How to merge two Outlook Calendars

Steps to Merge Calendars in Outlook:​

1. Export the Green Calendar:
   • Open Outlook and navigate to your Calendar view.
   • Right-click on the green calendar that you wish to merge.
   • Select Save Calendar or Export.
   • If prompted, choose the file format as *iCalendar Format (.ics)** and save it to a location you can remember (your desktop is a good choice).
2. Import the Events from the Green Calendar to the Blue Calendar:
   • Now, go back to your Calendar view in Outlook.
   • Right-click on the blue "Main" calendar.
   • Select Open or Import.
   • Choose Import from another program or file.
   • Select iCalendar (ics) as the file type.
   • Browse to the location where you saved the green calendar .ics file and select it.
   • Choose how you want duplicates to be handled (if there are overlaps) and proceed with the import.
3. Check Your Blue Calendar:
   • After importing, go back to the blue calendar and review its events to ensure that all entries from the green calendar are now included.
4. Export the Merged Calendar:
   • To export the merged calendar as an .ics file:
     • Right-click on the blue calendar (now merged with events from the green calendar).
     • Select Save Calendar or Export and choose the option to export as *iCalendar Format (.ics)**.
     • Save the file where you can easily find it.

Important Notes:​

• Where is the Calendar File?: The calendar files (like .ics) are saved to whatever location you specify during the export process. You can choose between desktop, documents, or any preferred folder on your PC.
• Identifying Calendar Files: If you have multiple calendars, ensure you export from the one you intend to merge and import into the main calendar.

Additional Tip:​

Method to Merge Calendars without Exporting:​

1. Open Both Calendars Side by Side:
   • In Outlook, go to the Calendar view.
   • Check that both the blue (Main) and green calendars are visible and listed in the left navigation pane.
2. Manual Copying of Events:
   • View Events: Click on the green calendar to browse through its events.
   • Select Events: For merging, you will need to select the events you want to transfer. You can do this by:
     • Holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on individual events to select multiple events or.
     • Use Ctrl + A to select all events if appropriate.
   • Copy Events:
     • After selecting the events, right-click on the selected events and choose Copy or simply use Ctrl + C.
3. Paste Events into the Blue Calendar:
   • Switch to the blue calendar.
   • Right-click within the calendar grid, then choose Paste or use Ctrl + V. This will add all copied events from the green calendar to the blue calendar.
4. Confirm All Events are Merged:
   • After pasting, scroll through the blue calendar to ensure that all events have been successfully copied over from the green calendar.
5. Clean Up:
   • Once you've confirmed the events are in the blue calendar, you can choose to delete the green calendar if it's no longer needed by right-clicking on it and selecting the appropriate delete option.

Additional Options:​

• Using Third-Party Tools: Sometimes applications like Outlook add-ins can provide more comprehensive export and manipulation options.
• Checking Online Options: If your calendars are synced with an account like Outlook.com or Google, logging into the web interface can sometimes offer export options that the desktop application does not.

Steps to Troubleshoot the Missing Blue Calendar:​

1. Check Calendar View Options:
   • Make sure that the blue calendar is not simply unchecked in the navigation pane.
   • In Outlook, look at the left navigation pane and ensure the checkbox next to the blue calendar is checked. If it's unchecked, click it to show the calendar.
2. Reset the Navigation Pane:
   • Sometimes the navigation pane itself can get corrupted or malfunction. Try resetting it:
     • Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
     • Type outlook.exe /resetnavpane and hit Enter. This should reset the navigation pane and may restore missing calendars.
3. View All Calendars:
   • In the Calendar view, check the "View" tab in the Ribbon at the top (if visible).
   • Make sure you’re in the Calendar section and look for a "Manage Calendars" section to ensure all calendars are visible and properly set up.
4. Open Calendar Within the Folder List:
   • If you have other accounts connected (Outlook.com, Google, etc.), ensure you’re checking the correct account under the respective folders to see the calendars associated with those accounts.
5. Create a New Calendar View:
   • If the issue persists, try creating a new calendar view:
     • Go to the View tab and select Change View -> Manage Views.
     • Create a new view and configure it to include both calendars.
6. Check for Corruption:
   • If the problem continues, there may be underlying issues with your Outlook profile. You could consider creating a new Outlook profile:
     • Close Outlook, then go to the Control Panel.
     • Search for Mail, click Show Profiles, and create a new profile. You can then add your account(s) again.
7. Look in Cached Exchange Mode:
   • If your account is set up with Exchange, make sure "Use Cached Exchange Mode" is checked in the account settings. Sometimes, the synchronization can fail, leading to missing calendars.
8. Sync Calendar:
   • If you’re using an Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 account, ensure that Outlook is signed in and allowed to sync all data including calendars.

Next Steps:​

Alternative Method to Set Default Calendar​

1. Open Calendar View:
   • Launch Outlook and navigate to the Calendar view.
2. Right-click on Your Current Calendar:
   • In the left-hand navigation pane, right-click on the calendar that contains all your appointments (the one you want to make default).
3. Select "Properties":
   • From the context menu, select Properties for the calendar.
4. Set Permissions:
   • Under the Permissions tab, ensure that you have the correct settings. This usually isn’t where you set it as default, but it’s good to confirm you have full ownership of the calendar.
5. Go to Calendar Options:
   • While still in the Calendar view, go to the File menu.
   • Click on Options to open Outlook Options.
   • From the left-hand sidebar, select Calendar.
6. Change Default Calendar:
   • In the Calendar options, look for the section regarding Calendar options. Here you should find a setting called "Default Calendar."
   • Depending on your version of Outlook, you may see an option that allows you to change which calendar is set as the default for new appointments and events.
7. Confirm and Exit:
   • Once you have set your current calendar as the default, click OK to apply your changes.

Additional Notes:​

• If you cannot find an option to directly set a calendar as default, it might be worth checking your Outlook version or whether you’re using a corporate account with specific restrictions.
• Make sure Outlook is fully updated, as some features may vary based on updates.

If All Else Fails:​

Steps to Select the Default Calendar:​

1. Open Outlook:
   • Launch Outlook and go to the File menu.
2. Account Settings:
   • Click on Account Settings, then select Account Settings again from the dropdown.
3. Data Files Tab:
   • In the Account Settings window, go to the Data Files tab.
   • Here, you should see a list of your data files and the calendars associated with them.
4. Select the Default Data File:
   • Find the data file that contains the calendars you want to manage. If you have two calendars within the same data file, you need to identify that file.
   • Select the data file you want to designate as default and then click on Set as Default (this option may not be visible if you're using an OST file with an Exchange account, where the default is typically determined by the account).
5. Close the Settings:
   • Click Close to exit the Account Settings.
6. Check Your Calendar:
   • Return to your Calendar view to confirm that the desired calendar has been set as the default. The default calendar is typically where new appointments will be saved by default.

Important Notes:​

• If you have separate calendar files (.pst, .ost) and want to make a specific calendar the default, you may need to first ensure that it’s loaded in your Outlook session.
• If both calendars appear under the same data file, generally, only the data file can be set as default—not the individual calendars within that file. In that case, Outlook will default to the first loaded calendar.

If You Encounter Issues:​

• Make sure you are connected to the correct account, as sometimes the Outlook profile settings may prevent changes.
• If these steps don’t seem to apply correctly, consider trying to rename the calendars, delete the unwanted one if necessary, or create a new default calendar if the management options are limited.

Steps to Restore a Deleted Calendar​

1. Check the 'Deleted Items' Folder:
   • Open Outlook.
   • In the left-hand navigation pane, go to the Deleted Items folder.
   • Look for the deleted calendar in this folder.
   • If found, right-click on it and select Restore to move it back to its original location.
2. Recover Items from Server (if available):
   • If the calendar is not in the Deleted Items folder, you can try recovering items from the server:
     • Click on the Folder tab in the Ribbon (top menu).
     • Look for the Recover Deleted Items option (this may appear under "Clean Up" or similar, depending on your version).
     • A window will appear showing items that can still be recovered from the server. Search for your calendar.
     • Select the calendar and click Restore Selected Items.
   Note: This option is only available if you are connected to an Exchange server or using an Office 365 account with server-side recovery enabled.
3. Check 'Trash' Folder (if using IMAP):
   • If you are using an IMAP setup (e.g., with Outlook.com or Google Calendar), check the Trash or Bin folder associated with that account.
   • Log in to the web version of your account (e.g., Outlook.com or Gmail via browser), navigate to the trash folder, and restore the calendar from there.
4. Use the Archive (if set up):
   • If your Outlook account has auto-archive enabled, the calendar might have been moved to an archive file.
     • Go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.
     • Browse to your archive folder and open it.
     • Check for the missing calendar in the archive.
5. Contact IT Administrator or Support:
   • If you're using a corporate account or Office 365 with administrative controls, your IT department or service provider may have additional recovery options.

If Manual Recovery Fails:​

• Look for backups of your Outlook data (.pst files) and check whether the missing calendar exists there.
• As a last resort, contact Microsoft Support for further assistance. They may be able to recover the calendar depending on how long ago it was deleted.

Option 1: Use a Professional Tool​

• Description:
  There are several third-party utilities specifically designed to merge or migrate Outlook calendar data (e.g., Stellar Merge Mailbox, Kernel Merge PST, etc.).
• How it works:
  • Install the chosen tool.
  • Select the calendar PST files you want to merge.
  • Follow the tool’s prompts to combine calendar entries or entire PSTs.
  • Import the resulting merged PST into Outlook if needed.
• Pros:
  • Easy, automated, handles duplicates well, can merge multiple files at once.
• Cons:
  • Usually not free.

Option 2: Use Outlook’s Import/Export Wizard​

• Description:
  Use the built-in import/export feature in Outlook to combine calendar data.
• How it works:
  1. Export:
     • In Outlook: Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
     • Choose “Export to a file” > “Outlook Data File (.pst)” > Select the source Calendar > Save the file.
  2. Import:
     • Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
     • Choose “Import from another program or file” > “Outlook Data File (.pst)” > Select the exported PST > Map to the target calendar.
  3. Merge:
     • When prompted during import, select "Import items into the same folder" to merge with your existing calendar.
• Pros:
  • Free, no extra software needed.
• Cons:
  • Manual steps, careful folder mapping required, doesn’t deduplicate automatically.

• Professional tool: Best for large-scale merging, automation, or when working with several calendars.
• Import/Export wizard: Perfect for smaller jobs or when you prefer to use only Outlook’s built-in functionality.