ARCHIVED: At IU, how do I use the Time Zone Checker to update my Exchange calendar?

• Instructions
  • Before you start
  • Accessing the Time Zone Checker
  • Changing your time zone in Outlook Web Access
  • Using the Time Zone Checker to update your calendar items
• Additional information
  • Notes
  • Limitations of the tool

Instructions

Before you start

The Time Zone Checker is an online tool that will help you identify and update items on your Indiana University Exchange calendar that need to be adjusted for Daylight Saving Time (DST). You need to run this tool in addition to changing your time zone setting on your computer. Before you use this tool:

• Make sure the time zone setting on your computer has been updated. See the Knowledge Base document ARCHIVED: In Windows, how do I change the time zone? If you have a local support provider (LSP), check with your LSP to see if your computer has already been updated. (If you use Entourage, you also need to change the time zone setting in Entourage. See the Knowledge Base document ARCHIVED: At IU, in Mac OS X, how do I configure Entourage 2004 to access my IU Exchange account?)
• You may want to print your calendar for reference. It may be most convenient to print directly from the Time Zone Checker tool. If you print from Outlook, consider changing Current View to one of the views that list appointments like a spreadsheet (e.g., By Category, Active Appointments, Recurring Appointments). The By Category view shows all appointments; other views are filtered views, so you might need to print a combination of views to get all appointments.

Accessing the Time Zone Checker

• Using Internet Explorer in Windows:

  For best results, use Internet Explorer on a Windows computer that has Outlook set up to access your IU Exchange account. The tool may work with other browsers, but you may not be able to access all features. Access the Time Zone Checker at:

    https://iu-mssg-web01.ads.iu.edu/timezonechecker/

• Other users:

  If you do not use Internet Explorer in Windows, you can use a terminal server or Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) client to access the Time Zone Checker. In Windows XP and Mac OS X, use the Remote Desktop Connection application. This application comes with Windows XP, and is available in Office 2004 for Macintosh. (For more information, see the Knowledge Base document ARCHIVED: In Mac OS X, how do I make a Remote Desktop connection to a Windows computer?) In Unix, you can use the rdesktop client. Connect to the following host:

    timezone.ads.iu.edu

Changing your time zone in OWA

If you haven't yet done so, you need to change the time zone in Outlook Web Access (OWA) before proceeding with the steps below. If you have already changed the time zone in OWA, you will see a message at the top of the Time Zone Checker screen telling you that OWA is using Eastern Standard Time. If you see this message, proceed to the instructions below.

If you haven't changed your time zone in OWA, you'll see instructions at the top of the Time Zone Checker screen for logging into OWA and changing the setting. You must follow those steps before you can proceed to the next section.

Using the Time Zone Checker to update your calendar items

The Time Zone Checker lists information about items on your calendar, including the organizer for each one and the time zone setting it uses. If all of the information for an item is highlighted in yellow and the item occurs between April 2, 2006, and October 29, 2006, you need to adjust the time for that item. Follow these steps:

1. Click the date for the item.
2. The page that appears will give you some information about the item.

   If there are attendees for the meeting, you need to send them an update so that the meeting will be adjusted on their calendars. You can send an update from within this tool by checking the Send update to attendees (without text) box. Any text that accompanies the meeting request will be lost for the attendees if you use this method. If you need the text to be included with the update, click the here link to send the update directly from within Outlook.

3. To correct the time, click the Set to Eastern Time button.
4. You will receive a confirmation message. Click the Close Window button. Refresh your browser window; the yellow highlight for the item you just updated will go away. You will receive a reminder about this meeting, because it has been changed. You can safely dismiss the reminder.
5. If you'd like to see the change to your list of calendar items immediately, use your browser's Refresh feature. This will remove the yellow highlighting from the item you just fixed. The changes to your calendar will take effect immediately regardless of whether you refresh or not, so you don't have to do this, but it may help you keep track of where you are in the list.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for other items on your list as needed. The updates you make will be effective immediately, so if you cannot change all the items on your list in one sitting, you can close the browser and return later. When you access the tool again, only the items you haven't yet changed will still be marked with yellow.
7. After you update your calendar, make sure that your time zone setting is correct on all of the computers you use to access your calendar; this may include a laptop, a BlackBerry, and your computer at home.

Note: When you update a recurring item, any exceptions to the recurrence, including text or attachments saved to a single occurrence, will be lost. This is a standard feature of the way Outlook deals with single occurrences of a recurring appointment that differ from the master appointment.

If only the time zone is highlighted in yellow, the person who organized the item will need to update the time. You can click the name of the organizer to send email asking that person to adjust the time. In some cases, a sender will also be listed and you can click the name to send email to that person instead. If an administrative assistant is managing another user's calendar, for example, that person will likely appear as the sender.

Additional information

Notes

• If for any reason you need to make further adjustments to a calendar item after you've updated it using this tool, you will need to go into Outlook or OWA and change it there.
• This tool will correct only appointments made after January 1, 2003. If you have recurring items that were set up before that, you'll need to adjust them manually. See the Knowledge Base document ARCHIVED: How does Indiana's adoption of Daylight Saving Time affect my Exchange calendar?
• If you use the Time Zone Checker, you do not need to manually update your calendar. Also, if you have already manually updated your calendar, you do not need to use the Time Zone Checker to adjust your calendar items. You might find the Time Zone Checker useful, however, to confirm that your items are all adjusted.
• After you update the time zone in your operating system, any new calendar items that you create in Outlook will correctly reflect DST and will not need to be adjusted. Make sure you change the setting on all computers from which you access your calendar (this may include computers at work and at home). If you have a mobile device that accesses your Exchange account, update the time zone setting on that as well.

Limitations of the tool

You can't use the Time Zone Checker to change the calendar in a Public Folder. A separate tool is available for this; see the Knowledge Base document ARCHIVED: At IU, how do I use the Fix Public Folder Calendar tool to correct the time zone setting for calendar items in a Public Folder?

If you manage someone else's calendar as a delegate or manage the calendar for a resource, you will need to update the calendar manually in Outlook. See the Knowledge Base document ARCHIVED: In Outlook, how can I make DST adjustments to a resource calendar or a calendar for which I'm a delegate?