ical - moving appointments from one ID to another

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Level 1

125 points

ical - moving appointments from one ID to another

In an attempt to eliminate my second Apple ID / iCloud account (let's refer to the two accounts as KEEP and LOSE), I exported iCal data from LOSE, and tried importing it to KEEP. I did the import after switching iCal to point to KEEP. The Import populated iCal correctly, but after a moment there was an error message telling me the calendar couldn't be sync'ed with iCloud. I checked iCal Preferences to make sure I was still pointing to KEEP, but it was in fact pointing again to LOSE. So obviously the export file contained some sort of reference to LOSE that the import process had seen.

So how can I do this? I assume I don't have to dive into the .icbu bundle and modify all references to my iCloud account, do I?

Thanks,

Chap

MacBook Pro (13-inch Late 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.4), Numbers '09 v2.1

Posted on Jul 21, 2012 9:15 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Winston Churchill

Level 10

122,487 points

Jul 21, 2012 9:38 AM in response to Chap Harrison

I think you might be confusing default calendars with your user (iCloud) accounts.

1) Create a new empty calendar from the iCal file menu, select which account you want to create it in.

2) If you have only a few appointments you can move them individually by editing them and changing the calendar in the edit options.

3) Alternatively you can copy all the appointments in one calendar to another and delete the original.

4) To copy a calendar ctrl-click on it from the menu that appears when you select the calendar button (top left corner of iCal) and choose export (export it to your desktop for ease)

5) Double click the exported file and choose the new empty calendar to import them into.

6) Ctrl-click on the original calendar from the menu that appears when you select the calendar button and choose delete.

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Answer 2

Chap Harrison Author

Level 1

125 points

Jul 21, 2012 10:00 AM in response to Winston Churchill

I have about six "calendars" that are in an iCloud account I'm referring to as LOSE. I wanted to export them collectively to my desktop and then import them to another iCloud account I call KEEP.

I didn't know the method you described for exporting a single calendar by ctl-clicking the Calendars menu. If that's what I have to do, I'll do it (six times), but what I did to export all six calendars from iCloud account LOSE was simple File > Export > Export..., which created an .icbu bundle. When I then went to iCal > Preferences > Accounts, selected LOSE, unchecked Enable this account, and added KEEP as an iCloud calendar, and then ran File > Import > Import..., it imported the contents of all six calendars but also changed my account preference back to LOSE.

So what I wanted to do was just move all calendars from account LOSE to account KEEP.

I don't think I'm confusing calendars with accounts here. DOes that make it any clearer what I'm trying to do?

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Answer 3

Jul 21, 2012 10:07 AM in response to Chap Harrison

What you are doing is making a complete backup which keeps the account info as well as the calendar info. You need to export as suggested.

You said you have preferences pointed to keep, I assume you are referring to the default calendar, this is the calendar appointments will go into unless you specify otherwise, it's not the calendar that will sync with iCloud. Perhaps you didn't misunderstand this.

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Answer 4

Chap Harrison Author

Level 1

125 points

Jul 21, 2012 10:37 AM in response to Winston Churchill

Thanks for explanation of .icbu.

Winston Churchill wrote:

You said you have preferences pointed to keep, I assume you are referring to the default calendar, this is the calendar appointments will go into unless you specify otherwise, it's not the calendar that will sync with iCloud. Perhaps you didn't misunderstand this.

Ah - I didn't word that correctly. What I meant was that I enabled account KEEP and disabled account LOSE. While I see that the interface would allow me to have two (or more) accounts concurrently enabled, I think I would most certainly go insane at that point. 😝

But thank you for reminding me of the option to set the "default calendar."

So - in summary, I have to export and import each calendar individually to move a collection of calendars from one account into another, is what I'm hearing.

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