Outlook CRM button not appearing/CRM failed to Connect

CRM 2011 – Outlook CRM button not appearing/CRM failed to Connect

I had installed the outlook Add-In and it had been running for a month or so and then suddenly it stopped appearing in Outlook.

The folders weren't there and none of the functionality was showing.

After some investigation I found out the Add-In had been disabled! I have no idea when, how or who did this.

For CRM add-ins

Outlook -> Options -> Add-Ins

This will then show you the list of Add-Ins and if they are active, inactive or disabled

 Follow the bellows steps to enable it.

    Select COM Add-ins and click on Go button.

    Just select Microsoft Dynamics CRM and click on OK.

Installing Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Outlook Client on Windows 8 and Office 2013

Installing Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Outlook Client on Windows 8 and Office 2013

I recently installed Windows 8 and Office 2013 on my system and had some issue when trying to install the CRM Outlook Client. I won’t go into all the scary details about what I did to figure this out but here is the solution.

I got two error messages one after the other…

“There is a problem communicating with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server. The server might be unavailable. Try again later. If the problem persists, contact your system administrator.”

“Cannot connect to Microsoft Dynamics CRM server because we cannot authenticate your credentials. Check your connection or contact your administrator for more help.”

 Issue #1 – CRM Outlook Client Install does not enable Microsoft Identity Foundation 3.5. This will cause this error:

“Cannot connect to Microsoft Dynamics CRM server because we cannot authenticate your credentials. Check your connection or contact your administrator for more help.”

Windows 8 comes with it installed but not enabled. Enable it.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2727137

Issue #2 – CRM Outlook Client does not install the correct versions of SQL Server Compact 3.5 on 64-bit Operating Systems. This will cause this error:

“There is a problem communicating with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server. The server might be unavailable. Try again later. If the problem persists, contact your system administrator.”

In the CRM Client log you will see this error: Error| Exception: Unable to load DLL ‘sqlceme35.dll’: The specified module could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007E)

• Uninstall SQL Server Compact 3.5 32-bit (and the 64-bit version if it is installed)
• Reboot
• Install SQL Server Compact 3.5 32-bit
• Install SQL Server Compact 3.5 64-bit(http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=5783)
• Run Configuration Wizard

CRM Outlook trying to connect

Things to be followed when Outlook is not able to connect CRM

First, try accessing Web CRM and if you are able to access it, follow the below steps to connect CRM in Outlook.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM processes and records may create and store files in a temporary cache. When updates occur, software may still be referencing some of these old files in cache, which can cause various issues. The same can be true for the Microsoft Dynamics Outlook client and the need to clear the cache periodically.

Note: Often a user’s Outlook could be open for days without ever closing (even if workstation is hibernating). Due to the long duration, sometimes the CRM client may stop syncing. The diagnostics tool can help resolve issues stemming from that.

Many simple issues can be resolved by clearing out the temporary cache for Dynamics CRM. Things like: 

• CRM stops syncing
• CRM ribbon buttons are disabled and not usable
• Lists of records do not display properly
• Outlook won’t load

         How to Clear the Temporary Files for Dynamics CRM

         To open the Diagnostics Utility, follow these steps:

•  Open the Start Menu.
•  Click All Programs.
•  Click Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011.
•  Click on the Diagnostics utility.

  

To delete the temporary CRM files, follow these steps in the Diagnostics utility: 

• Click on the Advanced Troubleshooting tab.
• Under the heading “Delete Temporary Microsoft Dynamics CRM Client files”,click Delete.
• Click Save.
• Close and re-open your Outlook to check if the clearing of the cache resolved your problem.     

This is usually the first step recommended when troubleshooting Microsoft Dynamics CRM Outlook add-in problems.