new iPad (IPad 3 ?). I wanted to be able keep all 3 devices in sync without having to purchase and install any additional software. I looked at iCloud but I realized that probably was not the solution. So I signed in to my Gmail account and did a search on how to sync Gmail with an iPad (or iPhone for that matter). The solution was simple; just use Google Sync ( http://support.google.com/mobile/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=138740 is a link to the instructions). On the iPad under settings I went to "Mail, Contacts, Calendars". Clicking on that shows what accounts you have set up. Since I didn't have any I clicked on "Add Account..." and was presented with several options. There is an option for "Gmail" but the instructions provided by Google said to select "Microsoft Exchange" instead (even though I am not using Microsoft Exchange in Outlook). After following the instructions everything from my Gmail account is now synced with my iPad. On my iPad I configured this new account to "Fetch" data from Gmail every 30 minutes to preserve battery life but the interval can be shortened. This was all done without the use of iCloud or purchasing any additional software other than what I was already using. As a matter of fact my Calendar and Contacts in iCloud are empty. But when I click on either Contacts or Calendar on my iPad all of my information is there. By looking at it you can't tell where it came from but who cares; it's there and it's in sync with my other devices! So now when I make a change in Outlook, with one click of a button both my Android phone and iPad are updated almost instantaneously. No changes are ever made to Outlook other than the changes I make directly.

It's so sad that all these client and cloud programs don't know how to play nice together. The problem is we're having a battle of the Titans, and they don't really want someone else's software to work. Have you ever heard of corporate sponsered seminars on open development for email and Exchange clients with the Cloud? Of course not.

It's sad that to coordinate all devices someone would have to use iCloud, Outlook, and Google, just so all devices will be the same.

I had a client that had everything saved in her Outlook as a PST. She had 4 calendars and made the mistake of synching the new iCloud with her Outlook. She lost 3 calendars that she had been using for years. Unfortunately, there was no backup of her Outlook and she lost the calendars. Fortunately she has the calendars on her iPhone that previously synched with her Outlook but now she's scared to death to click sync for fear of losing her calendars on her iPhone.

Those of us working with data anywhere/everywhere find Outlook to be the standard. It may not be the best but it has universal development. What's so ironic is that the easiest way to sync with a smartphone and Exchange is to use and iPhone. Windows 7.5 phones require that you use a Windows Live account to sync your organizer with Outlook. Windows wants you to sync through Windows Live, then pass back the data to your Windows Phone and Outlook. iPhone on the other hand, you can create an Exchange account, and if you're using an Exchange Cloud, which you can get for 10/month per user, you will have complete and instant sync between your laptop, phone, and desktop. And a good Exchange cloud server will also have a webmail interface that you can log into from any public computer and have access to your data if you can't use your laptop or smartphone.

For myself, I've turned off iTunes and iCloud, actually uninstalled them completely. The Exchange cloud server provides instant and reliable connectivity throughout all devices.