Help Google Calendar won't sync more than 1 month

[GiggityGiggity]

Hey all. I've searched the web and these forums and still can't find a solution. I cannot get my Google calendar to sync non-recurring events further than a month on my S2 (running 2.3.4). I've tried setting the date back on my phone to the first entry in my Google calendar and syncing then resetting the date and syncing again and it makes no difference.

My workaround was to export the entire Google calendar and import it into iCal (I'm using a MacBookPro), then sync that calendar via Kies. I could then check events older than a month on that calendar. Not ideal but I thought it was working. Then I had to check something and found my calendar app running a bit slow, and realised that Kies was duplicating some random events approximately 300 times! I deleted all app data, deleted that event (which wasn't duplicated anywhere else) then re-sync'd with Kies and found a different random date with 300 duplicates. So now I can't use that method.

So, please, someone must know how to get Google calendar to sync fully with my S2 so I can simply have that as the only calendar I need on my phone. Anyone?

 

[GiggityGiggity]

OK, an update. I deleted my calendar data from the phone and deleted my main calendar from iCal so Kies would have nothing to sync with, yet when I sync'd with it again it's sync'd as it should without the bizarre random duplicating problem (on closer inspection one entry had been repeated almost 500 times, even though it was deleted from iCal).

I guess I've got no choice but to leave it at that for now, even though I have no idea how Kies sync'd with iCal when iCal has no data in it. I did spot a post by a Google staff member on one of the Google forums that mentioned deleting calendar app data. It said if you deleted calendar app data and re-sync'd with Google from then on it would only show events from the last 30 days on the phone. So does that mean that when you first set up the phone and sync with Google your entire calendar is there? It's not something I checked. I tried deleting my Google account off the phone with the thought that when I put it back on the phone would do a completely fresh sync with Google and sync all entries but of course no, you can't do that as 'This account is required by some applications; you can only remove it by factory resetting'; which I have no intention of doing.

From what I've read Google have been aware of this problem since at least 2009, and have still done nothing to fix it as, presumably, they don't see it as a problem. Personally it's not essential that I have access to past events as I'm not using it for business, but it certainly is helpful at times. I've read posts from other people who are totally frantic as they are utterly reliant on it for business.

Finally then, if anyone is just about to factory reset their phone for whatever reason could you do me a favour? When you first enter your Google account details and sync the calendar could you tell me if all entries have been sync'd? Thanks.

 

[GiggityGiggity]

Hey again all. A final update. First, to answer the last question I asked: When you first enter your Google account details and sync the calendar have all entries been sync'd? The answer is a definite NO, as I set my new Note up and it only sync'd 30 days as usual.

So anyhoo, I've just replaced my S2 with a Note. Whilst I was installing all my apps on the Note I stumbled upon SyncMate. It's an app for the phone and a prog for PC or Mac. I'd overlooked it previously (I'd installed it on my S2 then forgot about it). The free Mac/PC version will sync only your contacts and calendars but they do a pro version that will sync/backup just about anything you could want - iTunes music, pics, vids etc. I used the free version.

Anyway, here's where it's really handy; you can sync the entire Google calendar that's in iCal (I use a Mac) back out to the phone. Kies can't do this (and it was a joke with repeating some random entries 500 times), and Google calendar only directly syncs the previous 30 days of non-repeating events to the phone. You run the app on the phone after putting it into USB debug mode then plug it into the Mac/PC, then run the prog on the Mac/PC.

I then sync'd the iCal Google calendar back to the phone. It still means you have two calendars running but at least you have access to your entire Google calendar. I still make all my entries into Google calendar and keep the second calendar hidden unless I need to check an entry older than 30 days. The other great thing is if you sync again in the same way it only adds the new entries. This sounds obvious but Kies couldn't do that either; it copied everything over creating duplicates. So, all you have to do is sync once a week and you've always got your entire up to date Google calendar available on your phone. \o/

Hope someone else finds this useful. And no, I'm nothing to do with SyncMate.