iCloud deleted my Outlook calendar appointments, contacts, and tasks - HELP!!

I meant no disrespect. If you look at the number of queries arising from the use of iCloud then it's clear that normal users cannot easily use it in its current form. When I had a Dell computer which had a manufacturing fault, the user forums eventually overwhelmed Dell and they had to start replacing the computers at their cost. None of our debates here matter. The real test is whether there will be mass use of iCloud by iPad users in 6 month's time. My comment about spell chequers was a joke. Time to grow up.

My assumption would be the amount of queries being the same as MobileMe, but if it is higher I could see that since it is a free service instead of a 99 dollar one.

I'm not sure how you are equating people having setup issues on their PC with the usage of an iPad, nor a hardware manufacturing defect with software, but it takes all kinds I guess.

> Jaeden. Your point about a paid versus unpaid service is a good one. My point is that if normal users feel they have lost data, then it makes it difficult for them/ us to come back. In this process I learnt a lot about where Outlook stores calendar items and contacts. But that does not alter the facts that if you want to use iCloud to sync between iPad and PC, you have to

(a) cope with multiple duplicate entries until you sort out which one to keep or delete,

(b) give up syncing with other devices (because if you choose the iCloud entries and delete the Outlook entries then Nokia sync won't work),

(c) be darn sure to do full backups before you go anywhere near iCloud.

What iCloud should be, and I think is trying to be, is a multi-device syncing mechanism (like Evernote, drop box et al). At the moment it is not working terribly well.

The new iPad software now also allows you to sync wirelessly with PC instead of using a cable. i.e. instead if using iCloud you can go back to using iTunes to sync calendars, contacts and other content. This is another move towards making iPads more integrated with other devices. The wireless sync also has some glitches but is perhaps more predictable than iCloud is.

All protocols observed.

Precisely. Well put. Thank you.

Apple folks, please jump on this asap! Would be a great feature if it worked as advertised.

I finally iCloud to work on a new installation of Windows 7 and Outlook 2007. Initially I had issues as there was a problem with the outlook.pst file. Once I fixed that and reinstalled icloud I had no issues. iclould now syncs across our iphones, macs, and pc's without a problem. It works just as advertised.

do you see calendars and tasks in icloud menu or outlook menu to the left?

"Copying and wiping is actually intended. Microsoft won't allow any changes made to the default folders"

interesting becuase no one else's product i have tested has this type of issue. google syncs just fine without changing anything, but it wont sync tasks. and with all these others when i create a new calender entry or task on the PC it syncs without having to move it to a diffrent calander it just works. I have found a good service that syncs contacts, calander and tasks to the iphone from outlook without changeing anything in outlook and it even goes into the apple apps. it does cost $25 per year but works with many other phones, and apps. since icloud doesnt 'just work' for me I guess I will be using memotoo's service and since icloud cant deliver what it advertises I will not be paying for its addons. It would be nice if apple had allowed task sync from itunes then I wouldnt need a cloud service at all.

In response to JBA115 I see the icloud folders to the left in outlook below the default outlook folders. Events or contacts I modify within the icloud folders in outlook are propagated to all my other devices on icloud.

I unfortnately succumbed to the 'Apple Marketing Hype' and bought an iPhone 4. After my experiences with Apple and its software I can safely say that I won't buy another Apple product. I always heard that Apple was so good because everything Apple worked,but this is a lie - hardly anything works properly and I have wasted SO MUCH time on my shiny new lump of plastic, and now I fell for iCloud, I am t waste a lot more time reversing what it has done. I will be getting rid of my phone as soon as my contract has expired as I need things that work, not things that create work and tie you down. It's might be pretty, but it's high maintenance and an expensive load of rubbish.

I am really frustrated with the icloud... I have lost my Outlook calendar and my contacts... and basically my Outlook will no longer run at all! ... some issue with free/busy information... there is no new icloud calendar or contacts to re-load! I am no techie-whiz... just thought it could be cool to sync my itouch with my pc compu without having to plug it in all the time... I have loved the touch and was moving more and more toward Mac products, but this icloud issue has left a really bad taste in my mouth. I am extememly dependant on Outlook for work and now am disconnected from everything and everyone... cannot do all my work from my itouch.... please tell me how to contact someone who can help me delete icloud from my compu and my itouch and get back to how things were before!

stephen0838 wrote:

"Copying and wiping is actually intended. Microsoft won't allow any changes made to the default folders"

interesting becuase no one else's product i have tested has this type of issue. google syncs just fine without changing anything,

snip

Doesn't matter what Google does, only what iCloud does and what Outlook allows.

1 iCloud calendars are CalDav, they don't 'sync' you subscribe to them from various clients (iCal, Outlook etc)

2 Microsoft do not allow subscribed WebDav services to be the defaults in Outlook.

That's why this is happening, and there is (at this time) no workaround.

3 Ask Microsoft.

I ran into essentially same issues when first installed, but found some help from others here and then tinkered with it until it worked. First I would suggest making sure your Outlook is OK. Run setup on your Office installation disk and select "Repair", run that and reboot. Then:

-Select calendar in Outlook

-Right click on the Calendar icon below iCloud and left click on Copy Calendar.

-A window will open showing calendar under iCloud highlighted, but don't hit OK there.

-Scroll up until you see another Calendar icon below your main Outlook Data File/inbox/calendar.

-Select (highlight by left click) that Outlook calendar and left click the OK button.

This should copy the entries that were moved to iCloud calendar back to your original outlook calendar.

If you then want to get rid of iCloud, back up your computer, go to control panel, select "Programs and Features" (The name Windows 7 uses) and uninstall iCloud.

If you decide to do this and stillo want to sync all your devices, I'd select getting a Google gmail account (if you don't have one) and using their sync program to sync all your calendars. if you have an iPhone or iPad you can put your gmail on them and then (Settings Calendars) choose only to display your Google calendar.

It's a fair amount of trouble, but I eventually got everything working well. I'm using Windows 7 and Outlook, but I suspect that if I used Apple Computers everything would have been more troublefree.

I found this post because I too found my Outlook contacts and appointments empty.

It turns out I don't have a problem.

All my appointments and contacts are now in iCLoud contacts and appointments.

When I click calender the left side calendar bar has two items under All Calendar Items: Calendar (empty) and Calendar in iCloud (full) so I uncheck the old calendar and check the Calendar in iCloud and everything is fine.

It is in a different place, but not lost.

My plan is just to get used to using outlook with my data stored in iCloud, and occassionaly make a backup of iCloud so I am not at risk.

I'm not happy to have been caught unaware, I'm also not sure if I clicked past some install dialog that warned me or not.

For me this is a minor annoyance and the comments in this post helped me find my data, so thanks. It would have been nice if an Apple rep had noticed and offered an explanation, or created some info in advance for us to find in our searches.

It turns out that you do have a problem. Unless you can afford to lose all of your data (in this case contact information) do not assume your data is safe because it resides in a cloud.

You don't own the cloud, you don't manage the cloud, you have no control whatsoever over the cloud. If something happens to that hard drive that it's living on (tornado, hurricane, flood, theft, virus whatever) you will lose your only copy.

At the end of the day, hardware is hardware...and it fails. At the end of the day...people are people...and they make mistakes or worse.

I left my contacts on the cloud....but I made SURE that I had my hardcopy in Outlook.....where I can back it up.

Just my two cents.

Best of luck.