How To Fix The Outlook 'Calendar Stopped Updating' Issue?

Calendar is a scheduling and calendaring feature in MS Outlook. It is an integral feature of the email client and useful for scheduling events, appointments, meetings, and more. However, sometimes, you encounter a situation where Outlook calendar updates don't go smoothly or Outlook calendar stopped updating.

In this article, we’ll be sharing some effective solutions to resolve the Outlook calendar stopped updating issue in Microsoft Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Reasons for the Outlook Calendar not Updating Issue

You may experience the Outlook calendar not updating issue for several reasons. Some common reasons are highlighted below:

Connectivity Problem: Outlook calendar will not update or sync if your computer or other device is not connected to the internet. The issue may also occur due to incorrect firewall settings.

Synchronization Problems: The Outlook calendar sync problem can occur due to synchronization issues between the server and the Outlook client. It usually occurs due to issues with the Outlook client, email profile, or the Outlook data file, i.e. OST, where all your mail items, including calendar items, are stored.

Corrupt Calendar Entry: Outlook calendar is also prone to corruption. Corrupt calendar entries can prevent Outlook from updating or synchronizing the calendar items to/from the mailbox server.

Outdated Outlook Version: If you are using an outdated version of Outlook, it may not be compatible with the latest mailbox server updates. As a result, it may fail to update, leading to Outlook calendar update issues.

Corrupt Outlook Profile: Outlook profile corruption is a common issue that can lead to such issues in Outlook clients.

Inconsistent Outlook OST File: Outlook Storage Table or OST is a database file format Outlook uses to store all mail items, such as messages, contacts, calendar items, notes, etc. When the OST grows large or exceeds the recommended limit (~10-20 GB), it may lead to inconsistencies, leading to various Outlook issues, such as Outlook not updating the calendar. OST inconsistencies may also occur due to abrupt shutdown or damage to OST files due to forced termination of the Outlook app.

Solutions to Fix the Outlook Calendar not Updating Issue

Now that we have identified the causes of the Outlook calendar not updating issue, let's take a look at some best solutions to fix the situation.

Solution 1: Check Your Internet Connection

First, check your internet connectivity. Make sure that your device is connected to a stable internet connection. For this,

Reconnect the ethernet cable to your PC or reconnect to the Wi-Fi.
Reset Wi-Fi adapter or network adapter.
Check your DNS settings. If you are using custom DNS settings, remove them and use public DNS.
Use web browser to login to your mail to ensure internet is working and the server is online.

After verifying, try manually updating your Outlook client by clicking on the Send/Receive > Update All button.

Solution 2: Study the Sync Settings

If your internet connection is working properly, the next step is to check the sync settings. Follow the steps below to complete the procedure:

Navigate to Outlook and click on the File tab.
Click on Options and then navigate to the Advanced tab.
Under the Send and Receive section, click on the Send/Receive button.
Now, select the All Account option in the dialog box.
Press the Edit button next to your email account.
Check the Include the selected account in this group option.
Now, check the Schedule and automatically send/receive every option and set it to a reasonable interval (e.g., 5 minutes).
Hit the close tab and tap on the OK button to save the changes.

Solution 3: Repair or Delete Corrupt Calendar Entries

If a corrupt calendar entry is preventing your Outlook calendar from updating, you can fix it by deleting or repairing the entry. To do this, follow these steps:

Open the Outlook calendar and locate the corrupt entry.
Right-click on the entry and select "Delete" to remove the entry.
If you are unable to delete the entry, try repairing the OST file using the SCANPST.exe utility.
To repair the OST file, navigate to the following location on your computer: C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Office/root/Officexx (Note: The location may vary depending on Outlook version).
Double-click on the SCANPST.exe file to launch the utility.
Select your OST file and click the Start button to begin the repair process.
Once the repair process is complete, try updating the Outlook calendar again.

Solution 4: Update Outlook to the Latest Version

If you are using an outdated Outlook version, it may not be compatible with the latest updates. Follow the below simple steps to update Outlook to the latest version:

Run Outlook and navigate to the File tab.
Click on Account or Office Account and then click Update Options.
Click on Update Now to check for updates and install the latest version of Outlook.

Solution 5: Reset the Outlook Navigation Pane

If none of the above solutions works, you may need to reset the Outlook Navigation Pane. This will clear any corrupt or outdated settings that may be preventing your Outlook calendar from updating. To reset the Navigation Pane, follow these steps:

Close Outlook, if it is open.
Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Mention outlook.exe /resetnavpane (without quotes) and hit Enter.
This will launch Outlook with the Navigation Pane reset to its default settings.

Solution 6: Create a New Profile

You can create a new profile in Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2021, or Outlook for Microsoft 365 to resolve Outlook not updating the calendar issue.

The steps are as follows:

Open Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles. Click Add.
Type a profile name and click OK.

Configure your Exchange, Outlook.com, IMAP, or Office 365 (Microsoft 365) email account. Click Next > Finish.
In the Mail dialog box, choose ‘Prompt for a profile to be used’. This will prompt you to choose a profile when you open Outlook.
Choose ‘Always use this profile’ and select new profile from the dropdown. Alternatively, you can remove your old profile after copying the associated OST file to another location as backup.
Click Apply > OK and run the Outlook using new profile. The Outlook should update the calendar items without issues.

Solution 7: Rebuild the OST file

Recreating or rebuilding the OST files can help fix the inconsistent OST file that may be causing Outlook not updating calendar issues. Follow these steps to rebuild the OST file:

Open Outlook. Right-click on your profile email address and choose ‘Open file location.’ This opens the default OST file location.
Close the Outlook client and copy the OST file to another location. You can copy it to an external drive, different volume, or folder.
After the backup, delete the default OST file from the location and start the Microsoft Outlook client. This will create a new OST file at the same default location.

Conclusion

In this article, we have highlighted all you need to know about the Outlook calendar not updating issue. To resolve the issue, you must first understand its cause. We have provided the solutions, depending on the cause, to resolve the issue.