Operation System: Windows 8 Pro

System Type: 64-bit Operating System

Office: MS Office Professional Plus 2013

I am getting "The attempted operation failed. An object could not be found" error when I double click on an .ics file to an appointment to my calender. My outlook.com account's data file is set as default and this error only occurs if that is the default data file. I thought that maybe my profile is corrupted. So, I opened up a new profile with the below steps and only add my outlook.com account there:

1-) Open up the Control Panel and go to Mail section

2-) Click "Show Profiles"

3-) Click "Add" and give a name to your profile.

4-) Configure your outlook.com account (with Auto Account setup, not manual steps)

5-) Finally, set that profile to be used always.

Then, I opened up the Outlook 2013 and clicked on the .ics file to add that appointment but got the same error.

Is this a known issue or specific to me?

Thanks!

Hi,

Have you tried a different Live account?

Could I assume that the issue won't occur if we use other mailboxes except Outlook.com?

Try creating a new Calendar folder manually under Outlook.com mailbox in Outlook 2013. Will the issue occur?

Best regards,

Hi,

Just checking in to see if the information was helpful. Please let us know if you would like further assistance.

Best Regards, 

I'm having the same problem. Outlook 2013 on Win8 Pro connected to an Outlook.com account. Any attempts to open an ICS file, from within the Outlook client or clicking an ICS file on the desktop, fails. Also am unable to create a new Calendar within the Outlook client, it says new Calendar folders cannot be created for Exchange ActiveSync accounts.

This is happening on both of my devices.

I too am having the same problem, I do not have another live account to try. I removed my entire profile from Outlook and started from scratch with the same result.

Ditto.  I've spent hours and hours with godaddy fighting this.  They keep saying it's a Outlook 2013 problem.  I've never hated software as much as this Windows 8 disaster!!  I've been around since before keypunch cards and nothing is as ridiculous and malfunctioning as this mess.  I HATE WINDOWS 8!

Hi,

I'm having a very similar issue. I am running Windows 7 with MS Office Professional 2013. On this system, and through the web mail version of Outlook, when I double click on an ical object I get "The attempted operation failed. An object could not be found. As a work-around, if I save the attachment and then import the object it will pop up in my calendar with no issues. I would rather not always import calendar objects by using this multistep process, I'd rather just do what I have always been able to do in the past, and that is to double click the item and have it show up in my calendar.

Thanks,

Dennis

I am having the same problem. Windows 8, Outlook 2013, cannot open/add .ics files to calendar stored on Exchange ActiveSync account. Microsoft is apparently unconcerned with this, as I have found no offering of a solution from MS support forums. As is typical, they don't care because they don't have to. 

I guess noone cares?  I just installed outlook 2013 again and same issue.   Anyone have answer?

Same issue here.  Recreating profile didn't work - just deleted all of my customizations (e.g. categories, etc.) which was a lot of work to set up again.

Hopefully MSFT will be monitoring that a lot of folks are recently reporting this issue and look into it further.

The workaround of saving the ICS file and then importing it into the current calendar works, but takes way too many clicks. 

yes, I have the same problem.

The workaround of saving the ICS file and then importing it into the current calendar works, 

but the ICS calendar  displays in other section, NOT in the section of my old events.

why  ??

Gordon, I noticed if you click "open as new" it creates a new section. If you just click "import", it goes into my existing calendar.

This issue SUCKS. Right now I need to open 30 different calendar invites, form 30 seperate emails. They are all named "invite". That means I have to download an "invite" to my hard drive. then open Outlook. Then click file, then click import/export, then click impoort from ics file, then click import, then brwose to the "invite" file on my hard drive, then click it.

That's what it takes to get ONE invite loaded into Microsoft Outlook 2013!!!

Multiply that by THIRTY TIMES!

Surely it's not that hard for programmers at Microsoft to get Outlook 2013 to open an .ics file?

• Proposed as answer by m4k Tuesday, May 20, 2014 5:12 PM

Gordon, I noticed if you click "open as new" it creates a new section. If you just click "import", it goes into my existing calendar.

This issue SUCKS. Right now I need to open 30 different calendar invites, form 30 seperate emails. They are all named "invite". That means I have to download an "invite" to my hard drive. then open Outlook. Then click file, then click import/export, then click impoort from ics file, then click import, then brwose to the "invite" file on my hard drive, then click it.

That's what it takes to get ONE invite loaded into Microsoft Outlook 2013!!!

Multiply that by THIRTY TIMES!

Surely it's not that hard for programmers at Microsoft to get Outlook 2013 to open an .ics file?

• Proposed as answer by m4k Tuesday, May 20, 2014 5:12 PM

I am also having this problem. I saved the .ics file to my desktop then dragged it to the relevant day in the calendar, which adds it as an event, however, also causes Outlook to crash. Did it twice and it closes each time. Error report was sent to Microsoft.  Re-opened Outlook and the event is in the calendar.

• Edited by djcox Wednesday, June 04, 2014 1:44 PM

I am also having this problem. I saved the .ics file to my desktop then dragged it to the relevant day in the calendar, which adds it as an event, however, also causes Outlook to crash. Did it twice and it closes each time. Error report was sent to Microsoft.  Re-opened Outlook and the event is in the calendar.

• Edited by djcox Wednesday, June 04, 2014 1:44 PM

Same problem here.

Any official news from Microsoft?

I had this issue too, but here's what I found..

1. Drag the .ics file to your calendar tab on Outlook (bottom left)

2. Click on Calendar section on Outlook

3. Confirm the appointment

That worked for me.  Hope it does for all.

Thank you SOOO much medeiom1..... I have been testing our programs .ics attachments and could not get anything to work and had my Coders running around in circles.  Your simple workaround is such a relief to find and one that we can pass on to Clients using Windows 8. 

Yay - it's not a bug in OUR program.... its Windows.... phew!

The drag it to the calendar option worked for me as well thanks!

Thank you medeiom1.  This did work, but Outlook 2013 on Windows 7 Pro crashed and restarted once I accepted.  After it restarted the event was in my calendar.  Strange opening a ics file was always a seamless operation until recently.

I am now on Windows 10 and using outlook 2013. I am having exactly the same problem as Tom. At least it works now...Will there be a real fix??