Issues Synchronizing Calendar

I have not been able to synchronize my ward's calendar with Outlook 2007 this week. The last time I did an update was about 07 August 2012. When I try to update I get the error message: "Cannot verify or add the calendar to Outlook. Make sure the following link is a valid calendar link: webcals://www.lds.org/church-calendar/services/lu ... 5268647110." I obtained that link by copying it from the Sync page and pasting it into the IE 8 address bar. I have had similar issues in the past, waited a few days and things were back to normal; however, such has not been the case this time. Any suggestions?

gshosford wrote:I have not been able to synchronize my ward's calendar with Outlook 2007 this week. The last time I did an update was about 07 August 2012. When I try to update I get the error message: "Cannot verify or add the calendar to Outlook. Make sure the following link is a valid calendar link: webcals://www.lds.org/church-calendar/services/lu ... 5268647110." I obtained that link by copying it from the Sync page and pasting it into the IE 8 address bar. I have had similar issues in the past, waited a few days and things were back to normal; however, such has not been the case this time. Any suggestions?

As explained in Calendar Availability Issues, the synchronization has been off and on over the last while (mostly off, in my experience, for the last couple of weeks). I did just check it a few minutes ago and it appears to be up again -- I was able to sync with no problem.

aebrown wrote:As explained in Calendar Availability Issues, the synchronization has been off and on over the last while (mostly off, in my experience, for the last couple of weeks). I did just check it a few minutes ago and it appears to be up again -- I was able to sync with no problem.

Thank you for your response. I have not been able to synch at all today, but I will keep checking. And thank you for the "Calendar Availability Issues" link.

I was able to synchronize with Outlook 2007 for a few weeks, then I started having difficulty again. Over the last four or five weeks I have only been able to sync two time. Then it was only after pressing the "Generate new syn URLs" button. Whenever I try to sync, I get the following error message: "Cannot verify or add the calendar to Outlook. Make sure the following link is a valid calendar link:" then it gives the sync URL. Am I the only one having difficulty synchronizing? If so what am I doing incorrectly? Is it possible that a Microsoft update has muddied the waters? Please help. Our ward uses the calendar to create a forward-looking rolling eight week calendar for the ward leadership and it uses a rolling six-week version of it for the ward bulletin. There are too many events on the calendar to keep the calendar up-to-date manually and the rolling calendars are getting out-of-date.

I posted the problem earlier today and came back hoping for some resolution and have found none. Glad to know it is not just me, but mine quit working. I created the new URL and am now not able to get it to sync with Google Calendar. 2 members of my stake presidency are having the same issue. Hopefully someone somewhere can help.

The problems outlined in the first 3 posts should have been solved by now. However, you can only use the sync URL once every 9 minutes. So the first step is to make sure you are not over-requesting. If you do, you'll end up with a null file.

Note this limits is for all devices and processes that use that URL, not a "per-device" limit.

RussellHltn wrote:The problems outlined in the first 3 posts should have been solved by now. However, you can only use the sync URL once every 9 minutes. So the first step is to make sure you are not over-requesting. If you do, you'll end up with a null file.

Note this limits is for all devices and processes that use that URL, not a "per-device" limit.

Did nothing all night - this morning still not able to import to google calendars. Get this error, same as what I have been getting all along.

Failed to import calendar from "http://www.lds.org/church-calendar/serv ... ........04

I would be more than happy to give you the entire link if that is what is needed for resolution.

I did not try the validator program suggested earlier, but all other times I have used it it came back clean.

Is there anything else, some setting somewhere that needs set?

ramonc wrote:I did not try the validator program suggested earlier, but all other times I have used it it came back clean.

It would be worth trying again. There could be a problem with a event that's been added that breaks the iCal format.

You could also try downloading the iCal file to your PC and then "feeding" it to Outlook to see if it works that way.

RussellHltn wrote:It would be worth trying again. There could be a problem with a event that's been added that breaks the iCal format.

You could also try downloading the iCal file to your PC and then "feeding" it to Outlook to see if it works that way.

Still not luck. Get same error when trying to "Add URL" in google calendar. If I download the file and then import to Google Calendar, it imports just fine. If I need to send you my link to try/verify, I sure can.

I used my link to sync to a different Google account and it worked. I'm out of ideas.

RussellHltn wrote:I used my link to sync to a different Google account and it worked. I'm out of ideas.

Your earlier post stated "there could be a problem with a event that's been added that breaks the iCal format." Someone on your side is going to have to tell us what that event is that is causing the problem.

The way it is now, mine does not sync, my wife's does not sync, Stake Presidency Counselor does not sync and we all get the same error trying to sync with Google Calendar.

It is not like we want to delete all of our calendars and start entering all of the info again, that would be huge.

Do you want me to send you my link and see if you can analyze the data and let us know what to remove if the data is causing the problem?

Appreciate any help you can give.

Ramonc, try it again. I was have the same problem for the last two days. However, this morning it worked.

Gary_Miller wrote:Ramonc, try it again. I was have the same problem for the last two days. However, this morning it worked.

Still no luck, When I try to import I get "Settings Error" Failed ot import calendar from http://www.lds.org ..............

ramonc wrote:It is not like we want to delete all of our calendars and start entering all of the info again, that would be huge.

What you can do is unsubscribe from some calendars to narrow down the problem. If it suddenly starts to sync, then it strongly suggests that it is a data issue.

RussellHltn wrote:What you can do is unsubscribe from some calendars to narrow down the problem. If it suddenly starts to sync, then it strongly suggests that it is a data issue.

I am only subscribed to "churchwide events" and get the same error. Does not seem to be a data issue since we cannot control that calendar

ramonc wrote:I am only subscribed to "churchwide events" and get the same error. Does not seem to be a data issue since we cannot control that calendar

Just to be clear, when I say "subscribe", I'm talking about going to the subscription page, not just unchecking the boxes on the main page. And you are waiting at least 9 minutes since the last attempt by any device to use that sync URL?

RussellHltn wrote:Just to be clear, when I say "subscribe", I'm talking about going to the subscription page, not just unchecking the boxes on the main page. And you are waiting at least 9 minutes since the last attempt by any device to use that sync URL?

9 ward calendars all unsubscrbied
6 stake calendars all unsubscribed
1 chruchwide calendar subscribed

When I go back to calendar (my wifes calendar) I see only the one calendar. It is now 2:51 pm and I just clicked on sync and generate a new URL for google and got this, :

http://www.lds.org/church-calendar/serv ... xxxxxxxxxx

it is now 3:11 I am going to google calendar in adding by url, pasting in the above link
At the top it says importing from URL, taking as long as normal, which should go faster I think since there are only about 6 items in the churchwide calendar. I see an occasional flash "loading" at the top right of browser.

It is now 3:16 I have the error "settings error" "failed to import ......."

It is now 3:30 I just went to windows exlporer and downloaded the above link and got this:
BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints//LDS Calendar 2.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20121011T213017Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20121202
DTEND;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20121203
SUMMARY:First Presidency Christmas Devotional
UID:000000000000000000000000000000000000008405580@calendarws.lds.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20121011T213017Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20120929
DTEND;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20120930
SUMMARY:General Relief Society Meeting
UID:000000000000000000000000000000000000008845623@calendarws.lds.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20121011T213017Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20121006
DTEND;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20121007
SUMMARY:General Conference
UID:000000000000000000000000000000000000008405577@calendarws.lds.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20121011T213017Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20121007
DTEND;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20121008
SUMMARY:General Conference
UID:000000000000000000000000000000000000008405578@calendarws.lds.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20121011T213017Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20121104
DTEND;VALUE=DATE;VALUE=DATE:20121105
SUMMARY:CES Devotional for Young Adults
UID:000000000000000000000000000000000000008405579@calendarws.lds.org
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR

Not much data as expected , but I got it.

I just think there is something somewhere between google and your servers that something does not want to play nice.

Hope this helps shed some light. Thanks for your help

Just as a note, I blanked out the final subscription GUID of your link as this is a public forum.

It does seem like something isn't playing nice, but I'm not sure why you're having problems an so many others are not.

Did you try to add my calendar link to a google calendar by chance?

Just a reminder, same problem with mine, my wifes, and a member of the Stake Presidency (who I am really wanting to get going and so does he)

Just for my understanding, If I go generate a new URL that old one you blanked out will not work anymore anyway will it?

ramonc wrote:Did you try to add my calendar link to a google calendar by chance?

I gave it a shot, but I wasn't sure if 9 minutes had elapsed from the last attempt.

ramonc wrote:Just a reminder, same problem with mine, my wifes, and a member of the Stake Presidency (who I am really wanting to get going and so does he)

Noted, but I'd expect to see a much larger volume of complaints if something suddenly quit working. This may be a problem isolated to your unit. I'll have to compare your results to mine.

ramonc wrote:Just for my understanding, If I go generate a new URL that old one you blanked out will not work anymore anyway will it?

Correct.

I to have had some failed problems with goggle. But was able to get it to work by just waiting awhile.

RussellHltn wrote:I gave it a shot, but I wasn't sure if 9 minutes had elapsed from the last attempt.



Noted, but I'd expect to see a much larger volume of complaints if something suddenly quit working. This may be a problem isolated to your unit. I'll have to compare your results to mine.




Correct.

I will do nothing with this link so you can wait the 9 minutes and try again. it is now 4:40 mountain daylight time

Interesting. Your sync URL is 13 characters longer then mine.

That's all I can find different.

RussellHltn wrote:Interesting. Your sync URL is 13 characters longer then mine.

That's all I can find different.

All I do is copy and paste what the server creates and is on my screen.

Have you been able to successfully import my link to google calendar?

If mine is too long, I think someone on your side will have to fix that, unless you can tell me of some setting you want me to change that will make it shorter.

I've forwarded the issue to the developers. I wouldn't think the length is an issue, but I have no idea how long a URL Google will accept.

Edit: I found someone who says they're having problems with a 268 byte length but a 251 byte URL is OK. Yours is not even half of that. But I'm thinking the longer URL might be handled by a different server and there might be a something related to that. Perhaps Google is being blocked from that server. Just a wild guess.

RussellHltn wrote:I've forwarded the issue to the developers. I wouldn't think the length is an issue, but I have no idea how long a URL Google will accept.

Edit: I found someone who says they're having problems with a 268 byte length but a 251 byte URL is OK. Yours is not even half of that. But I'm thinking the longer URL might be handled by a different server and there might be a something related to that. Perhaps Google is being blocked from that server. Just a wild guess.

Sounds good, let me know if I need to send you my URL link to test with

I stripped subscriptions down to just our ward, so there aren't many events. Google calendar says "importing calendar from url ..." and sits there for several minutes before giving a pop-up indicating "Settings Error".

RussellHltn wrote:I've forwarded the issue to the developers. I wouldn't think the length is an issue, but I have no idea how long a URL Google will accept.

Edit: I found someone who says they're having problems with a 268 byte length but a 251 byte URL is OK. Yours is not even half of that. But I'm thinking the longer URL might be handled by a different server and there might be a something related to that. Perhaps Google is being blocked from that server. Just a wild guess.

Any updates from developers. Still not working.

ramonc wrote:Any updates from developers. Still not working.

I put it in the bug tracking program, but I'm not seeing any action on it so far.

I have a workaround, at least for my copy of MS Outlook 2007. I have found that the URL for synchronizing the calendar on Outlook 2007 will not in-fact synchronize. However, if I delete the existing calendar, then use the URL, my copy of MS Outlook 2007 will communicate with the website and create a new up-to-date calendar. It is not a very elegant solution and it requires a step that I didn't need to do previously, i.e. delete the existing calendar, but it does enable me to update the calendar. I do not know if it will work for others that are having similar issues, but it works in my instance. I hope this is of value to some of you and I hope this gives a clue to the Church developers as to the source of the problem.

I realise that there was a problem with this but I believe it was fixed few months back. Unfortunately I am unable to sync my calendar with the URLs provided, "cannot add or verify the calendar -------", message comes up.
I have to generate a new URLs and that does it. Do I have to keep doing this all the time, is the problem fixed permanently or is there anothe issue that is causing this?
My OS is Windows Xp Pro and IE is Google Chrome.

Regards
William

Thanks for reporting this issue. I also cannot sync my calendar. I added a bug to the bug tracking system (JIRA) for the calendar project. Developers will try to fix this in an upcoming release. (Just a note, though, resources are somewhat overloaded right now, so there may be somewhat of a delay.)

RussellHltn wrote:I've forwarded the issue to the developers. I wouldn't think the length is an issue, but I have no idea how long a URL Google will accept.

Edit: I found someone who says they're having problems with a 268 byte length but a 251 byte URL is OK. Yours is not even half of that. But I'm thinking the longer URL might be handled by a different server and there might be a something related to that. Perhaps Google is being blocked from that server. Just a wild guess.

Any update on this from developers? It has been over a month now and still not able to sync. Thanks for any help you can give.

The issue was transferred to a different bug tracking system. The indication is that it will be fixed in the next release, but I have no idea when that will be.