iCal: various problems

Question

Florian573 Author

Level 1

5 points

iCal: various problems

Hello!

I already twice updated my system (lion/mountain lion) hoping for better performance in iCal - without real success.

I am using Googles Calendars, the aim is to synchronize between android phone and macbook pro 13".

I often have the following problems, that espiaccially in an calendar app are really annoying:

-cannot syncronize: the spinning wheel lasts forever, evetually a message pops up.

-deleted entries/double entries: it occured, that some entries showed twice in ical. when i deleted one of them, both were gone in google calendar (without a way to restore them)

-cannot access settings: ical hangs when i press cmd, - i cannot change any settings.

-calendars of friends show notifications in activity center: how can i disable alerts (new in mountain lion) for calendars that are not mine but somebody elses?

these are my main problems that make it really hard for my to use iCal in a productive way, since you always have the feeling: do i have everything? did the system delete something? did it synchronize? and so on. am i making a mistake? do i have to switch to iCloud? (but what about android phone then?)

or could little snitch be the problem?

thank you!

florian

MacBook Pro 13" 2.4 GHz MacBookPro7,1, Mac OS X (10.6.5)

Posted on Feb 21, 2013 12:56 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Feb 21, 2013 2:30 PM in response to Florian573

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:

Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.

*Note: If FileVault is enabled under OS X 10.7 or later, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode.

Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

Reply

Answer 2

Florian573 Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 22, 2013 12:08 AM in response to Linc Davis

Hello and thank you!

I did what you suggested, baut also while in safe mode i cannot access iCals settings.

i get the following report when after a few minutes i kill the app:

Date/Time:	2013-02-22 09:01:47 +0100
OS Version:	10.8.2 (Build 12C60)
Architecture:	x86_64

Report Version: 11

Command:	Calendar
Path:	/Applications/Calendar.app/Contents/MacOS/Calendar
Version:	6.0 (1645)

Build Version: 2

Project Name:

iCal

Source Version: 1645000000000000

Parent:

launchd [149]

PID:	217
Event:	hang
Duration:	1.24s
Steps:	12 (100ms sampling interval)

Hardware model: MacBookPro7,1

Active cpus:	2
Free pages:	241893 pages (-789)
Pageins:	29 pages
Pageouts:	0 pages

Process:	Calendar [217]
Path:	/Applications/Calendar.app/Contents/MacOS/Calendar
Architecture:	x86_64
Parent:	launchd [149]
UID:	505
Task size:	21330 pages (+3)

Thread 0x8b0

DispatchQueue 1

priority 47

12 start + 1 (libdyld.dylib) [0x1110997e1]

12 ??? (Calendar + 8853) [0x10c19d295]
	12 NSApplicationMain + 869 (AppKit) [0x10cbeccb6]
	12 -[NSApplication run] + 517 (AppKit) [0x10cc48283]
	12 -[NSApplication nextEventMatchingMask:untilDate:inMode:dequeue:] + 128 (AppKit) [0x10cc50ed2]
	12 _DPSNextEvent + 2073 (AppKit) [0x10cc51b7f]
	12 _NSHandleCarbonMenuEvent + 245 (AppKit) [0x10cd2f9c6]
	12 _HandleMenuSelection2 + 565 (HIToolbox) [0x1124960b8]
	12 MenuSelectCore(MenuData, Point, double, unsigned int, OpaqueMenuRef, unsigned short) + 605 (HIToolbox) [0x112496aab]
	12 FinishMenuSelection(SelectionData, MenuResult, MenuResult*) + 94 (HIToolbox) [0x1124baa4f]
	12 SendMenuItemSelectedEvent + 254 (HIToolbox) [0x1124babc3]
	12 SendMenuCommandWithContextAndModifiers + 59 (HIToolbox) [0x1124bac11]
	12 SendHICommandEvent(unsigned int, HICommand const, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned char, void const, OpaqueEventTargetRef, OpaqueEventTargetRef, OpaqueEventRef**) + 443 (HIToolbox) [0x112515e89]
	12 SendEventToEventTarget + 40 (HIToolbox) [0x1124df1bd]
	12 SendEventToEventTargetInternal(OpaqueEventRef, OpaqueEventTargetRef, HandlerCallRec*) + 410 (HIToolbox) [0x1124c93d9]
	12 DispatchEventToHandlers(EventTargetRec, OpaqueEventRef, HandlerCallRec*) + 1206 (HIToolbox) [0x1124c9f0a]
	12 NSSLMMenuEventHandler + 342 (AppKit) [0x10ce70245]
	12 -[NSCarbonMenuImpl _carbonCommandProcessEvent:handlerCallRef:] + 135 (AppKit) [0x10cb642f7]
	12 -[NSMenu _internalPerformActionForItemAtIndex:] + 36 (AppKit) [0x10cb6446f]
	12 -[NSCarbonMenuImpl performActionWithHighlightingForItemAtIndex:] + 133 (AppKit) [0x10ce7713a]
	12 -[NSMenuItem _corePerformAction] + 406 (AppKit) [0x10ce7744c]
	12 -[NSApplication sendAction:to:from:] + 342 (AppKit) [0x10cd41a59]
	12 ??? (Calendar + 727244) [0x10c24c8cc]
	12 ??? (Calendar + 737680) [0x10c24f190]
	12 ??? (Calendar + 738786) [0x10c24f5e2]
	12 -[NSTableView _tileAndRedisplayAll] + 350 (AppKit) [0x10cd87efd]
	12 -[NSTableView _verifySelectionIsOK] + 1194 (AppKit) [0x10cda0462]
	12 -[NSTableView _enableSelectionPostingAndPost] + 411 (AppKit) [0x10cda150c]
	12 -[NSTableView _sendSelectionChangedNotificationForRows:columns:] + 176 (AppKit) [0x10cdbc340]
	12 -[NSNotificationCenter postNotificationName:object:userInfo:] + 64 (Foundation) [0x10fcb3846]
	12 _CFXNotificationPost + 2554 (CoreFoundation) [0x10f96647a]
	12 ??? (Calendar + 739490) [0x10c24f8a2]
	12 ??? (Calendar + 740109) [0x10c24fb0d]
	12 -[CalManagedExchangeAccount password] + 17 (CalendarStore) [0x10e0700c6]
	12 -[CalManagedExchangeAccount existingCredential] + 33 (CalendarStore) [0x10e070061]
	12 -[CalManagedExchangeAccount protectionSpace] + 87 (CalendarStore) [0x10e06fff5]
	12 -[CalExchangeSession useExternalURL] + 88 (CalendarStore) [0x10e00d083]
	12 -[CalExchangeSession testConnection] + 177 (CalendarStore) [0x10e00ce01]
	12 -[CalExchangeTestConnectionOperation executeInContext:error:] + 234 (CalendarStore) [0x10e0515f3]
	12 -[CalExchangeTestConnectionOperation _testURL:withSession:error:] + 140 (CalendarStore) [0x10e0513c3]
	12 -[EWSExchangeServiceBinding sendSynchronousMessage:error:] + 84 (ExchangeWebServices) [0x10e874976]
	12 -[SOAPRequest sendSynchronously:] + 451 (ExchangeWebServices) [0x10e88de27]
	12 -[NSRunLoop(NSRunLoop) runMode:beforeDate:] + 268 (Foundation) [0x10fd0589e]
	12 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 290 (CoreFoundation) [0x10f9556b2]
	12 __CFRunLoopRun + 1078 (CoreFoundation) [0x10f955ee6]
	12 __CFRunLoopServiceMachPort + 195 (CoreFoundation) [0x10f950803]
	12 mach_msg_trap + 10 (libsystem_kernel.dylib) [0x111273686]
	*12 ipc_mqueue_receive_continue + 0 (mach_kernel) [0xffffff8000213030]

Thread 0x8d5

DispatchQueue 2

priority 49

12 _dispatch_mgr_thread + 54 (libdispatch.dylib) [0x1110679ee]

12 kevent + 10 (libsystem_kernel.dylib) [0x111275d16]

*12 ??? (mach_kernel + 3471600) [0xffffff800054f8f0]

Thread 0x904

priority 54

12 thread_start + 13 (libsystem_c.dylib) [0x1110f2181]

12 _pthread_start + 327 (libsystem_c.dylib) [0x111105742]
	12 startIOThread(void*) + 148 (CoreVideo) [0x114c46013]
	12 CVDisplayLink::runIOThread() + 680 (CoreVideo) [0x114c462d4]
	12 __psynch_cvwait + 10 (libsystem_kernel.dylib) [0x1112750fa]
	*12 psynch_cvcontinue + 0 (mach_kernel) [0xffffff80005b5d30]

Thread 0x942

priority 63

12 thread_start + 13 (libsystem_c.dylib) [0x1110f2181]

12 _pthread_start + 327 (libsystem_c.dylib) [0x111105742]
	12 __NSThread__main__ + 1345 (Foundation) [0x10fd00612]
	12 +[NSURLConnection(Loader) _resourceLoadLoop:] + 356 (Foundation) [0x10fca2586]
	12 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 290 (CoreFoundation) [0x10f9556b2]
	12 __CFRunLoopRun + 1078 (CoreFoundation) [0x10f955ee6]
	12 __CFRunLoopServiceMachPort + 195 (CoreFoundation) [0x10f950803]
	12 mach_msg_trap + 10 (libsystem_kernel.dylib) [0x111273686]
	*12 ipc_mqueue_receive_continue + 0 (mach_kernel) [0xffffff8000213030]

Thread 0x1046

priority 47

12 start_wqthread + 13 (libsystem_c.dylib) [0x1110f2171]

12 _pthread_wqthread + 412 (libsystem_c.dylib) [0x111107cb3]
	12 __workq_kernreturn + 10 (libsystem_kernel.dylib) [0x1112756d6]
	*12 ??? (mach_kernel + 3911280) [0xffffff80005bae70]

Thread 0x1047

priority 47

10 start_wqthread + 13 (libsystem_c.dylib) [0x1110f2171]

10 _pthread_wqthread + 412 (libsystem_c.dylib) [0x111107cb3]
	10 __workq_kernreturn + 10 (libsystem_kernel.dylib) [0x1112756d6]
	*10 ??? (mach_kernel + 3911280) [0xffffff80005bae70]

*2 ??? (mach_kernel + 3911792) [0xffffff80005bb070]

Reply

Answer 3

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Feb 22, 2013 8:55 AM in response to Florian573

Read this whole message before doing anything.

Back up all data.

Quit Calendar or iCal if it's running.

Step 1

Hold down the option key and select

Go ▹ Library

from the Finder menu bar. From the folder that opens, move the following item to the Desktop, leaving the window open:

Calendars

Note: you're not moving the Calendars application; you're moving a folder named "Calendars". Relaunch the application and test. If there's no change, quit again and put the folder you moved back where it was, overwriting the one that may have been created in its place.

If the application launches after you move the Calendars folder, the event database is corrupt. You have two choices:

Restore the folder from a Time Machine snapshot or other backup that predates the corruption.
Use a third-party application such as Calendar Cleaner to try to repair the database.

If the application still crashes when you remove the database, then some other file is corrupt. Go to the next step.

Step 2

Delete the following items from the Library folder (some may not exist):

Caches/com.apple.CalendarAgent
Caches/com.apple.iCal
Saved Application State/com.apple.iCal.savedState

Try the application again. If it works now, stop here. Close the Library folder.

Step 3

Move the following items from the Library folder to the Desktop (again, some may not exist):

Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.iCal.helper.*.plist
Preferences/com.apple.CalendarAgent.plist
Preferences/com.apple.iCal.Alarm.plist
Preferences/com.apple.iCal.AlarmScheduler.plist
Preferences/com.apple.iCal.helper.plist
Preferences/com.apple.iCal.plist
Preferences/com.apple.iCalExternalSync.plist
Preferences/iCalExternalSync.plist

Here "*" stands for a long string of letters, numbers, and dashes. Test again. If the application now works, you may be able to put back some of the files you moved in this step, relaunching and testing after each one. Eventually you may find the file that caused the problem; delete it. Recreate your settings if necessary. Close the Library folder.

Reply

Answer 4

Florian573 Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 23, 2013 4:17 PM in response to Linc Davis

thank you for your advice, it helped me indirectly.

i found out, that my problem seems to be an exchange calender, that i recently added to ical.

i was abel to deactivate it in the new "Mail, Contacts & Calendar" Settings box, tha somehow overrules calendars settings (?).

i can now deactive this exchange account (iCal works fine) oder activate it (iCal works, but i cannot access its settings.)

my problem seems solved (i dont need iCals settings really, only wanted to look for a button to change the settings for the notifications for each calendar), but something isnt perfect there.

Reply

Answer 5

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Feb 23, 2013 4:23 PM in response to Florian573

Thanks for the update.

Reply

Answer 6

Florian573 Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 3, 2013 4:38 PM in response to Linc Davis

hello, i seem to be back.

when i checked my calendar today i realized, that a task that i had deleted at my office's outlook and another that i had addes did not show up at may macbook's ical.

again i had the problem mentioned above: i cannot access icals settings without freezing the app.

funny thing: before i deleted the account it showed the old version (before the changes above), synchronized (more than once) and did not report an error.

after deleting and re-adding the account, the calendar does not show up anymore and i cannot access the settings.

any ideas?

thanks florian

Reply