Apple introduced their new CalDAV-based calendaring system for MobileMe a while back, and consequently, they’ve decreed that everyone must upgrade by May 5. If you joined MobileMe after October 14 of last year, you should already be on the new system, but if you’ve been a member for longer than that, you’ll have to do the switch yourself. Not doing so will result in your calendars refusing to sync between your devices, so it’s safe to say that this is a pretty important step to take.
Before you make the transition, though, I strongly recommend that you back up your existing calendars, as the worst-case scenario here means that you won’t remember what time you’re supposed to meet Woz at Starbucks to discuss your billion-dollar tech startup idea. So here’s how you avoid that.
Backup your calendars before upgrading
To back up your calendars:
- Go to iCal.
- Choose the “File” menu and select “Export,” and then “iCal Archive.”
- Tell iCal to save the file wherever you’d like.
Note that Apple recommends against using this backup method if you’ve already upgraded, so you can check out their support pages for instructions on how to back up under the new calendaring system if you need to.
Apple made it easy to find the upgrade option.
To complete the upgrade, go to MobileMe Web page and log in to your account. Click on the cloud icon in the upper-left corner of your browser window and choose “Calendar” from the row of icons that appears. If you’re still using the old calendar, your URL at this point will end with “old,” and you should see a notification in the lower-left of your window with the “Upgrade now” option. If you click that, you’ll be taken through the upgrading process. And if you have questions about system requirements, supported browsers, or any other related information, visit Apple’s MobileMe upgrade FAQ page.