Microsoft Dynamics CRM asks repeatedly for credentials.

Recently I installed Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 successfully.

Then when I tried to access the CRM Website, with

http://servername:5557/

It asked me for credentials.

Actually it was supposed to log in automatically with currently logged on user on domain.

This happens due to problem in authentication method in IIS.

To troubleshoot this, I did a workaround and got it working.

1. Go to IIS Manager using inetmgr.

2. Expand tree and Click on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Website.

3. In the Features View, Double Click Authentication.

4. Select "Windows Authentication" and Click "Providers" in right hand pane.

5. Inside Providers dialogue box, Remove all except NTLM and click Ok.

Now your CRM website should not ask for your credentials anymore, provided you are logged on same domain in which CRM is installed.

Microsoft SCE (System Center Essentials) Installation fails with 1603

When you Run Microsoft System Center Essentials setup. Everything goes fine and smooth until it throws you a screen mentioning that the setup has failed.

When you view the log file, you notice error 1603.

What I did to solve error was, Uncheck the checkbox during setup which says "Use microsoft update..."

When the setup fails to connect to Microsoft Update, it throws above error.

Removing Lync Server 2010

I was removing my Lync Server Test Deployment.


Its pretty easy.
Here's what I have done :


1. Start => All Programs => Microsoft Lync Server 2010 => Topology Builder.
Open the existing deployment in i.e. Published Topology in Topology Builder.
The topology Builder lists all the servers and their roles.
First of all, try to remove all the servers except the one you are removing Lync Server on, Manually.
Then Right Click the Site you wish to remove.
Under Publish Menu, Choose the "Remove Deployment" option.
This will open up the "Remove Deployment Wizard"
The wizard will Remove all the servers from the Topology Leaving some Required Servers back.
It will leave the server still in topology which has the Central Configuration Store And Local SQL RTC instance.
Then Publish this topology by Right Clicking the Site Publish => Publish Topology.
Then close the Topology Builder.


2. Open up the Lync Server Deployment Wizard from Start => All Programs => Lync Server 2010 => Deployment Wizard.
This will help us to Remove the components that we published Above.
Then Open Install or Remove Lync Server Components.
After completion of this wizard, All the Lync Server Roles are removed from the server.


3. Then open an elevated command prompt and Change your directory to <Installation directory>\Server\
Mine was D:\Program Files\Microsoft Lync server 2010\Server\
Then let the following command perform :


bootstrapper.exe /scorch


This will remove all OCS packages from the server.


4. Then remove "Lync Server Core Components" from Control Panel => Programs and Features


5. (Optional) Remove the SQL Server RTC instance from the server.


6. (Optional) Remove the following Groups from Active Directory :


CSAdministrator
CSArchivingAdministrator
CSHelpDesk
CSLocationAdministrator
CSResponseGroupAdministrator
CSServerAdministrator
CSUserAdministrator
CSViewOnlyAdministrator
CSVoiceAdministrator
RTCComponentUniversalServices
RTCHSUniversalServices
RTCProxyUniversalServices
RTCSBAUniversalServices
RTCUniversalConfigReplicator
RTCUniversalGlobalReadOnlyGroup
RTCUniversalGlobalWriteGroup
RTCUniversalReadOnlyAdmins
RTCUniversalSBATechnicians
RTCUniversalServerAdmins
RTCUniversalServerReadOnlyGroup
RTCUniversalUserAdmins
RTCUniversalUserReadOnlyGroup


7. Remove the installation directory that has only Web Components remaining.
Mine was D:\Program Files\Microsoft Lync Server 2010


Repeat same procedure for all Deployed Servers.
This is what I did for my Lync Removal, If anything's wrong please post here.
If this helped you, please post here.

CRM Outlook Client Installation fails

When you try to configure outlook client for Microsoft dynamics CRM 
with offline access, you come up with following : 

Action Microsoft.Crm.Config.Common.InstallDatabaseAction

failed. The network path was not found.

This error is caused because you are trying to install outlook client

with offline access for more than one users.

What I did was :

1. Go to SQL Surface Area Configuration.

2. Add myself as administrator.

Tried installation again, but that didn't work.

Next I,

1. Removed Microsoft Dynamics CRM Outlook Client.

2. Removed SQL Server instance components for CRM instance from

 "Programs and Features".

3. Again installed Microsoft Dynamics CRM Outlook Client.

And now, you can configure with configuration wizard.