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CRM 4 Outlook Offline Client & Vista SP1

While trying to install the CRM 4 Outlook Offline Client on a Vista SP1 machine we got the following error:
Sql Express - "Installation Failed"

Nothing in the event log and nothing listed under details. If you get the same error here is how you can get around it.

- Download SQL 2005 Express SP2
- Install it, but make sure you uncheck 'Hide advanced option' on the installer -> select 'Named Instance' -> Name: CRM
Make sure you specify the instance name as CRM, otherwise the installer will complain and say "Installation Failed".

- Run the Configuration Wizard
* If the current user is not part of the Administrators group or is not the Administrator it'll say unable to access the database.
- Download SQL Management Studio
- Go into Security -> select/add the user -> asign the SysAdmin role (full control to the sql server, I didn't bother trying to find out the minimum permission required to get CRM Outlook installed)

Another error we noticed
"An error occured loading Microsoft Dynamics CRM funtionality. Try restarting Microsoft CRM Outlook. Contact your system administrator if errors persist."

If you try opening the Configuration Wizard it says:
"Microsoft Dynamics Configuration for Outlook with offline access has already been configured for use on this computer. Only one user can be configured per computer for Microsoft Dynamics CRM for outlook with Offline Access."

To fix that make sure SQL CRM instance has been started.
Strange error messages, would have been nice if it said "Could not connect to the sql server."

1 Comment

  • They were brand new machines with Vista SP1, server was a fresh CRM 4 installation.

    What I was saying above was it gave that generic error when SQL was stopped; giving me the run around, should have told me to make sure SQL has been started.

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