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Key preparation and configuration tasks

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Applies To: Dynamics CRM 2013

This topic, which is intended for administrators and business users of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, describes common configuration settings and tasks that can help you keep your organization optimized so that you can focus on what’s important. It’s designed to improve your overall experience with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, even before your business begins to use it.

In This Topic

Common configuration settings for Internet Explorer

Configuration settings for Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook

Network connections settings

Antivirus or malware application settings

Important email messages from Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Available resources for Microsoft Dynamics CRM users

Technical support for Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Common configuration settings for Internet Explorer

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a web-based application and uses Internet Explorer as the user interface to view, add, or edit information that you’ve stored in the CRM database. Make the following common Internet Explorer configuration settings to optimize your CRM experience.

Increase concurrent download sessions

By default, Internet Explorer 7 and earlier versions limit the number of files that you can download at a time to two. Internet Explorer 8 limits the number of files that you can download at a time to six.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM application synchronously requests data to and from the CRM data center. Typically, you can easily exhaust the number of concurrent downloads when you are using CRM. To increase this limit, review KB article 282402: How do I configure Internet Explorer to download more than two files at one time.

Increase disk space for temporary Internet files

To make sure that Internet files for Microsoft Dynamics CRM are not being deleted, increase the disk space for temporary Internet files.

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and on the Tools menu, click or tap Internet Options.

  2. On the General tab, in the Browsing history section, click or tap Settings.

  3. Set the Disk space to use field to 350. The default value is 50.

  4. Click or tap OK, and then click or tap OK again.

Retain browsing history

To optimize your CRM experience, we recommend that you do not select the option to delete the browsing history when you exit from your browser. If you select this option, it deletes everything marked in your Browsing history settings, such as temporary Internet files, cookies, and history (by default, the check boxes for these options are selected). Deleting your temporary Internet files causes Internet Explorer to cache the files again, and deleting cookies signs you out of CRM.

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and on the Tools menu, click or tap Internet Options.

  2. Click or tap the General tab, and in the Browsing history section, make sure that the Delete browsing history on exit check box is cleared.

Allow pop-up windows for Microsoft Dynamics CRM URLs

Microsoft Dynamics CRM uses pop-up windows when a new record is opened or created. Your browser may be blocking these windows because of the pop-up blocker settings. You must configure the pop-up blocker settings to allow pop-up windows for the CRM websites.

Configuration settings for Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook

You can configure the following settings to optimize the performance of CRM for Outlook.

Install recent updates for CRM for Outlook

Microsoft periodically releases updates. Typically, these updates are to help improve performance or to ensure greater stability.

Follow these steps on the computers that have CRM for Outlook installed.

  1. Close Outlook.

  2. On the Start menu, click or tap All Programs, and then click or tap Windows Update.

  3. Click or tap Change settings.

  4. In the Microsoft Update section, make sure that the Give me updates for Microsoft products and check for new optional Microsoft software when I update Windows check box is selected.

  5. Click or tap OK.

  6. Click or tap Check for updates.

    If you see a link Check online for updates from Microsoft Update, click or tap it to check for updates from the Microsoft servers. If your updates are administered by your system administrators, you may not have this option and may have to request that they make the Microsoft Dynamics CRM updates available.

  7. Click or tap Install updates. To review available updates, click or tap the <#> important updates are available link.

Automatic synchronization for Outlook Online and Offline modes

Enabling automatic synchronization allows CRM for Outlook to systematically synchronize the data from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM data center. This ensures that your local data is regularly updated. Therefore, when you go offline, the data required to synchronize locally is a manageable size.

  1. Open Outlook that has CRM for Outlook installed.

  2. If you’re using Outlook 2010, on the File tab, click or tap CRM, and then click or tap Options.

    - OR -

    If you are using Outlook 2007, on the CRM menu, click or tap Options.

  3. On the Synchronization tab, in the Schedule automatic synchronization with Outlook section, make sure that the Synchronize the CRM items in my Outlook folders every __ minutes check box is selected.

    - OR -

    For offline synchronization, on the Local Data tab, in the Select how often to update local data section, make sure that the Update local data every __ minutes check box is selected.

Synchronize only essential data for Outlook Online and Offline modes

By limiting the data that you synchronize with CRM for Outlook, you can reduce the network bandwidth consumed by CRM users, and therefore improve your overall application performance. To control which records synchronize with Outlook, edit the Outlook filters.

  1. Open Outlook that has CRM for Outlook installed.

  2. If you’re using Outlook 2010, on the File tab, click or tap or tap CRM. Click or tap or tap Synchronize, and then click or tap or tap Outlook Filters.

    - OR -

    If you have Outlook 2007 installed, on the CRM menu, click or tap Outlook Filters or Offline Filters.

    Note

    You can change the view between Outlook filters and offline filters in the Filter: Outlook dialog box.

  3. Select the filters that you want to disable, and on the toolbar, click or tap the Deactivate button deactivate.

    - OR -

    To edit a filter, click or tap the filter name and add to or edit the filter criteria.

Track Microsoft Dynamics CRM calendar appointments in CRM for Outlook

To make sure that your calendar appointments don’t disappear from CRM after you begin to track these in CRM for Outlook, make sure that your user email address on the respective user record matches your email address being used for Outlook.

Note

The email address may differ from your Microsoft account. It depends on the email addresses you’re using in Outlook and on your CRM user record.

Network connections settings

Network connections are established based on the order that the device is listed in the Adapters and Bindings tab of the Network Connections window. For example, if you have enabled a Local Area Network (LAN) and a wireless connection, the order of how a device is connected to the Internet is based on its order in the Adapter and Bindings list. If the LAN connection is higher in the list, most network connections will be established by using the LAN adapter instead of the wireless adapter. To make sure that your network connections are optimized, organize the connections according to your network administrator's recommendation.

To change the network connection order in Windows 7

  1. Press the Alt key, click or tap Advanced, and then click or tap Advanced Settings.

    You may be prompted for an administrator password or confirmation.

  2. Click or tap the Adapters and Bindings tab, and then, under Connections, click or tap the connection that you want to move in the list, click or tap the up or down arrow button, and then click or tap OK.

To change the network connection order in Windows XP

  1. Click or tap Start, click or tap Run, type ncpa.cpl, and then click or tap OK.

    You can see the available connections in the LAN and High-Speed Internet section of the Network Connections window.

  2. On the Advanced menu, click or tap Advanced Settings, and then click or tap the Adapters and Bindings tab.

  3. In the Connections area, select the connection that you want to move higher in the list. Use the arrow buttons to move the connection.

  4. Click or tap OK.

Antivirus or malware application settings

Depending on your antivirus or malware application settings, virus scanning can block certain files, making them inaccessible to other applications and causing an adverse effect on Microsoft Dynamics CRM performance. 

Each environment requires a thoughtful decision on what to include and exclude, and there is always a possibility that excluding files from scans could lead to unwanted consequences. Use the following list alongside your well-planned internal IT management policies:

  • Check for any interference from desktop security software. Some antivirus programs include a feature known as ScriptScan that can affect the performance of CRM. Most programs have functionality to disable scanning on certain websites. Make sure that the CRM URL is added to this list. For McAfee specifically, see the following KB articles for this setting:

  • If you use other antivirus software, make sure that the URL of the CRM website is included in the trusted zone for the virus scanning, and disable on-access scanning for the CRM website. For more information, see the specific antivirus application documentation.

Important email messages from Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Microsoft occasionally sends out email messages to Microsoft Dynamics CRM users or administrators. These messages provide information about how to use CRM and also contain important billing or upgrade details.

Make sure that the following email addresses are added to the allowed list for your email application:

  • crmoln@microsoft.com. This email alias sends general Microsoft Dynamics CRM alerts or information.

  • billing@microsoft.com. This email alias sends information about CRM billing.

  • msonlineservicesteam@microsoftonline.com. This email alias sends informational email messages when you sign up for CRM.

Available resources for Microsoft Dynamics CRM users

We want you and your organization to take full advantage of the extensive content and materials available that can help your business be more successful while you are using Microsoft Dynamics CRM. For a list of available resources, including training materials and information about how to support your online organization, see the Additional Resources section of the article Frequently Asked Questions.

Technical support for Microsoft Dynamics CRM

If you cannot find the answers you need in the resources discussed earlier, you can submit a technical support request to Microsoft Customer Support Services. Technical support incidents provide reactive support that focuses on a specific problem, error message, or functionality that is not working as intended.

  1. Go to Customer Center.

  2. Click or tap Product Support.

  3. Under Community and self-service resources, click or tap Contact technical support.

Maximize your technical support experience

When you request help for technical issues or questions, it is important that you have as much information available as possible. Here are common questions that you may be asked when you request technical support:

  • What part of the application are you having issues with?

    For example, installation issues with CRM for Outlook.

  • What is the exact error or problem that you are experiencing?

    Provide detailed information, including the exact error message that you are seeing. Include a screen capture if you can.

  • What were you doing in Microsoft Dynamics CRM when the error occurred?

    Provide the exact steps that you are performing to reproduce the error. This lets the Support team better analyze why you may be experiencing it.

  • What are the details of the environment you are experiencing the issue on?

    Provide the version of the operating system, browser, and if applicable, the version of Microsoft Office on the computers where the issue is occurring.

  • Does the issue affect all users or a certain type of Microsoft Dynamics CRM security role or only certain users?

When possible, provide log files (if you know how to find them). This applies to applications such as CRM for Outlook or Microsoft Dynamics CRM Email Router. The following table lists the location of the log or trace files for these applications.

Logs or Traces

Log File Location

Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook logs

%Userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\MSCRM\Logs

Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook Trace files

%Userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\MSCRM\Traces

Microsoft Dynamics CRM E-mail Router logs

%Userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\MSCRM\Logs

See Also

Getting started
Set up a CRM organization

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