HomeMac OS X

How to Clear the iCal Cache

This wikiHow teaches you how to delete cached files from your Mac's Calendar app. This will solve problems such as a slow or unresponsive calendar, but it may also wipe your calendar's data; as such, you'll begin the process of clearing...
Part 1 of 3:

Preparing to Clear the Cache

  1. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 1How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 1
    Open the Calendar app. Double-click the calendar icon in your Mac's Dock.
  2. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 2How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 2
    Back up your calendar's data. If you have multiple calendars synced to different accounts, you'll need to back those up, too. To do so:[1]
    1. Click File
    2. Select Export
    3. Click Calendar Archive
    4. Select a save location.
  3. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 3How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 3
    Try removing and re-adding the account. You may be able to solve your calendar problem by removing the calendar account from your computer and then adding it back. To do so:
    1. Click the Apple Menu
      How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 4How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 4
    2. Click System Preferences
    3. Click Internet Accounts
    4. Select the calendar's account.
    5. Click -
    6. Restart your Mac
    7. Go back to the Internet Accounts page.
    8. Select an account provider (e.g., Outlook).
    9. Enter your account's email address and password.
  4. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 5How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 5
    Close and re-open your Calendar. If the problem was fixed, your account simply needed a refresh. If not, continue to the next step.
  5. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 6How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 6
    Double-check your backups before clearing your cache. There is a decent chance that your calendars' contents will be completely deleted if you clear your cache, so make absolutely sure that you have a backup file for each of your calendars. Only proceed after you are certain that you won't lose anything important.
  6. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 7How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 7
    Close your Calendar app. You are now ready to proceed with clearing your calendar's cache.
Part 2 of 3:

Clearing the Cache

  1. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 8How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 8
    Open Finder. Click the blue, face-shaped app in the Dock.
  2. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 9How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 9
    Select your Mac's hard drive. It's on the left side of the Finder window, just below the "Devices" heading.
  3. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 10How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 10
    Double-click the Macintosh HD folder. You should see this option near the top of the Finder window.
  4. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 11How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 11
    Double-click the Users folder. This will open the Users folder.
  5. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 12How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 12
    Double-click the folder with your name on it. This is the personal user folder.
  6. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 13How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 13
    Press ⌘ Command+⇧ Shift+.. Doing so prompts the hidden folders that are in your personal user folder to display. One such folder is the Library folder.
  7. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 14How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 14
    Double-click the Library folder. It's in the middle of the personal user folder.
  8. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 15How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 15
    Double-click the Calendars folder. This folder is in the middle of the Library folder.
  9. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 16How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 16
    Delete any cache files in this folder. There may be several files with "Cache" in their title; select each cache file by holding ⌘ Command and clicking them, then click File and click Move to Trash.
    1. These cache files are often named things like com.apple.cal.
  10. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 17How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 17
    Click the Trash icon. It's a waste basket-shaped icon in the Dock. A pop-up menu will appear.
  11. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 18How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 18
    Click Empty Trash…. This option is in the pop-up menu.
  12. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 19How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 19
    Click Empty Trash when prompted. Doing so will most likely trigger an error message that says "The operation can't be completed because the item '[cache file name]' is in use", meaning you'll need to force-quit the Calendar background process and then empty Trash again.
    1. If you don't see any error messages pop up, your Calendar app's cache has successfully been cleared.
Part 3 of 3:

Force-Quitting Calendar

  1. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 20How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 20
    Click Continue on the error window. You may have to do this for several errors depending on how many files you tried to delete.
  2. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 21How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 21
    Open Spotlight
    How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 22How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 22
    . Click the magnifying glass-shaped icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 23How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 23
    Type activity monitor into Spotlight. Doing so searches your Mac for the Activity Monitor app, which is a program that allows you to monitor and halt background processes.
  4. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 24How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 24
    Click Activity Monitor. It's a black box with green lines on it. You should see it near the top of the Spotlight drop-down menu.
  5. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 25How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 25
    Double-click the "CalendarAgent" entry. This is the Calendar background process. It will open.
  6. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 26How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 26
    Click Quit. It's in the bottom-right side of the Calendar window.
  7. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 27How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 27
    Click Force Quit when prompted. Doing so will prevent the Calendar background process from running, meaning that you can delete the cache files without interference.
    1. You may not see the "CalendarAgent" entry disappear from the Activity Manager when you click Force Quit.
  8. How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 28How to Clear the iCal Cache Picture 28
    Empty the Trash. Click the Trash Can icon, click Empty Trash..., and click Empty Trash when prompted. You shouldn't experience any errors this time, meaning that your calendar's cached files will be deleted. You have successfully cleared your Mac's Calendar app's cache.
3.8 ★ | 35 Vote
clickcalendarfoldercache

You should read it

May be interested

Mac OS X