Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog

Troubleshooting the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Client for Outlook

6 min read

This post will cover some of the common issues seen in support and the common resolutions to those issues. In this post we will focus on 3 main areas:

  • Client Configuration Issues
  • Login Issues
  • CRM Outlook Add-in Issues

This post will also cover the Client Auto Update to help get the Update Rollups deployed faster to your users.

Troubleshooting Client Configuration

Check Managed Passwords:

  • When logging in through Internet Explorer from the client machine do you Get Prompted for Credentials?
    • Set “Automatic Logon with current user name and password” for the zone where the CRM URL was located. In Internet Explorer click Tools-Internet Options then under Security check the custom level options for User Authentication and select “Automatic Logon with current user name and password”
  • Remove Stored Passwords which are located in Control Panel | User Accounts | Managed Passwords

If you’ve upgraded from the 3.0 Client:

Permissions Issues when configuring:

Active Directory DNS Issues:

  • The following error is shown when configuring – “The configuration wizard cannot connect to the Microsoft CRM server. This might indicate that the server is down.”
    • Add DNS Record for Organizations being accessed over IFD
    • Add DNS Records if you are using a Host Header on the CRM Website
  • Verify you have the correct SPN set on the Account running the AppPool. (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929650)
    • Remove Duplicate SPNS http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911353

Check the Deployment Properties table:

You may have an issue with MAPI . This is not as frequent, and this would be a last step.

  • You receive the error "Action Microsoft.Crm.Config.Client.InstallPstAction failed. LaunchOutlookInstallerProcess failed."
    • Run the fixmapi.exe which is located at %windir%\system32\fixmapi.exe

Login Issues

Check the URL you are using:

  • Can you login in from the client machine within Internet Explorer successfully?
  • Does the User in CRM, have a Role?
  • Is the user set to Administrative Mode on the user record?
    • If so the users set to Administrative Mode will not be able to successfully launch the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Client for Outlook.

Check Managed Passwords:

  • When logging in through Internet Explorer from the client machine do you Get Prompted for Credentials?
    • Set “Automatic Logon with current user name and password” for the zone where the CRM URL was located. In Internet Explorer click Tools-Internet Options then under Security check the custom level options for User Authentication and select “Automatic Logon with current user name and password”
  • Remove Stored Passwords that are located in Control Panel | User Accounts | Managed Passwords

Permissions may be causing a problem:

  • Permissions on Role
    • Turn on Platform Tracing to see if any CheckPrivilege errors occur

                        – CrmCheckPrivilege failed. Returned hr = -2147220960 on UserId: 8bebb2df-3ac8-dc11-8d71-005056000030 and PrivilegeId: 588725dd-c878-41c5-a4c3-5efc93cd3ffd

                        – If permissions are missing look in the Organization database to find out what privilege is missing.

  • Select * from privilegebase where PrivilegeID = ‘id of privilege GUID from the trace’
  • On the User Record check the Access Mode and see if it is set to Administrative Mode and if it is change it to Full
  • If there could be a permission issue on the Website in IIS look at IIS Logs & Plat Trace
  • Sync IWAM and IUSR passwords KB 906365 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297989)

Do you have any 3rd Party Addin’s?

  • Do you have the latest updates to other Addin’s?
  • Temporarily disable 3rd party Addin’s to find the Addin that is causing the issues.

Check the IFD Settings if it is enabled:

CRM Outlook Add-in Responsiveness

Apply the latest Update Rollup for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

Disable other Outlook Add-ins to see if the issues still occur.

  • Start enabling the Add-ins one at a time to find out what Add-ins are causing the issues.
  • Check to see if there are any new updates for the Outlook Add-ins that are installed on the client machine. We have seen issues where older versions of some Outlook Add-ins have caused issues with Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Gather a crash dump or hang dump to send into Technical Support using the ADPlus Tool at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/286350

ADPlus is a tool that will allow us to get a memory dump from a process that is giving you problems. To get this tool, please install the most current version of “Debugging Tools for Windows" from http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/devtools/debugging/default.mspx

Once these tools are installed, do the following to capture a Crash Dump or a Hang Dump:

1. Create a directory called c:\adplus

2. Open a command prompt and change to the directory where you installed the debugging tools. By default, this is c:\Program Files\Debugging Tools for Windows

3.a. Crash Dump – If Outlook crashes (restarts or the Outlook.exe process disappears), then a crash dump is required.  This can be captured using the following commands and needs to be run before the Outlook crash occurs.

To capture a Crash Dump type the following: 

cscript adplus.vbs -crash -pn Outlook.exe -o c:\adplus

Note: a WARNING window will pop-up regarding debugging symbols – click OK

3b. Hang Dump – If Outlook is hanging or non-responsive to mouse clicks or keyboard commands for at least a minute or more than a hang dump may be required to troubleshoot the issue and can be captured using the steps below.  The hang dump is a point in time capture and must be performed after the hang has occurred.  Do not perform the steps to capture a hang dump before the problem has occurred, but after the Outlook.exe process has hung.

To capture a Hang Dump type the following:

cscript adplus.vbs -hang -pn Outlook.exe -o c:\adplus

Note: A WARNING window will pop-up regarding debugging symbols – click OK

Note: It is best to take three different Hang Dumps usually 30-60 seconds apart from each other.

4. Do not interfere with the windows that are opened, just let it run minimized.

5. You will not be able to log off the system while you are monitoring.

6. After the hang/crash occurs, please zip and send the contents of the c:\adplus directory.

If help is required with these procedures, please open a support case.

 

Client Update

Steps to deploy hotfixes to your Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Client for Outlook users.

  1. Create Configuration file to update MSCRM_Config database

<ClientPatches>

<Create>

<ClientPatchInfo>

<PatchId>{004A7E60-5DB7-4F05-B7C1-1D2DD653A1A6}</PatchId>*

<Title>Update Rollup 4</Title>

<Description>Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 – Update Rollup 4</Description> <IsMandatory>true</IsMandatory>

<IsEnabled>true</IsEnabled>

<ClientType>OutlookLaptop,OutlookDesktop</ClientType>

<LinkId>150735&amp;clcid=0x409</LinkId>**

</ClientPatchInfo>

</Create>

</ClientPatches>

Notes:

*See http://blogs.msdn.com/crm/archive/2009/02/11/update-rollup-2-for-microsoft-dynamics-crm-4-0-more-info.aspx for all the patchid’s and linkid’s for UR2

*See http://blogs.msdn.com/crm/archive/2009/03/13/update-rollup-3-for-microsoft-dynamics-crm-4-0.aspx for all patchid’s and linkid’s for UR3

*See KB http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/968176 for all patchid’s and linkid’s for UR4 (All patchid’s and linkid’s will be included in the Update Rollup KBs going forward).

**When using a LinkId like 140023&clcid=0x409 it will fail to upload so you need to use 140023&amp;clcid=0x409

  1. Update MSCRM_Config db with patch info
  • Launch the command prompt and change directories to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics CRM\Tools
  • Run the following command microsoft.crm.tools.clientpatchconfigurator.exe clientconfig.xml

Note: This is assuming the clientconfig.xml you created is also in the same directory. After running the command wait 30 seconds for the cache to flush before trying to check for updates on your client machine.

  1. Launch the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Client for Outlook or Run Update from Start-All Programs-Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0-Update to check for updates.

For more information on the Client Auto Update see the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Implementation Guide. (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=104413)

Thanks,

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Support Team

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