Import iCal into Outlook 2011/2016

What are iCal Files

“iCal” is a file extension of iCalendar application on a computer. iCalendar allows an internet user to send meeting request and tasks to other internet users, via mail or via sharing files with an iCal extension. iCal files are plain text file that contains the calendar details i.e event description,timing of an event and the location. There are N number of email clients that supports iCalendar including Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, IBM lotus Notes, Yahoo Calendar, etc. And iCal is designed to be independent of the other transport protocols.

Issues with iCal files

Mac is not synchronizing due to OS X Mountain Lion update, because of this reason the file that exported from windows to Outlook for mac are not supported. Moreover the location of the iCal file was unrecognizable.

To save individual appointment as an iCal file follow these steps:

• Click the calendar in the navigation pane and go to calendar view
• Now In calendar view, select the appointment that has to be saved in iCal format.
• Click file-> save as
• Now Assign a name to the selected appointment and click save.

How to Import iCal into Outlook

There are various ways to Open iCal files.
#1 The default location of the iCal file is:
iCal file resides in Home Folder->Library-> Application Support-> Calendar
using this path iCal file can be opened.
#2 We can store your calendar online with Google Calendar so that it gets easy for us to share it with others and to edit whenever we like too.

• Open Google Calendar on a computer.
• Go to section in the top right corner.
• Open calendar tab and click Import calendar between the my calendar option.
• Click choose file and then select the iCal file you want to export.
• Now select the calendar in which you want to import.
• Click import.
  #3 Convert iCal file into another file format and access it easily
  Using Multiple tools that are available in market we can convert iCal file into another file format and then access it accordingly.
  #4 Import iCal file into Outlook:
  As you open iCal in Outlook it will create a new calendar that contains the info of iCal calendar.
•  On a website click iCal
• When promoted click ok
• The iCalendar will appear in your Outlook Calendar.

Scenario

“I have saved my appointments on Outlook as iCal file and then I send these files to iCal on Mac. The process run smoothly but when I open iCal file on Mac they are completely different from what I saved in Outlook as iCal file to what I opened Mac as iCal file”
We can perform these steps in order to over come the issue occur in the scenario
1. Right click on the event and select duplicate. This will create a new event with same description.
2. Set the time zone in the new event to current time.
3. Move the event back to the original time, overlying the original event.
4. Now delete the original event.

Conclusion

This blog is aimed to define how to Import iCal into Outlook and the reason why iCal file does not support Outlook for MAC. Why iCal file are not being published on Mac. iCal file limitation and how we can open an iCal file in different ways.