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Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
#25092 02/21/13 04:02 AM
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To set an alarm on iCal, I click on the event and open the Get Info window. I then click on the iCal alert and select "message with sound." I then select the sound to be played by the alarm. I then change the default "15 minutes before" to show "two hours before." That requires me to click on the 15 and change it to 2. I then change minutes to hours and click Apply and close the window. At some undetermined future time within the next few hours, the alert time magically changes to "15 hours." It goes off in the night scaring the heck out of my wife and making me wonder what's going on. What IS going on? Obviously, I'm doing something wrong. Any ideas?


Edited by JoBoy (02/20/13 11:04 PM) CST

Last edited by dianne; 02/27/13 11:51 AM. Reason: Moved from the iTunes, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV forum

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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
JoBoy #25096 02/21/13 01:56 PM
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After you made the changes did you click on Done at the bottom of the window? It is easy to overlook


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
JoBoy #25097 02/21/13 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted By: JoBoy
I then change the default "15 minutes before" to show "two hours before." That requires me to click on the 15 and change it to 2. [...] At some undetermined future time within the next few hours, the alert time magically changes to "15 hours." Any ideas?

Possibly, and it differs from Joemikeb's. First off, I wonder if you ever checked the alarm details after you have set them. If you would, I suspect you'd see that the alert time doesn't change at 'some determined future time' after setting, but right when you set it. Furthermore, if I'm right, I suspect that when you're done with the edit, the alert is not set to 15 hours, but to 12 hours*. shocked

What happens is this: when you put the cursor after the 5 (of 15) and hit Delete twice, followed by 2, it reads 12 instead of 2. That is because the second hit of the Delete key doesn't do anything. Try it. Once you have that 12, you have to move the cursor over between the 1 and the 2 and hit Delete again. It's this aberrant behavior of that number field in iCal that causes your problem.

*) In the (unlikely) case you do in fact see '15 hours', your keyboard sequence is different from what I'd use, causing you to hit the number field snag differently as well. Even so, the problem is still the same. Hence my suggestion to check after you finish editing (by hitting 'Done') by double-clicking the iCal event. tongue


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
joemikeb #25099 02/21/13 02:59 PM
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The word at the bottom of the window is "Apply," not "done." Yes I click it every time.


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
JoBoy #25101 02/21/13 03:45 PM
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Originally Posted By: JoBoy
The word at the bottom of the window is "Apply," not "done."

That's in Mountain Lion (and possibly Lion as well). Earlier versions use "Done". Regardless, it means the same. laugh

That said, what do you think about my scenario, despite the fact that it's based on an older version of iCal? tongue


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
alternaut #25102 02/21/13 04:12 PM
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I have tried many times to duplicate what you described. I have not been successful. I also tried to duplicate it after doing a sync with iTunes, but that didn't produce the problem either. I'm stumped and I have to catch a plane in two hours so I will be incommunicado most of the rest of today. I'll watch it tomorrow to see if things happen at midnight.


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
JoBoy #25103 02/21/13 05:19 PM
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Originally Posted By: JoBoy
I have tried many times to duplicate what you described. I have not been successful
I'll watch it tomorrow to see if things happen at midnight.

Well, it's certainly possible that the number field problem I described has been fixed in later versions of iCal than the one I used, or that you already were aware of it and made sure things got entered correctly. Should that be the case, I still think it pays to open the event periodically to see if the alert has changed. It might keep your wife from getting annoyed again... smirk


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
JoBoy #25107 02/21/13 09:40 PM
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JoBoy,

Quote:
To set an alarm on iCal, I click on the event and open the Get Info window. I then click on the iCal alert and select "message with sound." I then select the sound to be played by the alarm. I then change the default "15 minutes before" to show "two hours before." That requires me to click on the 15 and change it to 2. I then change minutes to hours and click Apply and close the window

I am not clear if you are reporting your actions in iCal on a computer or an iPhone / iPad.

I am running iOS 6.1.2 on my mobile devices. My computer is running Mac OS X 10.7.5.

In iOS 6.1.2, "2 hours before" is one of the options available in Edit -> Alert -> Event Alert.


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
alternaut #25109 02/21/13 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted By: JoBoy
The word at the bottom of the window is "Apply," not "done." Yes I click it every time.

I am using Calendar 6.0 (1645) in OS X 10.8.2 and whatever version of Calendar that comes with iOS 6.1.2 (10B146) and both of them use Done. Are you certain you are using Calendar? (Apple renamed iCal to Calendar in OS X 10.8 for name compatibility with the iOS app.)

Originally Posted By: alternaut
Well, it's certainly possible that the number field problem I described has been fixed in later versions of iCal than the one I used

It is not fixed on any version of Calendar I am running on my Mac, iPhone, or iPad. They all do the same thing which can be annoying.


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
dianne #25111 02/22/13 12:18 AM
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I apologize for not being clear on the parameters. I run on Mt Lion 10.8.2 on my Mac and iOS 6.1.2 on my iPhone 4S. I make the entries on the Mac using the latest version of iCal. I run Calendar on the iPhone and sync via iTunes (now on the latest version downloaded yesterday). I do not use the Cloud for anything. All syncing is between the iPhone and the Mac.

This problem has been present for a few months. I can't remember when it began. I've wondered if iCal has been corrupted, but downloading and reinstalling Mt. Lion might not do any good if the corruption is in the data. On the other hand, it might do the job. The alarm that goes off in the night when it has reset to 15 hours is the iPhone alarm, but I never have the 15 hour experience without its also showing up on iCal on the Mac.

Another thing I've wondered about is whether my using numbers of minutes not contained in the regular suggested numbers is a problem. For example, I often use 20 minutes instead of the suggested 15 minutes. iCal accepts it and it usually works, but once in a while, it changes to 15 hours. I verify and re-verify that I'm entering the correct numbers. I've been doing that since I noticed the problem.

Does iCal use Java? Apple has been killing Java & requiring re installation to a later version of Java a couple of times lately. I know I'm grasping at straws, but I'm sick of the problem.


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
JoBoy #25114 02/22/13 02:03 AM
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Apple disabled Java Applets in browsers, not Java applications but Calendar is written in Objective C not Java and iCal is not supported in OS X 10.8. In OS X 10.8 the application is called Calendar. Your previous comment about the Apply got me to searching and the only place I can find an Apply button in OS X 10.8 is in System Preferences. Apply is not used in Calendar. If you are running OS X 10.8.x and using an application named iCal and/or it has an Apply button, you should consider reinstalling Mountain Lion. By-the-way Calendar on iOS 6.1.2 also uses Done, but the button is at the top of the window and not at the bottom as in OS X 10.8.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
joemikeb #25115 02/22/13 03:20 AM
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I think you've nailed the problem. I had no idea that the calendar on Mt Lion 10.8.2 is named Calendar. That is highly likely to be the problem. It will be the middle of next week before I can do anything about it. I'm on the road right now. It seems like I'm always thanking you for solving one problem or another, so I'll say thanks AGAIN!

Last edited by JoBoy; 02/22/13 03:24 AM.

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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
joemikeb #25151 02/26/13 12:14 AM
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I'm home and have reinstalled OSX 10.8.2. The calendar app on my Mountain Lion truly is named Calendar. When I make changes in an existing item on the calendar or open a new item, the word Apply appears in the lower right corner of the rectangular window where the changes are made. The date of Calendar is August 24, 2012. Reinstalling Mountain Lion 10.8.2 did not "refresh" or update Calendar to today's date or any other more recent date than what was shown before reinstallation of Mountain Lion.

I have decided to use only the hours and minutes settings offered by Calendar and avoid manually set ones like "40 minutes." I'll see if that avoids the problems mentioned.

I was not able to find, in the App Store or Apple Downloads, an update for Calendar that was newer than August 24, 2012.

I honestly don't know what else to do. If the standard hours and minutes settings work without a problem, I will probably try the 40 minutes again because it is how long it takes me to get ready and drive to a destination. That way, I won't be late as long as I act immediately when the alarm goes off.

If anyone has any comments, they would be most welcome.

Last edited by JoBoy; 02/26/13 12:16 AM.

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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
JoBoy #25152 02/26/13 01:24 AM
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Not being an iCal/Calendar user, I can't offer any help with the basic problem you're trying to solve, but I think I can shed some light on the apparent discrepancy between the "Apply" that you see and the "Done" reported by alternaut and joemikeb.

You configure/edit your event alerts via Calendar's Get Info window, invoked by either selecting the event and choosing Get Info from the Edit menu (or typing Command-I), or by right-clicking or control-clicking the event and choosing Get Info from the contextual menu. When events are edited in the Get Info window, the rightmost button does indeed say "Apply."

I suspect alternaut and joemikeb are editing events by simply double-clicking on them. This opens a small window with basic event information and an Edit button, which when clicked expands the window to one which is almost identical to the Get Info window you're using. The only difference I can see, in fact, is the nomenclature on the buttons. When events are edited in this window, the rightmost button says "Done."



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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
dkmarsh #25154 02/26/13 02:23 AM
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Good catch dkmarsh! I had never even thought of editing an appointment using the Get Info window. I usually enter my appointments in Calendar on OS X by clicking on the plus (+) sign on the Calendar tool bar and simply typing in something like…
Quote:
American Flight 2071 @ 7:22 am Friday
Which automatically opens an edit window to set any alarms etc then I click on Done. When I check the appointment on my iPhone or iPad it shows the time to be 7:22 AM, and if I have set an alert 1 hour before, the alert goes off at 6:22 AM on OS X and on both iOS devices.

If you initiate an event or change an event's time in Calendar on the iPhone or iPad you can only set the time in 5 minute intervals so in my example, I would have to set Flight 2071 to arrive/depart/whatever at 7:20 or 7:25. confused


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
dkmarsh #25165 02/26/13 02:21 PM
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While I second that 'good catch' in this case, I'd like to add the following, just for the record. The 'Get Info' vs. double-click Edit explanation doesn't work with older versions of iCal, where it always says 'Done' regardless of how you edit an event (Leopard, iCal 3.x), or there is neither 'Done' nor 'Apply' button ('Get Info' in iCal 4.x, Snow Leopard) and closing the Edit window enters the edit. Confused? smirk


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
joemikeb #25244 03/04/13 03:14 AM
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I've been on the road again and unable to take the time to follow this thread. I'm now back and see that I did not follow the account setup procedure you mention. I just started entering items on their respective days on the Calendar without any setup. So I just went to System Preferences and clicked Mail, Contacts & Calendars. None of the account choices applied. For example, I do not use iCloud at all. It is relatively new and I don't like to send my data to a server farm somewhere. I have a lot of proprietary data on my Mac that I want to protect as securely as I can. I back up and sync my iPhone 4S to iTunes and use TimeMachine to back up to two hard drives, one of which is external.

I selected Add Other Account... That presented a series of choices. The choice that appears to be most appropriate is "Add a CalDAV account." My problem is that I don't know what a CalDAV account is. I looked it up in Wikipedia, but that wasn't really helpful. Can someone please tell me if I'm headed in the right direction? I don't want to spend a lot of time messing with something that might be another blind alley. I've already done enough of that. I had no problem setting up Mail accounts, but CalDAV is new to me.

Last edited by JoBoy; 03/04/13 05:37 PM.

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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
JoBoy #25274 03/06/13 10:24 PM
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Sorry if my ignorance was beyond help. I've looked up calDAV on the Apple forum and have concluded that that is not a solution for me.

The only real problem I have is that darn 15hour alarm. I'll just check the next two days every day and correct anything that shows 15 hours. It's a pain, but I see no other way out. Apparently, Apple requires me to use iCloud to properly set up Calendar and I do not want to do that.

Thanks for all your efforts. I feel bad that I had to be on the road so much without the ability to participate due to a packed schedule.


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
joemikeb #25286 03/07/13 07:15 PM
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Since I have begun using your method to make a new entry, the incidence of the 15 hour alarm has dropped off significantly. I'm watching to see if any of my new entries using this method produce the 15 hour alarm. If not, problem solved, thus teaching me for the thousandth time that, if all else fails, follow directions.<grin>


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Re: Unwanted change in iCal alert setting
joemikeb #25320 03/10/13 08:02 PM
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joemikeb:

I have some additional insight that may be helpful in understanding what was going on with my 15 hour problem. As my attention became less focused on the "15 hour problem," I noticed that I was getting Calendar entries synched to my iPhone when I made entries on the Mac, but when I made an original entry on the iPhone, it wasn't syncing to the Mac. I have no idea when that started, but it could have been coincidental with the 15 hour problem. When this thread seemed to go dead to my last three entries, I went to the Apple forum and an old hand there said I should look at this: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1627 I went there and it gave instructions for resetting my syncing mechanism. I followed it carefully and it worked on the first try. Since then, I can now sync both ways and I don't seem to have any more 15 hour issues. Using the Get Info route to enter new items may have been responsible for the 15 hour problem AND the failure to sync both ways. At any rate, the link above may add to our bag of tricks on Calendar issues. Thanks again for your assists. Your ongoing efforts are greatly appreciated. Best regards.

Last edited by JoBoy; 03/10/13 08:03 PM.

Mac Pro dual Quad-Core Intel Xeons Early 2008; 16GB RAM; MacOS X 10.11.6, iOS 9.3.5

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