Estimated Time to Fix: 3 minutes

Summary

Microsoft is actively pushing users to switch from "Classic" Outlook to the "New" Outlook for Windows. While the new version is faster, it occasionally fails to migrate your saved Shared Calendars (the calendars of your coworkers or team resources). If you flip the "Try the New Outlook" switch and your calendars are suddenly missing, you don't need to switch back. You need to manually add them again.

Before You Start

• You must be using the "New" Outlook for Windows (it has a simplified ribbon and looks very similar to Outlook on the Web).

Instructions

1. Add a Coworker's Calendar

If you previously had access to view a coworker's calendar, you need to search for their name to pin it back to your sidebar.

1. Open the New Outlook.
2. Click the Calendar icon on the far left navigation bar.
3. On the left side of the screen, under the small month calendar, look for a button that says Add calendar. Click it.
4. In the menu that pops up, select Add from directory.
5. Select your own email account from the dropdown.
6. In the search box, type the name or email address of the coworker whose calendar you want to view.
7. Select their name from the directory list.
8. Choose which calendar group to add it to (e.g., "People's calendars").
9. Click Add.

If the missing calendar belongs to a shared mailbox such as [email protected] rather than to a person, go to Step 2. If the name is already in your sidebar and the calendar still does not show, it is added but switched off — go to Step 3 and tick it under People's calendars.

2. Add a Shared Mailbox Calendar

If your team uses a shared mailbox (e.g., [email protected]) and you need its calendar, the process is slightly different.

1. Click the Add calendar button.
2. Select Add from directory.
3. Type the email address of the shared mailbox.
4. Select it from the list.
5. If you have the correct permissions, it will be added to your list.

3. Ensure the Calendar is Checked

Sometimes the calendar successfully migrates, but New Outlook unchecks the box by default.

1. Look at the left sidebar in the Calendar view.
2. Scroll down past "My calendars" to People's calendars or Other calendars.
3. Click the small arrow > next to those group names to expand them.
4. If you see the missing calendar listed there, click the empty circle next to it so it shows a checkmark. The calendar will appear on your screen.

Troubleshooting

TIP

If you heavily rely on highly complex calendar permissions, "Delegate" access, or custom COM add-ins, the New Outlook might not fully support your workflow yet. You can always toggle the "New Outlook" switch in the top right corner to Off to return to the Classic version.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
"You don't have permission to view this calendar"	Missing permissions	When you switched to New Outlook, the server realized you never actually had official permission; you were relying on a cached glitch in the old app. Ask the calendar owner to re-share it with you.
The "Add calendar" button doesn't do anything	Sync glitch	Close Outlook completely. Open it again and wait 60 seconds for it to fully sync with the cloud before clicking the button.

Related Articles

• How to Tell if Your Microsoft 365 Account is Signed In Correctly

Did this solve your problem?