Google Calendar questions

[ToxicToastKatz]

Howdy,

So I'm having some issues with utilizing my Google Calendar on my Hero.

First off, I've always used my company's Exchange Server for Contacts and Calendar, simply because my Outlook is always open at work and it's easier than opening a web browser to access my Google Calendar and Contacts. The problem I've been seeing lately with my Hero, for some reason, is that the Exchange syncronization is out of whack. There are times where it acts as it should (it's set to sync "As Items Arrive") and other times where it won't sync for 12 hours. I'll look at my phone, and emails and calendar entries that have either been deleted, changed or added are not sync'd with the server.

Yesterday, I realized that Google has a sync client that can sync the Exchange with your Google Calendar, so I set that up on my work computer to sync every 10 minutes with my Exchange Server, and then set my phone to only sync/show the Google Calendar, figuring that I could bypass the potential Exchange Issues. I gave this setup a try, and the calendar became virtually unusable. It would take 40 seconds to open and perform any kind of action. Once opened, it would hang. I also noticed that under "Date Syncronization" in the Google tab, the Calendar was continually trying to sync (it was always showing the little sync circle) and the icon was a mainstay at the top of the screen. I've always had the Google calendar sync with the phone (no idea why, since I never had it viewed in the Calendar app) and I never saw this behavior (interesting note....I finally figured out why I was getting dual notifications on things even after dismissing....even though the calendar isn't being "shown" in the app....the data is still being synced and the notification will still go off...duh on my part). Could this constant syncing and hanging of the app be a result of the calendar continually polling my Exchange Server? I'd really like a way to utilize the Google Calendar sync on my phone without actually having to use the UI of Google Calendar on the computer.

Additionally, just for kicks and grins, I tried adding a supplemental calendar to my Google Calendar on the computer and it never showed up on my phone.

If anyone has any ideas or experiences related to this that they could share or maybe point me in a direction where I can accomplish what I'd like, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks.

 

[daman7676]

I was trying to do something similar to what you did. I'll get into that later. Question though, did you disable the sync on your phone with Exchange?

 

[ToxicToastKatz]

I was trying to do something similar to what you did. I'll get into that later. Question though, did you disable the sync on your phone with Exchange?

I do believe I tried it with and without disabling Exchange sync (for the calendar portion only; Contacts and Email were still set up to sync)

 

[daman7676]

when you installed google calendar sync, did you use your GMail login or your Google Account login? Some people seem to have two different logins and I've read online that you should use the GMail login.

Also, your phone will only sync with your primary google calendar. It doesn't have the ability to sync with any additional calendars you create.

 

[ToxicToastKatz]

when you installed google calendar sync, did you use your GMail login or your Google Account login? Some people seem to have two different logins and I've read online that you should use the GMail login.

Also, your phone will only sync with your primary google calendar. It doesn't have the ability to sync with any additional calendars you create.

I logged in with my Gmail address and password.

As far as creating additional calendars, that's not a huge issue, I'm just more concerned with seeing if I can get this to work so that it syncs properly (not 100% of the time), syncs all my info and actually gives a usable calander app.

 

[daman7676]

OK. So let me make sure I fully understand your problem. You've setup Google Calendar Sync to sync with your work's Exchange Server.

Those items are now appearing your Google Calendar correct?

Next, you've turned on active sync on your Hero with your Google Calendar. However, the issue is that the sync icon (two arrows rotating in a circle) are constantly on AND you're built in Calendar app is not showing any items. Is this accurate?

Also, before you did all this, did you clear you Hero's calendar first?

 

[ToxicToastKatz]

OK. So let me make sure I fully understand your problem. You've setup Google Calendar Sync to sync with your work's Exchange Server.

Those items are now appearing your Google Calendar correct?

Next, you've turned on active sync on your Hero with your Google Calendar. However, the issue is that the sync icon (two arrows rotating in a circle) are constantly on AND you're built in Calendar app is not showing any items. Is this accurate?

Also, before you did all this, did you clear you Hero's calendar first?

You're close:

Here are the steps I have taken:

1. I deleted my Google Calendar on the computer per the instructions.
2. I installed the Google Calendar Sync client on the computer, signed in and set it up for "1 way Microsoft Outlook Calendar to Google Calendar" set to sync every 10 minutes.
3. Waited about 15-20 minutes for everything to sync; Checked my Google Calendar on the computer and everything had sync'd properly.
4. (this is the first actions with the phone)----Went into the calendar app and hit Menu>Calendars>and then added my Google Calendar to be shown. Mind you, for reasons unknown, I've always had the Google Calendar ActiveSync'd on the phone, even though it was never being shown in the calendar application, so that was already talking to the Google Servers. I unchecked my Exchange Calendar so I wouldn't have duplicate entries.
5. Waited a good 2 hours and attempted to open up the calendar. This is where it started to LAGGGGGGG big time. The application would just hang. It would eventually open, but every command took a good 20 seconds. The calendar events seemed to all be there, however, the sync circle was a mainstay at the top of my screen and in Data Syncronization>Google, the Calendar had a constant sync circle by it.

Again, for whatever reason, I've always had my phone sync with my Google Calendar and have never seen it constantly poll the servers for info. Granted, I've only imported my Outlook .CSV file into it once, so there was stuff in there, but it wasn't dynamically changing with every calendar entry. I just don't understand why it is continually syncing, especially since the Google Sync client on the computer is set to sync every 10 minutes. Additionally, when I am at home, my work computer is off and I don't have the Google Sync client running at home, so in theory, it shouldn't be talking to the Exchange Server at all during that time.

This is a stumper.

 

[daman7676]

Oh OK...thanks for clearing that up for me. This is definitely something odd and I have yet experience this. I will say though that the auto/active sync from your phone to your Google Calendar is not connected to your Google Calendar sync on your desktop. Meaning, the way it works is Google Calendar Sync on your desktop will push your appts from your Outlook every 10 mins up to your Google Calendar.

Your phone will separately get those appointments pushed to your phone "instantly." Another thing though...did you delete your phone's Outlook calendar before you started syncing with Google Calendar Sync app?

 

[ToxicToastKatz]

did you delete your phone's Outlook calendar before you started syncing with Google Calendar Sync app?

This I had not done.

I cut off syncing with the Exchange Server for the Calendar portion and "hid" the view of the Exchange Calendar in the actual application.

How would I go about deleting the calendar from the phone without impacting the information on the Exchange Server? My guess would be going into Settings>Applications>Manage Applications>and clear the data from the Calendar program, but I fear that will wipe out the info on the Exchange Server. I'm fairly certain, at a minimum, it will wipe out my Exchange info (mail, contacts and calendar) from the phone, which will require me to set it up again and resynch. Not the biggest deal in the world, but it just takes time. Is this the proper way to do it?

 

[daman7676]

What you described below is how you would clear your calendar. I don't believe, but I can't say for certain, that clearing the calendar would erase your contacts and mail. Your contacts should be stored in memory under the contacts app and same with mail.

Sorry I can't be of more help. I am unable to connect my phone to my company's Exchange Server so I have to use HTC Sync and pull my contacts and calendar via USB cable.

I did try using Google Calendar Sync to push my Outlook appointments to Google Calendar online but for some reason not all my apppointments would get sync'd. If I think of anything else I'll definitely let you know.

Good luck.

 

[ToxicToastKatz]

cool, i may give it a go this weekend. Appreciate all the help though.

Thanks.