Outlook Client CRM 3.0 Woes

[TorusGroup]

We have installed MS CRM 3.0 as a pilot before we roll it out to our clients
and offer it as a hosted solution.

We have the CRM server installed (without issue) and the web interface seems
to be working without issue.

We are now trying to get the CRM 3.0 Outlook client working on a Windows
2003 terminal server which the CRM 3.0 documentation states is a supported
configuration, but we we keep getting the folowing error. We did an
administrative install on our file server and then ran the install as a user
with admin rights on the terminal server. The client install ran without
issue. When we start Outlook (2003 SP2) we get the following error in a popup
dialog.

An error occurred loading Microsoft CRM
functionality. Try restarting Microsoft Outlook or contact your system admin
if errors persist.

Checking the application log the following error is logged.

An error occurred retrieving Microsoft CRM synchronization settings from the
server. Restart Microsoft Outlook and try again. HR=0x80040220. Context=.
Function=CAddin::HrActivateAddin. Line=595.

MSCRM appears as a folder choice on the left navigation menu, but it has
almost no options/choices available. The CRM toolbar is completly greyed out
and the menu bar CRM option is greyed out.

Can anyone help point us in the right direction?

[Niths]

Try this in the Outlook window:

Tools->Options->Other->Advanced Options->COM Add-ins-> remove the MSCRM
Add-in and add it again.

You should find the crmaddin dll in the bin folder in Microsoft CRM folder.

Hope this helps!

[TorusGroup]

Did not help. Still getting the same error in the popup dialog box and in the
application error log.

[Niths]

OK.
Since this is the first time you are installing SFO, i dont think it could
be a registry issue.

Try repairing the installation...

[Dean Flaming]

We have the same issue with the Outlook Laptop Client. I've done the afore
mentioned steps - including repairing - to no avail.
--
-Dean F.

[Niths]

Well, i had a tough time installing SFO 3.0 just yesterday! But i finally
managed to get it done, CRM toolbar and all!

Are you getting any errors/warnings during the installation??? There is one
particularly difficult one to get around - the cannot connect to server
warning.

[Dean Flaming]

The only warning I got when installing it is that my laptop is not a member
of the domain.

Currently, the error I get is when starting Outlook - which I've typed below
- and is one which I'm sure many of us are now familiar with.

----BEGIN ERROR TEXT----

An error occurred loading Microsoft CRM functionality.

Try restarting Microsoft Outlook.
Contact your system administrator if errors persist.
-----END ERROR TEXT-----

But the funny thing is, it was working great for a long time. Then, we
switched from a test CRM server to a production CRM server and I was forced
to uninstall and reinstall again - as just changing the registry keys will
not work - and now it doesn't work at all now.

On my system, I've uninstalled both SFO and MSDE and wiped those folders and
registry keys and then reinstalled. My co-worker actually completely wiped
and rebuilt his laptop to no avail. He finally joined it to the domain and
used the full desktop client.

-Dean F.

[Dean Flaming]

Additionally, my Application Event Log shows the following events whenever I
try and launch Outlook.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSCRMAddin
Event Category: None
Event ID: 16940
Date: 12/21/2005
Time: 8:54:22 AM
User: N/A
Computer: COMPUTERNAME
Description:
A problem occurred retrieving information from the Microsoft CRM server.
Check network credentials and network connections and try again.
HR=0x80004005. Context=. Function=CAddin::HrInitializeUI. Line=103.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSCRMAddin
Event Category: None
Event ID: 16930
Date: 12/21/2005
Time: 8:54:22 AM
User: N/A
Computer: COMPUTERNAME
Description:
Initialization of the Microsoft CRM UI failed. Try restarting Microsoft
Outlook. HR=0x80004005. Context=. Function=CAddin::HrActivateAddin. Line=505.

The 16940 event entry has me curious as I'm not a member of the domain. The
odd thing is that I have cached my credentials to the CRM server and
authentication to it is instantaneous. I'll mess around with my
authentication settings to see if this is the case.

Also, on a side note, I've disabled the laptop's software firewall - again
to no avail.

-Dean F.

[Niths]

Well, let's try out a few other things then.

1. Can you remove all the outlook profiles from the laptop other than the
default profile? Maybe you can delete all the profiles and reconfigure the
default profile.

2. To find out if its really a domain issue, you could add the laptop to the
domain (for right now) and try installing the laptop client and see if that
works.

3. Add the CRM server to trusted sites in the Internet
Options->Tools->security settings.

All the best!
Niths

[Dean Flaming]

Answers to your questions:

1. Can you remove all the outlook profiles from the laptop other than the
default profile? Maybe you can delete all the profiles and reconfigure the
default profile.

Tried this already. Also, don't forget we also wiped a laptop COMPLETELY
and rebuilt it with no luck.

2. To find out if its really a domain issue, you could add the laptop to the
domain (for right now) and try installing the laptop client and see if that
works.

We tried this and it didn't work until we used the DESKTOP CLIENT. The SFO
did not work even in the domain.

3. Add the CRM server to trusted sites in the Internet
Options->Tools->security settings.

Already tried this and it didn't work either.

[Niths]

Whoa!!

I've run out of options you could try!

Please let me know if you manage to get it to work!

[Niths]

Dean,

Try nslookup <<servername>> from the command prompt. This would help us find
out if the server is reachable or not.

Just a thought!
Niths

[ga...@winapptechnology.com]

Hey

I dont know anything about terminal services but I just experienced
your exact problem and it come down to this.

Inside IE We were caching credentials to the CRM that were different to
the trusted security credentials that we boot the computer up with.
Therefore outlook is trying to credential with the trusted credentials
and CRM was using another CRM users cached credentials.

We solved it by removing the cached credentials that were in i.,e as
follows

. Navigate to the Control Panel
2. Select 'User Accounts'
3. Click the Advanced Tab
4. Select 'Manage Passwords'
5. Remove any entries pointing to your CRM server

After you do this set your user authentication in Internet Explorer to

"logon with current username and password"

Regards

Garry Smith
Vice President Sales and Marketing

Winapp
technology
smart tools for SharePoint

[Clark@discussions.microsoft.com Max Clark]

Dean,

Did you ever sort this out - I am hitting the same wall here.

-Max

[Ben F.]

Dean or Max or anybody else,

Did you guys find out this problem was happening.

Regards Ben F.

[Christian]

I'm also looking for a solution to this issue.

PLease advise... thanks!!

[Bronsi]

Hi All,

This was the fix for my problem, thanks very much.

One thing I have learnt is if you have CRM 1.2 already installed it is
better to upgrade than to clean install. The main issues I have had and have
fixed are CRM functionality issues, MSDE2000 SP4 not installing and
Incompatible Version (older 1.2 still seen as installed even if you have
removed it). Happy to help out.

Thanks to all for helping me!

"ga...@winapptechnology.com" wrote:

> Hey
>
> I dont know anything about terminal services but I just experienced
> your exact problem and it come down to this.
>
> Inside IE We were caching credentials to the CRM that were different to
> the trusted security credentials that we boot the computer up with.
> Therefore outlook is trying to credential with the trusted credentials
> and CRM was using another CRM users cached credentials.
>
> We solved it by removing the cached credentials that were in i.,e as
> follows
>

> .. Navigate to the Control Panel

[Scott Phares]

I resolved this same problem on a laptop running Office/Outlook 2003
SP-2. In Outlook, go to Tools, Options, Other, Advanced Otions, COM Add Ins,
then REMOVE the Microsoft CRM for Outlook Add In. Close Outlook. Open Outlook
and go back to COM Addins and re-add the Microsoft CRM Addin for Outlook. I
went back to the Client Install Folder at Client\PFiles\MSCRM\Client\bin and
selected the crmaddin.dll file which puts it back in Outlook. Closed Outlook.
Downloaded and ran a re-install of MS XML 4.0 SP2. Opened Outlook and it
fixed the problem, the CRM tool bar and folders appeared and are accessible.

Reinstalling MSXML 4.0 SP2. It is on the client CD or you can install it
from the below location -

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=3144b72b-b4f2-46da-b4b6-c5d7485f2b42&displaylang=en

[Chadwill]

Scott, you are the man!
This worked for me. Thanks for the good step by step instructions.
On the xml fix I just downloaded the msxml.msi and selected "Repair".

Chad
Telligent Solutions

---------------------------------

[Rick M]

Unfortunately, this solution has not worked for me. Any other suggestions?

-Rick

[Kurt Hoffeditz]

I resolved my issue by going to our Microsoft CRM webpage and selecting
"Options" from the "Tools" menu. In the "Set Personal Options" window I
clicked the "View your user profile here" link. In the "User: <User Name>"
window I noticed the "Restricted Access Mode" box was checked. I unckecked
that box, selected "Save and Close" and I was then able to successfully open
Outlook without getting the client error.

Hope this helps your situation.

[Rick M]

Thanks for the suggestion. I checked and the "Restricted Access mode" box
was not checked.

-Rick

[damie...@gmail.com]

i too am having the same issue, has any found a solution to this
problem yet?

[Aami]

The funny thing with my CRM is that i can install and work with desktop
client without any problem but when i install outlook client on same
computer , it starts giving me the error :(.

I was reading somewhere in this forum that one shuld register
crmaddin.dll in regsvr32 .I tried to register but i culdnt do it as it
gives error.

Does MS offer any solution to the problem in hand?

Aami

[Bob]

I'm in the same boat here. I tried everything that was suggested throughout
this post. I think I'm having a permissions problem. When installing the
client via Administrative Mode (files sitting on the CRM Server) I get a
warning that the user is not part of the domain, however this user has joined
the domain to run the install. Server loaded fine. Users are added to the
CRM Server with admin rights. The client install does see the SQL Server
(however I had to provide the IP Address to the server, not the URL), but
also says I'm not part of the domain.

Any direction would be greatly appreciated...

[Iain Norman]

I've been struggling with the same error message as the OP today.

I've run through all the advice here, disabling the add in, enabling it
etc. Checking permissions and all that to no avail.

Obviously there are many problems giving the same error, so if none of
the above worked for you try what worked for me.

Open up regedit,

Go to Current User >> Software >> Microsoft >> MSCRMClient

Find RCOffline, when offline it's 1 and online 0.

Mine was marked as online (0) so I changed it to offiline (1). Opened
outlook and no error, menu and toolbar loaded fine.

Just had to click "go online" and we were there, all sorted now. Though
you have to go offline before closing outlook or it will come back with
the error again and the reg needs refiddling.

I