Duplicate events after 12.1.2 applied (080729)

[Kurt Waltenbaugh]

Saw the release notes, specifically:

-----------------------------
Stability is improved when you use Microsoft Sync Services. This update
fixes the following issues:

* This update fixes an issue that causes duplications of events and
other items in Entourage or iCal.
-----------------------------

With that encouragement:

1) Deleted the Entourage database for a clean start.
2) Applied the update
3) Cleaned out Exchange calendar (using Outlook, not Entourage) to hold only
30 days of data. Deleted all recurring events, birthdays, really old,
future, etc events that were causing problems with previous versions.
4) Started Entourage and connected to Exchange.
5) Waited for all data to synchronize. iCal looks good, Entourage looks
good, Exchange (WebMail) looks good.
6) Turned on synchronization services for calendar and address book
7) Turned on Mark/Space and synchronized to a "zero'ed out" Treo 650.
8) All looks good, including phone & Entourage.
9) Next morning, start up Entourage.
10) Entourage immediately duplicates many events, but not all. Including
ones created by me, invites accepted by me, etc.

What gives? Anyone have a better idea how to resolve? Should I give up and
switch back to Windows/Outlook?

Help!

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

10) Entourage immediately duplicates many events, but not all. Including
ones created by me, invites accepted by me, etc.

The problem is that there is no way to figure out at this point whether
the duplications have been induced by the SyncService sync, the Palm
sync or Exchange,

These issues are a nightmare to sort out.
Since the 12.1.2 update, I haven't had a duplication (and I also sync to
Exchange, a Palm through The Missing Sync, a Bluetooth cell phone and
MobileMe).

Corentin

 

[Mister_Furious]

The problem is that there is no way to figure out at this point whether

the duplications have been induced by the SyncService sync, the Palm
sync or Exchange,

These issues are a nightmare to sort out.
Since the 12.1.2 update, I haven't had a duplication (and I also sync to
Exchange, a Palm through The Missing Sync, a Bluetooth cell phone and
MobileMe).

I am surprised that you have not had issues with synching to MobileMe, because I have come across this issue on several computers running Entourage 2008 12.1.2.

All-day events synch fine from Entourage to iCal. However, when the iCal data is synched to MobileMe, things go haywire. Some (but not all) all-day events are shifted one entire day. For example, a birthday listed as August 17 in Entourage and iCal is listed in the MobileMe calendar on August 18. If the user synchs their iPhone to MobileMe, the problem propagates, but the iPhone shows the shifted event as a two-day one (in the example above, the birthday shows up on the iPhone as August 17 and 18).

Curiously, unlike the similar issue people had with Entourage 2004, shifted events do not cause duplications when the synch flow comes back the other way. The two-day event on the iPhone remains a one-day event on the wrong date on MobileMe, and remains correct in iCal and Entourage. Even if another computer is subsequently synched with MobileMe, the calendar data shows up correct there.

While this would seem to put the blame at MobileMe's door, I have yet to experience this issue with people who do NOT synch Entourage to iCal. People who only use iCal for their calendar have no problems with MobileMe synching to their iPhone. Everything synchs perfectly.

My best guess is that there is something deep in the code of the Entourage events that causes issues with MobileMe. This is consistent with the fact that only events created on Entourage have this problem. Events created on iCal, MobileMe, or the iPhone synch correctly, all the way back to Entourage.

Any ideas?

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

I am surprised that you have not had issues with synching to MobileMe,
because I have come across this issue on several computers running
Entourage 2008 12.1.2.

Well I have issues with Mobile Me even without synching the whole thing
with Entourage. That's the core of the issue: we are using several
applciations to all sync together and noe of them is perfect. Entourage
has it's bugs and SyncServices have a good share too. On top of that I
also sync through MobileMe (more bugs), to a Palm (there you go) and a
phone (this one actually seems to be doing OK).
The more elements you introduce in the setup, the more likely you are
that hell will break loose.

All-day events synch fine from Entourage to iCal. However, when the iCal
data is synched to MobileMe, things go haywire.

Not for me (but I sync Mac to Mac, not to an iPhone), and that would be
a MobileMe issue.

Some (but not all)
all-day events are shifted one entire day. For example, a birthday
listed as August 17 in Entourage and iCal is listed in the MobileMe
calendar on August 18. If the user synchs their iPhone to MobileMe, the
problem propagates, but the iPhone shows the shifted event as a two-day
one (in the example above, the birthday shows up on the iPhone as August
17 and 18).

Make sure time zone support is enabled in iCal on all devices.

Curiously, unlike the similar issue people had with Entourage 2004,
shifted events do not cause duplications when the synch flow comes back
the other way. The two-day event on the iPhone remains a one-day event
on the wrong date on MobileMe, and remains correct in iCal and
Entourage. Even if another computer is subsequently synched with
MobileMe, the calendar data shows up correct there.

All I can say is that a significant number of similar reports surfaced
on the newsgroup lately, and they all involve iPhones.
I fear that there are bugs in the iPhone sync that screws up everything.
It's the same with ActiveSync support: It's not perfectly compatible,
messes-up the headers and e-mails don't show up in Entourage.
I guess it'll take a few more firmware updates before everything gets
worked out.

While this would seem to put the blame at MobileMe's door, I have yet to
experience this issue with people who do NOT synch Entourage to iCal.

Well I don't have these issues, I sync to iCal and MobileMe, but not to
an iPhone. That makes one ;-)

People who only use iCal for their calendar have no problems with
MobileMe synching to their iPhone. Everything synchs perfectly.

My best guess is that there is something deep in the code of the
Entourage events that causes issues with MobileMe. This is consistent
with the fact that only events created on Entourage have this problem.
Events created on iCal, MobileMe, or the iPhone synch correctly, all the
way back to Entourage.

I suspect that Entourage events have some additional fields not
displayed in iCal itself and that could affect the MobileMe sync. I also
suspect that time-zone support is somehow messed-up in that whole
scheme.

Corentin