Shared Calendar Could not be Updated in Outlook – Solutions to the Issue

Shared calendars in Outlook are a very useful feature that allows users and teams to schedule, delete, and reschedule events using a centralised scheduling system. In the event of a shared calendar not updating, it can hinder the productivity of the user. 

In this article, we aim to discuss in detail how you can solve shared calendar could not be updated issue in Outlook. We will give you the list to troubleshoot this issue and the comprehensive steps to prevent this from happening.

Creating a Shared Calendar

First we need to learn how to correctly create a shared calendar, and what the appropriate settings should be: 

1. Click on Add Calendar in the calendar pane on the left side of the Outlook application. 
2. Click on edit calendars in order to share the existing calendar. 
3. You can also create a new calendar by clicking on Create a blank calendar. 
4. Find the new calendar in the edit tab and then click on Share Calendar. 
5. Now, enter the email address or the name of the user, and choose the Can edit option. 
6. Now you can share this calendar.
7. The users who you have invited will receive email invitations. They can click on the email and accept the email. 

Enabling Calendar Sharing Updates

First, you need to ensure that calendar-sharing updates is on. In order to solve the issue of the shared calendar could not be updated, you need to: 

1. In the Outlook application, select File > Account Settings. You will see a list of all your email accounts here. 
2. Select the Microsoft Exchange account and then select More Settings. 
3. Click on the advanced tab. 
4. Check the box that is next to the turn on shared calendar improvements option. 
5. Now you can restart Outlook. 

Reasons for Shared Calendar Could not be Updated Issue

Some common reasons why Outlook shared calendar not updating is highlighted below: 

1. Problems in connectivity – This may occur when your computer is not connected to the internet. It can also occur when the firewall settings are incorrect. 
2. Problems in syncing – The issue that you’re facing can also happen due to several issues between the server and the Outlook client, the profile, or the data file of Outlook (OST)
3. Calendar entry is corrupted – Even the calendar in Outlook can be corrupted. This can prevent Outlook from syncing the Outlook items to or from the mailbox server. 
4. The version of Outlook is not updated – If a version of outlook that is outdated is being used, then it may not be compatible with the server updates in the mailbox. 
5. OST file in Outlook is inconsistent – OST is a file format that is used by Outlook to store all the data such as calendars, messages, emails, and much more. When the OST exceeds the storage limit (approximately 10 – 20GBs) it can lead to inconsistencies. It can also occur due to damage to the OST files due to abrupt shutdowns. 

Troubleshoot Shared Calendar Could Not be Updated Issue

Here is a list of the steps you can try to solve the issue of Outlook shared calendar not updating. 

• Check your network connectivity –

Unstable internet connections can hinder the syncing process. You can try to restart your router and then reconnect to the network. 

• Verify your sharing permissions –

• • First open Outlook, and then click on the calendar icon. 
  • Select the shared calendar that is not updating. 
  • Select share > Calendar permissions.
  • Ensure that the calendar has the correct permissions. If necessary, you can adjust the permissions according to your needs. 

• Check for Incidents in the service –

A service incident has been identified by Microsoft (EX496574) which can lead to syncing problem and cause the shared calendar could not be updated issue. You need to verify if the problem you’re facing is related to this service incident. 

• Remove the calendar rights and then reassign them –

You can consider reassigning the rights to the shared calendar. This is to ensure that proper syncing is being done. 

• You can create a new Outlook profile –

• • Open the Outlook application. 
  • Select File > Account settings > Manage profile
  • Choose the Show profile > Add option. 
  • In the name box, you can name the profile and then click on OK. 

• Control panel settings –

• • Go into the Control panel. 
  • Select Programs and Features. 
  • Go to the Microsoft Office option. 
  • Look for Outlook that needs to be repaired in the list. 
  • Right-click on the option and click on repair. 
  • You can choose change if the repair option is not available. 
  • Check if this solution solves the shared calendar could not be updated issue.  

• You can study the settings for syncing –

• • Go to Outlook and then click on the File option. 
  • Go to the advanced tab.
  • Click on the send and receive button. 
  • Open the All accounts option. 
  • Press on the edit button and check the Include the selected account in this group. 
  • Under the Schedule and automatic send/receive option, select a reasonable time interval. Now you can click the OK button. 

• You can update Outlook to the version that is latest –

• • Go to the file tab in Outlook and click on accounts. 
  • Click on the update option, and if there is any update available, click on the update now option. 

• Rebuilding the OST file –

• • Right-click on the profile and choose the Open file location option. 
  • Now, close the client and copy the OST file to another location. 
  • After backing up the file, you can delete the default OST file and then start the Outlook client. This process will make a new OST file at the previous default location. You can copy all the contents of the backed-up file to this new folder. Now you can check if the shared calendar could not be updated issue is resolved.

• Turning off shared calendar improvements –

• • Open Outlook and go to the files option. 
  • Go to Account Settings > More settings > Advanced. 
  • You can uncheck the Turn on the shared calendar option. 
  • Now you can restart Outlook to see if the calendar starts to appear. 

• Resending the link of the shared calendar –

  • Go to settings > Org. Settings in the admin centre. 
  • In the Services tab, select the calendar. 
  • According to your preference choose the option that allows calendars to be shared with users outside the organisation. You can also choose to allow users to be anonymous to access the calendars. 
  • You can choose the type of information you want to make available to the users in the calendar. You can either allow all the information or limit it. 

Fixing the Shared Calendar Could Not be Updated Using PowerShell

You can also use Powershell to fix this issue. Below are the steps you can follow if none of the fixes mentioned above are working for you:

• Log into your Exchange Server and then open the Management shell. 
• Now enter the command given below:

• When you have determined whether this is your issue, then you can type in the following command: 

Now, you can close Outlook and then re-add the calendar. Now, reboot your device. This solution will at least correct an issue of permissions that is not visible on your server. 

Conclusion

Microsoft has gained a lot of popularity in recent years and the main reason for its success is its productivity suite. This allows users to collaborate with each other in the workplace and help improve their performance. One of the features of this productivity suite is the shared calendar. But, at times there may rise an issue where shared calendar can not be updated. In order to prevent this from happening, we have discussed the steps you can follow in this article. We have also discussed the steps in detail you can take to resolve this issue.