Guide: Using GeneralSync with Microsoft Outlook

This guide describes the GeneralSync integration provided by the official Outlook add-in. It is divided into the following feature-specific sections:

1. Add-in installation
2. Using calendars
3. Using address books
4. Handling conflicts

Note that this document is intended as reference providing some background information on the GeneralSync integration; it is not required to read through this document in order to use GeneralSync. If you are not yet familiar with Microsoft Outlook, you might want to check out the official support resources provided by Microsoft as well. Microsoft features unaltered by the GeneralSync integration will not be covered in this guide.

Add-in installation

While starting GeneralSync for PC for the first time, the first-run setup gives you the option to install the add-in if a suitable version of Outlook is found. With your consent, the add-in is then installed automatically. The add-in can then be used the next time you (re)start Outlook.

If you did not choose to install the add-in during the first-run setup, you can also install it manually:

1. Download the most recent version of the add-in for your version of Outlook (license agreement):
   • 32-bit (Outlook 2013-2016)
     If you installed Outlook 2016 or earlier with default settings or use a very old PC, you need this version of the add-in. It is also compatible with Outlook 2019 if the 64 bit version was explicitly selected during installation.
   • 64-bit (Outlook 2019)
     If you installed Outlook 2019 with default settings, you will most likely need this version of the add-in. It is also compatible with previous versions of Outlook if the 64 bit version was explicitly selected during installation.
2. Execute the downloaded file, for example by double-clicking on it.
3. Follow the instructions on screen.
4. After the installation is complete, you might need to restart Outlook for changes to take effect.

Using calendars

Outlook will automatically display GeneralSync calendars. You can access them from the sidebar in the Calendar view. Alternatively, you can access any content managed by GeneralSync below GeneralSync in the Folders view.

Add or remove GeneralSync calendars

You can create or delete GeneralSync-managed calendars using the GeneralSync dashboard. It is currently not possible to create or delete calendars from within Outlook.

Import existing events

In Outlook, you can move individual events between multiple calendars using various methods. One possible way is to drag them with the mouse, dropping them above a different calendar.

To transfer all events of an existing calendar to GeneralSync, follow these instructions:

1. Open the calendar to import from.
2. Switch to the list view (click Change View in the View tab above the calendar and select List from the menu).
3. Select all events (for example by pressing CTRL+A).
4. Right-click on any event and select Move | Copy to Folder... from the context menu.
   If you do not want the original events to remain in the source calendar, you can alternatively select Move | Other Folder....
5. In the following dialog, select the GeneralSync calendar to import the events into. Confirm your choice with OK to start the process.

Using address books

Outlook will automatically display GeneralSync address books. You can access them from the sidebar in the People view. Alternatively, you can access any content managed by GeneralSync below GeneralSync in the Folders view.

Add or remove GeneralSync address books

You can create or delete GeneralSync-managed address books using the GeneralSync dashboard. It is currently not possible to create or delete address books from within Outlook.

Import existing contacts

In Outlook, you can move individual contacts between multiple address books using various methods. One possible way is to drag them with the mouse, dropping them above a different calendar.

To transfer all contacts of an existing address book to GeneralSync, follow these instructions:

1. Open the address book to import from.
2. Select all contacts (for example by pressing CTRL+A).
3. Right-click on any contact and select Move | Copy to Folder... from the context menu.
   If you do not want the original events to remain in the source address book, you can alternatively select Move | Other Folder....
4. In the following dialog, select the GeneralSync address book to import the events into. Confirm your choice with OK to start the process.

Handling conflicts

Outlook supports displaying and resolving synchronization conflicts. If there are multiple colliding changes for an entry, Outlook will initially display the latest change only. When opening the entry, the conflict dialog is shown instead of a regular editing dialog:

In the list at the bottom you can review all colliding changes. The buttons above the list permit to either resolve the conflict by using the currently selected version, or to preserve all versions as individual entries. Note that the latter option will cause duplicate entries to appear on all devices, so it is usually better to resolve with a single version.

Note: the People view supports opening a conflicting contact starting with Outlook 2019. In previous versions, you need to switch to a different view in order to resolve a conflict. Outlook 2019, however, introduced another bug: starting with Outlook 2019, there is a bug causing error messages when selecting conflicting calendar events in a calendar view.

Thank you for using GeneralSync!

Feel free to contact us if you have further questions or suggestions regarding this guide or GeneralSync itself.

Screenshot used with permission from Microsoft.