Show multiple calendars in overlay view by default

In MS Outlook 2007/2010, it's possible to show multiple calendars overlayed on each other (a la Google Calendar; see http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/view-calendars-side-by-side-or-overlaid-HA001230157.aspx#BM4). However, it appears that in order to do this, you must first open the calendars side-by-side and then press the little left-arrow button to "combine" them into an overlaid view. Is there a way to make "overlaid" the default view for multiple calendars (again, a la Google Calendar)?

Kyle Strand

Posted 2014-05-27T21:00:52.143

Reputation: 1 206

Answers

You have to change the default settings that control when the display changes back and forth. You'll find that in Options. Once done, open all the calendars, click the arrow that makes them glue together and they should stay that way.

The main problem is that Outlook doesn't remember your preference to show all the calendars so when you reopen Outlook you have to reselect the ones that aren't showing. To make that easier, put them all in one group along with your default calendar, then you can just click on the group rather than each calendar.

Julian Knight

Posted 2014-05-27T21:00:52.143

Reputation: 13 389

1Where are "Options", please? And how does one make a "group"? – jtheletter – 2015-10-22T21:18:20.400

Options are under the File tab. – Julian Knight – 2015-10-25T20:35:35.507

Hmmm--in Outlook 2007, I set "automatically switch from vertical view to schedule view" to occur when I've got 2 or more calendars open, but that didn't seem to have any effect...not sure what went wrong. – Kyle Strand – 2015-11-24T23:25:54.210

Ah, got it, "vertical" is apparently the view that I do want. – Kyle Strand – 2015-11-24T23:29:49.540

I don't see an option to change when the display changes; the closest thing I see is an option to change what number of calendars will trigger a transition to or from schedule view. – Kyle Strand – 2014-05-27T21:46:44.950

That's the one. Sorry, I don't have an Outlook 2010 system to hand. – Julian Knight – 2014-05-27T21:52:30.393

There is an option in each calendar to displayed it as an Overlay. Right click on each calendar and select Overlay:

Overlay can also be set from the view menu

Matthew Lock

Posted 2014-05-27T21:00:52.143

Reputation: 4 254

Does this set overlay as the default, though? – Kyle Strand – 2015-11-25T03:57:28.720

Yes Outlook remembers when you set a particular calendar to display as Overlay and displays it overlayed from then on. – Matthew Lock – 2015-11-25T23:52:50.200

But it doesn't set it as the default for all calendars, does it? The other answer appears to be closer to what I'm looking for. Thanks, though. – Kyle Strand – 2015-11-26T01:04:59.193

No, since you are setting the Overlay for a particular calendar rather than all of them. – Matthew Lock – 2015-11-26T01:16:05.563