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Outlook: How to remove duplicate calendar items

Author Sun Last modified

Sometimes, there are some duplicate calendar items when we import events from other devices. To remove the duplicate calendar items, this tutorial introduces two different methods, one is removing one by one when the duplicates are fewer, another one is using VBA to remove all duplicates at once time.

Manually remove duplicates calendar items one by one

VBA to remove duplicates calendar items at once time

Manually remove duplicates calendar items one by one

 

To remove duplicate calendar items one by one, you need to list them in a specific order for viewing the duplicates clearly firstly, then remove them one by one.

1. Generally, the calendar is in a "Calendar" view, activate the calendar you want to remove duplicates, then click "View" > "Change View" > "List".

steps on manually removing duplicates calendar items one by one

Now the calendar has been viewed as a list.

steps on manually removing duplicates calendar items one by one
steps on manually removing duplicates calendar items one by one

2. Then specify a condition that you use to compare if the items are duplicate, supposing to compare if the items have the same subject. Click "SUBJECT" in the calendar list, then all items with the same subject are placed together.

steps on manually removing duplicates calendar items one by one

3. Now you can remove the items which have the same subject one by one by right-clicking on the item and clicking "Delete" from the popping context menu.

steps on manually removing duplicates calendar items one by one

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VBA to remove duplicates calendar items at once time

 

Here introduces some VBA which can remove all duplicate calendar items in a calendar folder in different cases.

1. Press "Alt" + "F11" keys to enable "Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications" window.

2. Click "Insert" > "Module" to create a new blank module, then copy and paste below code to the module.

VBA: remove all duplicate calendar items in one specific category

'Sub RemoveDuplicateCalendar()
'UpdatebyExtendoffice20220413
  Dim xStores As Stores
  Dim xStore As Store
  Dim xRootFolder As Folder
  Dim xFolder As Object
  Set xStores = Application.Session.Stores
  For Each xStore In xStores
    Set xRootFolder = xStore.GetRootFolder
    For Each xFolder In xRootFolder.Folders
      Call ProcessFolders(xFolder)
    Next
  Next
  Set xStores = Nothing
End Sub

Sub ProcessFolders(ByVal CurrentFld As Folder)
  Dim xDictionary As Object
  Dim i As Long
  Dim xItem As Object
  Dim xKey As String
  Dim xSubFld As Folder
  On Error Resume Next
  If CurrentFld.DefaultItemType <> olAppointmentItem Then Exit Sub
  Set xDictionary = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
  For i = CurrentFld.Items.Count To 1 Step -1
    Set xItem = CurrentFld.Items.Item(i)
    'change categories as you need in below script
    If xItem.Categories = "date" Then
    'change the comparing items as you need
      xKey = xItem.Subject & xItem.Location & xItem.Body & xItem.Categories
      If xDictionary.Exists(xKey) = True Then
        xItem.Delete
      Else
        xDictionary.Add xKey, True
      End If
    End If
  Next i
  For Each xSubFld In CurrentFld.Folders
    ProcessFolders xSubFld
  Next
End Sub

In this VBA, it will remove all duplicates in "date" this category by comparing the subject, location, body and category, you can change them as you need.

steps on using VBA to remove duplicates calendar items at once time

3. then press "F5" key or click Run to run the code, a dialog "Macros" pops out, choose "RemoveDuplicateCalendar" and click "Run" steps on using VBA to remove duplicates calendar items at once time .

steps on using VBA to remove duplicates calendar items at once time

Then the duplicate items in the "date" category have been removed.

VBA: remove all duplicate calendar items across categories

Sub RemoveDuplicateCalendar()
'UpdatebyExtendoffice20220413
  Dim xStores As Stores
  Dim xStore As Store
  Dim xRootFolder As Folder
  Dim xFolder As Object
  Set xStores = Application.Session.Stores
  For Each xStore In xStores
    Set xRootFolder = xStore.GetRootFolder
    For Each xFolder In xRootFolder.Folders
      Call ProcessFolders(xFolder)
    Next
  Next
  Set xStores = Nothing
End Sub

Sub ProcessFolders(ByVal CurrentFld As Folder)
  Dim xDictionary As Object
  Dim i As Long
  Dim xItem As Object
  Dim xKey As String
  Dim xSubFld As Folder
  On Error Resume Next
  If CurrentFld.DefaultItemType <> olAppointmentItem Then Exit Sub
  Set xDictionary = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
  For i = CurrentFld.Items.Count To 1 Step -1
    Set xItem = CurrentFld.Items.Item(i)
    'change the comparing items as you need
      xKey = xItem.Subject & xItem.Location & xItem.Body & xItem.Categories
      If xDictionary.Exists(xKey) = True Then
        xItem.Delete
      Else
        xDictionary.Add xKey, True
      End If
  Next i
  For Each xSubFld In CurrentFld.Folders
    ProcessFolders xSubFld
  Next
End Sub

Run this code, all duplicates which are at the same subject, location, body, category in each category have been removed.

steps on using VBA to remove duplicates calendar items at once time
steps on using VBA to remove duplicates calendar items at once time

Note: Above VBA works in calendar folder includes subfolder.

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