iCloud contacts and calendar not working with Outlook on new Windows 11 Home Laptop

Anonymous
2023-05-28T20:22:28+00:00

iCloud contacts and calendar not working with Outlook in Windows 11 Home:

EDIT: thanks to Ryan Hutzel for a fix from MS Tech Support which work see replies below - basically uninstall the latest iCloud and install iCloud: Version 7.20.0.17. It works - in fact I just uninstalled iCloud: Version 7.20.0.17 to tray the latest iCould again (which still does not work) and then re-installed iCloud: Version 7.20.0.17 again to get things working! Obviously not ideal to install an old unsupported version of iCloud which does not support all new features such as Password Sync and may have security flaws and which you need to download off a non-Apple website! But it does work!! Please can anyone who sees this post and is having the same problem submit a Feedback report to Apple here: https://www.apple.com/feedback/ Scroll down, select iCloud and enter your details and ideally a link to this Forum post. If enough people contact Apple they may prioritise a fix.

My original post:

I have just purchased a new laptop running Microsoft Windows 11 Home (now updated to Version 10.0.22621 Build 22621). iCloud contacts and calendar will not work with Microsoft Outlook.

It works on my old laptop which has Windows 11 Pro – although it stopped working when I initially upgraded to Windows 11 Pro from Windows 10 Pro (it took me a long time to find the fix online, but I have forgotten what I did!).

So here I am again trying to find a fix to this problem.

I have Office 365 and I configured Outlook with my Gmail account, which worked fine. Outlook is Version 2304 (Build 16327.20308 Click-to-Run).

Then I downloaded iCloud for Windows to sync my iCloud contacts with Outlook.

I selected Contacts and Calendars to sync with Outlook and then Apply

The display showed:

  • Merging Calendars
  • Merging Contacts
  • Downloading contacts from iCloud
  • Downloading Items from iCloud and
  • Downloading contacts photos

And finally

  • Outlook has been set up to use iCloud for your calendars and contacts. All sounded good except......

However, within Outlook when I select contacts there are no contacts visible. There is only one folder  - Contacts (this computer only) – which is empty. The calendar is also empty -  although this is not a feature I am interested in. Once again the only folder available is Calendars (this computer only).

Under File, Account Settings, Account Settings,  Directories and Address Books if I select Address Books the following is displayed:  Outlook Address Book Type: MAPI.  If I select this, there is no option to remove it. I state this because some potential solutions to this problem have advise removing this address book as part of a fix.

If I select Data Files, a single data file with the name of my Gmail address is shown. There is no iCloud Data File shown. In contrast, if I select Data Files in my old laptop I also get to see a Data File named iCloud with the following location

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Packages\AppleInc.iCloud_nzyj5cx40ttqa\LocalCache\Local\Outlook\B493CE46-4DCE-437A-B59E-E3EE11AB8CD0.aplzod

Within this folder location on my old laptop are 4 files:

  • alarms.db 64kb Data Base file
  • main.db 6,532 Kb Data Base File
  • main.db-shm 32 kb; and
  • main.db-wal 355 kb

I went to the same Folder path on my new laptop:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Packages\AppleInc.iCloud_nzyj5cx40ttqa\LocalCache\Local\Outlook\

The following folder was displayed:
F35BC1CB-73E5-4346-BB5C-8277EC01544A.aplzod

This folder is created after requesting iCloud for Windows to sync contacts and calendars – I know this as I tested uninstalling iCloud for Windows, re-installing it and syncing again and checking the folder location before and after.

However, unlike my old laptop it only contains a single file – main.db Data Base File 6,564 kb:

If I try to Add a Data File under Account Settings I am given the option of iCloud,  but once I add the iCloud Data File the location states “Not Available” and it is not possible to select Settings for the Data File. Also it does not result in making the iCloud contacts available within Outlook.

I have checked Add Ins under Outlook Options and the iCloud Outlook Add-in is listed as Active.

Can anyone help?  I have spent many hours trying to find a fix for this.      

My new laptop spec is:
System Type x64-based PC
Processor 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1255U, 1700 Mhz, 10 Core(s), 12 Logical Processor(s)

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business

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Anonymous
2023-06-21T15:39:47+00:00

I had this problem- Windows 11, MS 365 Outlook, could not sync contacts and calendars with Apple devices via iCloud. Spent days on it. Managed to reach a very knowledgable MS Tech Support person yesterday who used quick assist to fix it for me. The solution was simple: uninstall iCloud app on Win 11, reboot, install the icloud app version 7.21.0.23 (search for iCloud installer Windows 8.1) which was not available on either the Apple or MS website, but was on a third-party site, and everything worked immediately.

Caveats: backup first, and run an anti-malware scan after.

Shame on MS and Apple for not fixing the current installer, or directing users to the older installer that actually works.

Thanks for the work around. This did the trick as well. Glad there are websites out there that keep older install files.

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  1. Hal Hostetler MVP-Outlook 12,011 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2023-06-05T00:09:51+00:00

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-06-04T23:39:47+00:00

    Interestingly, I also have a new laptop, which is why I've run into similar issues. I'm using exchange for contacts, so don't have a lot to offer on that front. I'm using an xps15 (pretty high end), also 64 bit, etc. I personally feel if we find a few work arounds this will eventually work it's way through with time. Like you, in my outlook I can't not access the data file for Icloud. Using my older laptop as a reference, there are 4 files in the folder where that data file should be recognized. In my new laptop, there is only one. I attempted to copy the files from my old laptop, copy the directory and files from that laptop, all to no avail.

    In terms of 3rd party apps needing dedicated passwords, apparently that's been the case for the last 5 years. I don't know if that impacts using Icloud directly with Outlook if you're using Icloud to sync though the icloud app, but another option worth trying if you haven't is to add your icloud email to outlook. To do that you have to use the 3rd party dedicated passwords as I mentioned. I've done that, but I don't have contacts on Icloud anymore, nor have I for years, as I have always found it problematic. Is it too much to ask that we want to have an Apple phone and a Windows computer??

    The truth is I doubt I'm much help, other than that I can relate and share with you in our mutual frustration.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-06-04T06:18:55+00:00

    Hi Matt

    Thanks for having a go. The calendar is not the important part for me. What really bugs me is Contacts not syncing as I have a LOT of people I message and prefer Outlook for emailing to the Gmail web browser option for a number of reasons.

    On my old laptop contacts and calendars synced fine until I upgraded from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 11 Pro. Then I lost the ability to sync contacts for about a year until I saw a website with instructions which got it working again finally.  The trouble is I can’t remember what those instructions were! It may have been something simple like adding the iCloud Data File under Account Settings in Outlook – I can remember it was a simple change in a setting somewhere.

    But on my new laptop I just can’t find a solution. It is Windows 11 Home so maybe some differences.  As I mentioned in my initial post when choosing to sync contacts and calendars in iCloud for Windows I have noticed that as soon as you do this a data file is created in exactly the same location as on my old laptop. What is possibly the issue is Outlook no longer seems to know it is there!

    Regarding Apple ID App Specific Passwords I have never had to do this for Outlook before in order to sync iCloud contacts. Possibly you can use App Specific Passwords if syncing Apple mail, but I am using Gmail with Outlook. I can’t see any option to add an Apple ID App Specific Password within Outlook.

    Thanks

    Dave

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-05-30T05:44:00+00:00

    Thank you for your response Dasuzu. i have exhausted my response. but do not worry, let us give other experts time to review our conversation and provide solution

    Regards

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