How to Make Outlook open .ics files?

I've been happily using Outlook on my desktop for years and managing my calendar locally. I recently purchased Microsoft 365 Family, primarily to get the Office suite of local apps on all my home computers and maintain them at current versions. I installed the apps locally. Now when I double-click a downloaded .ics file it will only open in "Calendar", which appears to be my Hotmail calendar. I have a Hotmail account, but it is definitely not my primary email -my primary email is a POP account in a custom domain that I have managed myself since 1989, and I have no desire to change it. I can't select my local Outlook app as the default program for .ics files. This is a major inconvenience, as I sync my local calendar to my Google calendar with Sync2.

How can I set Outlook as my default calendar program in Windows 10 with Microsoft 365 installed?

Hello Bill_Walton

Normally, the Outlook desktop program (part of MS 365) is set as the default app for .ics files when MS 365 is installed so something has changed that default association

To change the default back to Outlook desktop

#1 - Go to Windows Settings --> Apps --> Default Apps
#2 - Scroll down to the bottom and click on
Karl

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Outlook is not provided as a choice - I get only "Calendar" and "Look for an app in the Microsoft Store."

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Last updated April 21, 2025 Views 19,724 Applies to: