Adding missing holidays to your Microsoft Outlook calendar

If you are using a version Microsoft Outlook older than Outlook 2007, the holidays available for your Calendar folder will expire at the end of 2008.

However, Microsoft offers updates for previous versions of Outlook to supply holidays for tupcoming years. For Microsoft Outlook 2002 and earlier, the update provides holidays for the years 2006 through 2012. For Outlook 2003, the update supplies holidays for the years 2007 through 2012.

For Outlook 2003 users, you can download the update for your calendar here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=32C24709-50B5-4698-B5CB-BE7D6765FE3A&displaylang=en

For Outlook 2002 users, you can download the update for your calendar here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=EA8DF27B-3130-47AA-AB09-E99F4BE721A5&displaylang=en

For Outlook 2000/98/97 users, use the update listed for Outlook 2002 users. Upon download, save the file as a .txt file, instead of .hol. This is because the holiday file was only named .hol starting with Outlook 2002; previous versions use .txt.

1. To add the new holidays to your Outlook calendar, download the update corresponding to your version of Microsoft Outlook. Save the new file in folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE\1033 by replacing the existing OUTLOOK.HOL file.
2. Open up your Outlook. In the Microsoft Outlook standard toolbar, click on Tools and select Options from the drop down menu.
3. In the Options dialog box under the Preferences tab, click on the icon labeled Calendar Options under Calendar.
4. In the Calendar Options dialog box, click on Add Holidays.
5. The Add Holidays to Calendar dialog box will appear. Click OK.
6. You will see a warning dialog box alerting you that holidays are already installed. Click Yes to install them again.
7. Microsoft Outlook will automatically add the new holidays through the year 2012. Then the following dialog box will appear notifying you that the holidays have been successfully added. Click OK.