Summary: There are various reasons that can lead to the room calendar not syncing in Microsoft Outlook issue. In this guide, we will explain the causes that may trigger this issue and provide solutions to effectively fix the Microsoft Outlook room calendar not syncing issue. We will also mention an OST to PST converter software that can recover data from orphaned or inconsistent OST files.
Microsoft Outlook allows users to schedule meetings and book meeting rooms at the scheduled time. However, sometimes, users encounter situations where the room calendar may not appear to them or does not sync correctly. This leads to confusion and discrepancies.
In this guide, you will learn the common reasons behind the room calendar not syncing or showing in Outlook issue and the solutions to troubleshoot and resolve it.
Reason for Room Calendar Not Syncing Issue in Outlook
The issue of room calendar not syncing in Outlook can occur due to one or more of the reasons mentioned below:
- Lack of permission to view or edit the room calendar
- Network problems or connectivity issues
- Incorrect settings in Outlook or the server lead to sync failures
- Outdated Outlook client
- Outlook data (OST) file issues
- Large or oversized OST file
- Server outage
- Security restrictions and email filters
- Large mailbox size
Solutions to Troubleshoot and Resolve Room Calendar Not Syncing Issue in Outlook
Many users have reported this issue on the Microsoft community forum. Some experts have suggested a few solutions that have worked for some but not for everyone. Below we have discussed all the possible solutions to troubleshoot and fix the room calendar not syncing problem in Outlook. Follow them in the given order.
1. Check Permissions
If you don’t have access to a certain meeting room, you may not be able to book it or schedule a meeting in that space. So, if you are trying to book a room or space for meeting in office premises and wondering why you are not able to view or edit the room calendar, it could be due to lack of permission or access rights. You can reach out to your administrator and ask them to grant the required permissions.
2. Ensure Network Connectivity
Poor or unstable network connection can lead to the room calendar not syncing issue. Therefore, check and ensure that your device is connected to a stable internet or your corporate network. You can also try to restart the router/modem or network devices (such as switch) to resolve the connectivity issues that might be affecting the synchronization.
3. Increase Sync Rate
By increasing the sync rate, you can enable Outlook to frequently check and synchronize all the mail items, including room calendars and other items. To do so, follow these steps:
- In Outlook, go to File > Options and click Advanced.
- Under the Send and Receive section, click the Send/Receive button.
- Reduce the time (in minutes) to your preferred choice and how frequently you want Outlook to sync and update the changes in Outlook.
- Once done, click Close.
From now onwards, sync rate will be faster based on your selection.
Note: It’s recommended to not go below 10-15 minutes as that may impact the Outlook performance.
4. Update Outlook
Updating Outlook and Windows can patch any vulnerabilities and bugs that may trigger such errors while using Microsoft Outlook. To check and update Outlook and Windows OS, follow these steps:
- Open Outlook and go to File > Office Account > Update Options
- Click Update Now. This will check for any available updates.
- If new updates for Outlook are available, follow the on-screen instructions to download and install them immediately.
- Similarly, download and install Windows OS updates via Settings > Windows Update.
- Once the Outlook and Windows Updates are downloaded and installed, restart the system.
- After the restart, open Outlook go to the Send/receive tab, and click Update Folders. Then, go to Calendar and create a meeting. Check if you can view or edit the room calendar and if the room calendar is syncing with your Outlook account.
5. Re-add the Room Calendar
You may also remove and then add the room calendar to fix any temporary glitch that may be causing this issue in Outlook. The steps are as follows:
- Right-click the calendar in the navigation pane.
- Select Delete Calendar or Remove.
- Then click the Add Calendar or Open Calendar option and choose From Room List...
- Select the room and click OK.
6. Create a New Profile
It’s possible that the current email profile in Outlook is corrupt, which is preventing you from accessing or syncing room calendar. This can be resolved by creating a new profile. The steps are as follows:
- Close Outlook.
- Open the Control Panel and click User Accounts > Mail.
- Click on Show Profiles and click Add.
- Type the new Profile Name and click OK. The new Outlook profile is created successfully.
- You will see a prompt to enter your email account and sign in. Complete the sign-in and then open Outlook.
- Select the new profile from the drop-down and click OK.
- Now go to Send/Receive tab and click Update Folders.
- Wait and then check the calendar and see if room calendar is synchronizing and showing the correct status of the rooms availability.
7. Rebuild OST File
All the mail items, such as emails, contacts, attachments, and calendar, including room calendar are stored and synchronized to/from the local OST file. When this OST file has errors and inconsistencies, Outlook may not be able to function properly and lead to room calendar synchronization issues. To resolve this, you can rebuild default or recreate the OST file and replace the old inconsistent one with the new one. The steps are as follows:
- In the Control Panel, click User Accounts > Mail (Microsoft Outlook).
- Click on the Data Files tab.
- Then, choose your Outlook (.OST) data file or email account with room calendar synchronization issue and click Open File Location.
- You will see the OST file location in a new File Explorer window.
- Select the OST file and then rename it with the .bak suffix.
- After creating the backup of original OST file, close all the windows and start Outlook.
- Outlook will automatically create a new OST file at the same location where the old one was and synchronize all the mail items from the mailbox server.
You should be able to manage room calendar now. Also, after recreating the OST file, make sure to check the mail items. In case of missing mail items, you can use an OST to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for OST, to extract the mail items from the backup OST file and save them to a local PST file. Then, import this PST file into your profile or OST file via Outlook Import/Export wizard to restore the missing mail items.
Conclusion
The “room calendar not syncing” issue in Outlook can prevent you from booking or scheduling meetings in the particular room as you are not able to view or manage the meeting room or spaces. By following the solutions discussed in this guide, you can effectively troubleshoot and resolve the underlying issues. In case the OST file is damaged, you can rebuild the OST file after taking the backup. Remember to check for missing mail items in the new file. If there are any, use Stellar Converter for OST to extract and restore the missing mail items from the backup OST file. The software supports large OST files (as large as 50 GB) and can export mail items from OST files directly to a live Exchange mailbox or Microsoft 365 account.
