Troubleshooting data entry in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

It is not possible to copy a record.

If you must add multiple lead, contact, or account records with similar data, use the Bulk Import Wizard. You can create a worksheet in Microsoft Office Excel 2003 with all the records, save the worksheet as a comma-separated value (CSV) file, and then import the records.

You can delete most records by selecting the record or records, and then on the Actions toolbar, clicking Delete .

If the security role associated with your account does not have permission to delete records, the will not be visible on the toolbar. To check your permissions on a specific record, open the record, and on the File menu, click Properties. If you must delete records that you do not have permission to delete, contact your manager or system administrator. Typically, most users have permission to delete only records that they created.

There are several types of records that cannot be deleted, or can only be deleted in certain states:

Duplicate account, contact, or lead records can be resolved by selecting the two records that you want to merge in the list and clicking Merge . Then, specify the master and the subordinate record. After the data from the records are merged together to form a single record, the subordinate record is deactivated.

If you use a side tab to create a record, address fields are mapped. In this case, information from the main record populates the new record. For example, a new record created by either of the following actions includes address data from the parent record:

If you create a new account or contact record in any other way, address data is not mapped.

If the data you want to track doesn't match the fields on your form, ask your system administrator or system customizer to customize the form.

They can make the following changes to forms:

If the value you need is not in the list, ask your system administrator or system customizer to customize the list.

They can make the following changes to lists:

Two types of fields can have default values: Boolean (bit) fields and drop-down lists. Contact your system administrator with your suggestion for changing a default value.

The areas, fields, buttons, and actions that you have access to are controlled by your security role. When you read the online Help, you may find that a task is described, but that the item is dimmed or not visible to you in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

For example, if the default Schedule Manager or Scheduler role is the only role assigned to your account, you have permission to do tasks related to service scheduling, but not to other areas of the application. If you have a Salesperson, Sales Manager, or Vice President of Sales role, you have permission to do sales-related tasks, but not service-related tasks.

It is also possible that your system administrator customized your role. For example, to control how new accounts are added, the Create privilege could be disabled. As a result, the accounts list you see does not include New.

Here's another example: If you have a Salesperson security role and assign an account record to another user, when you open the record, Assign is no longer on the Actions menu. It's not there because you no longer own the file, and you only have the Assign privilege on account records you own.

If you are curious what privileges are assigned to your security role, all default security roles allow you to browse the Users and Security Roles areas.

To see the security role you are assigned

If you don't have permission to do a required task, contact your system administrator.

Sometimes it is necessary to have more privileges than might seem necessary to perform a given action. For example, if a security role has Create and Read privileges for accounts, a user with that security role can create an account record but cannot assign it to another user unless the security roles also include the Assign privilege for accounts. In addition, the person to whom the account is assigned must also have the Read privilege for accounts.

The following list shows the privileges required for each action:

The length of most fields is set by the person who customized Microsoft Dynamics CRM for your organization, and is typically less than the maximum. By default, the maximum length is as follows:

Subjects in the Subject drop-down lists were created by your system administrator or system customizer. If you need additional subjects added to the list, contact your system administrator.

This error occurs if you have not selected a required resource for a service activity or appointment while creating the activity. You can continue to save the activity.

If the service activity or appointment is for your own use, be sure to add yourself as a resource, or the activity will not appear on your Workplace calendar, but will appear in the Service Calendar. If you are using Microsoft Dynamics CRM client for Outlook and do not select yourself as a resource, the appointment or service activity will not synchronize with your Outlook calendar.

There are several messages that you might receive while creating or editing a service activity. These are usually related to the lack of availablility of resources for the service activity.

First, verify that the contract template used to create the contract has the correct allotment type. If not, you will need to cancel the contract and create a new one with the correct contract type.

This issue can also occur if the contract was created from the related records for an account. When the contract was created, the system can only associate one record with the contract, which is the account. The contract template is lost. If this occurs, recreate the contract from the Contracts list in the Service area, and then reassociate any cases or activities.