iTunes sync hangs on Calendars

There are so many threads and discussions on this and similar that i decided to try and start fresh and provide users out there with a detailed description of my issues and how I finally resolved it. Some of my paths to resolution may have been unnecessary.

I suspect if I had simply upgraded my iPhones IOS from the get go I MOST likely would have fixed the issue then and there!!!

Suggest you read this first - then make your own call!!

Systems:

Mac Air:

- Mountain Lion v10.8.2

- MS Outlook for Mac 2011 v14.2.4 (using IMAP for several gmail a/c's and others)

- iTunes v10.7

- iCal v6.0 (1645)

N.B.: before upgrading to Outlook 2011 I experienced many bad experiences with corrupt Entourage d'bases. Net result was I set up Mac Mail to run as a background process (same IMAP connections etc) - this paranoid approach continued even after upgrading to Outlook 2011. Result - complete confidence that I have a full set of all my mail history should MS die an ugly death again!!!

iPhone 3GS

- previously running IOS v5.??

- now running IOS v6!! more on that later!!

History:

After a recent OSX upgrade and a MS update (both coincided within a few days if i recall correctly) when syncing my iPhone (running IOS v5.??) iTunes sync started to hang at Step 3: calendars.

I followed all manner of suggestions from this community and others to no avail.

So this is what I did:

Ensured Mac Mail was complete and up to date as well as backed up to Time Machine AND I generated archive copies just in case!!!

Followed the steps to completely remove MS Office.

Reinstalled MS Office from scratch.

{side note: got to last stage of install and had a really hard time completing because syncservicesagent would not die!!!! This support article resolved that and enabled me to move on ...

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1627

"In the Terminal window, type or paste the following command on a single line:

/System/Library/Frameworks/SyncServices.framework/Versions/A/Resources/resetsync.pl full

... close side note}

Here I made an error. I set up Outlook again whereas I should have thoroughly tested iPhone syncing via iTunes to iCal without Outlook in the mix.

Reset mail and calendar settings in Outlook - got it syncing with iCal again.

Plugged in iPhone - iTunes sync still hangs!!!!!!

Kick some stuff - generally vent some annoyance.

Hit iPhone software restore in iTunes and go through the process of restoring the iPhone which actually upgrades you to IOS v6 (which I wasn't ready to do but so far so good).

iTunes sync no longer hangs!!

Tested all permutations of meetings ...

from iPhone - turns up in Outlook

from Outlook - turns up on iPhone

from iCal - turns up in both

Only remaining weirdness is that whilst the iPhone and Outlook seem to be talking just fine - meetings generated in Outlook or on iPhone don't show up in iCal yet I thought iCal was the conduit!! My suspicion is it is something to do with iCal Calendars and Outlooks Categories not being compatible. Anyway's net result meetings sync between iPhone and Outlook.