Instructions on installing/updating  Outlook GroupCalendar. (last modification may 2007)
To install GroupCalendar you need Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007 and windows 95 or higher.

When installing to a computer where the user is not allowed to install software follow this instruction please.

We can help you to install the software. There is no charge for that and we really don't mind doing it.
Setup takes only a couple of minutes including us connecting to your computer.
To give us access to your pc, click the Join Session button and start the connect.exe tool.
Connect
Click the live support picture to ask for a session ID and in a couple of second we can control you mouse and keyboard.
During the setup process you can see everything we do and ask questions.
Installation steps overview:

- run setup
- copy database file to a shared folder
- adjust everyone's setting for the database.

 

1) Exit outlook


Note: To ensure Outlook is fully closed. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del, Task manager, Processes. If Outlook.exe is still running close it from the processes tab.

Or start this tool to close the running processes for you.

 
2) Run the setup. (Windows Vista users may need to right click the setup file to open the properties and indicate that the file is trusted and should be run as administrator)

When you are performing a version update,
you are now finished.

 
3) Start Outlook

 
4) You will see the welcome box

 
5) After installation, the appointments that are already in your personal calendar will show up in the Group Calendar only if you answer yes at the moment you are offered to export. If you answer NO, only new and changed items will appear. If you decide at a later time that you do want to show your existing appointments in the Group Calendar, this can be  executed by using the import tool  

 

6) Finally you will see this message informing you that the installation was successful. This message will always show on starting Outlook or a few seconds after. 

Note: If the Update button is showing in the bottom right hand corner then the latest Office patches should be installed on the machine. 

The setup installs a small utility called 'gchelper' which runs in the background. This tool monitors Outlook to ensure that Group Calendar is still active and activates it if it is not. 

When installing newer versions of Group Calendar , close the gchelper and Outlook prior to the upgrade.

 

 

 
7) Check if the new buttons are visible
  Buttons with non Exchange install (setupUK.exe)  

 
 
Buttons with non Exchange install (setupUKDA.exe)  

 
Outlook 2003

Buttons with Exchange install (setupUKEx.exe)

Exchange Server users that will use a public folder as the Group Calendar folder (setupUKEx.exe) click HERE to skip step 8 - 14

  
 

 

8) Open the personal Calendar.

 

 

 

 

(This step is not for Exchange Server users that will use a 
public folder as the Group Calendar folder)
9) Create a test appointment in your personal calendar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This step is not for Exchange Server users that will use a 
public folder as the Group Calendar folder)

 Outlook 2000


 
Outlook 2003
->

 
10) Check the Group Calendar (subfolder)

NOTE:

If you change the group calendar folder setting to another calendar folder then don't select a folder with existing information because the existing information will be deleted. The information is not recognized as correct group calendar information.

 

 

 

(This step is not for Exchange Server users that will use a 
public folder as the Group Calendar folder)

 Outlook 2000

 
Outlook 2003

 
11) Click the "Sync. Group Calendar" button

 

 

 

(This step is not for Exchange Server users that will use a 
public folder as the Group Calendar folder)

  

 
 

12) To enable automatic synchronization, check the 'Launch Auto-sync' checkbox. (synchronization is the process that fills your group calendar folder with the appointments of your colleagues. You don't need it to show your information to your colleagues)

 

 

(This step is not for Exchange Server users that will use a 
public folder as the Group Calendar folder)

 
13) Take a look in your systray and find the AutoSync icon.

 

 

 

(This step is not for Exchange Server users that will use a 
public folder as the Group Calendar folder)

 
14) Right-click on it and set the interval to 30 minutes.

This pc is ready for use in stand-alone mode.

 

 

 

(This step is not for Exchange Server users that will use a 
public folder as the Group Calendar folder)

 
Now create a shared database for everyone to connect to and form the group.

 

  
The next steps are for users of every setup type. (UK, UKDA or UKEx)  
You do this copy / paste process of the database (step 15 to 19)only for the first pc where you install. The other pc's only have to adjust the database setting (settings-select database)

15) Open the windows explorer and browse to
c:\program files\Group Calendar

 
16) Copy the Group Calendar.mdb file

 
17) Make a drive mapping to a share on the network where you and your colleagues all have read/write access to.

 
18) Check "Reconnect at logon"

 
19) Paste the Group Calendar.mdb file

 
20) Open the "Select Database" dialog in Outlook from the Settings button.

 
21) Press the "Select database" button. 

or

If a large user group of users all need to connect to the same database and you have SQL server, select 'Use SQL server' and fill in the blanks.

 
22) Browse to the network share

 
23) Select the shared Group Calendar file and click 'open'.

 
24) If you never connected to this database before you will see the welcome message and you will be given the option to export existing information from your calendar to the Group Calendar. None of the original information will be lost.

(The name displayed in GroupCalendar is the name that is set in your Outlook profile. The display name can be changed in the ‘edit user info’ settings and a ‘nickname’ specified .  This name will show against your appointments in the GroupCalendar.

 

 
25) Your settings (and your colleagues) should look like this.

 

 The next steps are ONLY FOR EXCHANGE SERVER USERS / ADMINISTRATORS

Make sure that you installed SetupUKEx or SetupUK.

If you installed SetupUKDA, stop here.

Go to the "All public folders" and right click on it. Select "New Folder"

    

 

Give the new folder a name and select item type "Calendar Items"

    

 

Check the user rights by right clicking on the newly created folder

 

   

Give the 'default' group ; Author permissions

    

 

Open the 'Select Group Calendar' dialog

    

 

Browse to, and select the public calendar folder.

Don't select an old existing calendar folder with existing information because the existing information will be lost.

   

 

IMPORTANT; Do the following test procedure to prepare the Public Folder for other users.

Do the following with 'owner' rights to the Public Folder that you created.    


In case this does not work correctly read the following:


For the public calendar to be in sync with the personal calendars of all users it is VITAL that one of the owners of the public calendar folder creates at least one appointment in their personal calendar while the Group calendar program is monitoring their personal calendar. 

The GroupCalendar program will add a few fields to the public calendar folder that it needs to keep appointments in sync. but it can only do that if it is used at least once by someone who has owner permissions.
Be aware that when an exchange server administrator changes Exchange server permissions so you become the folder owner, those changes can take a long time to become effective. It might even be needed to restart the 'exchange server directory service' for the permission change to become effective.