Trusted Platform Module has Malfunctioned in Outlook or Teams with an error about the keyset – Error code 80090016 #TPM

 

I rarely post items unrelated to CRM (either product or technology). However, I recently had a challenge that took some effort to resolve with Windows 11 and the TPM. I even contacted Microsoft and Dell technical support, and neither could resolve it. So I want to put it out there for anyone else searching the web for a solution.

What is the TPM (Trusted Platform Module)?

The TPM is a secure crypto-processor. It’s a chip within your computer that adds hardware support for cryptographic functions like encryption and authentication. Using hardware for these makes the system more secure as it’s considerably more difficult for someone to hack the system than to interfere with the software. In addition, it is designed to be tamper-resistant, and malicious software should not be able to tamper with it.

It generates and stores cryptographic keys as well as having its own unique RSA key burnt in. Some areas that can use TPM include drive and network encryption routines (like BitLocker) or the authentication of accounts. Microsoft Work/School accounts use this now on Windows 11, where it is a requirement.

The Error.

If there is a problem with the keyset, you might get this error:

TPM keyset error with Office 365 Authentication

Your computer’s Trusted Platform Module has malfunctioned. If this error persists, contact your system administrator with the error code 80090016.
More information: https://www.microsoft.com/wamerrors

Unfortunately, like so many of Microsoft’s built-in links on errors, that link provides no helpful information or assistance.

The Cause.

As far as I can tell, the issue happens if you need to clear the TPM keys, which you might need for a firmware update, or if something damages its keyset.

The Solutions.

There were several recommended solutions I found online, though none of them worked for me. However, to be complete, I will include them here. I suggest you try them in the order listed, then reboot and test to see if it worked before trying the next.

Backup your data before trying any of these options!

Solution 1:

Note: You need to do this step with the affected user account logged off. This might mean using a different administrator account or sharing the parent folder temporarily and connecting via the network.

Rename the following folder:
C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy

To:
C:\users\[user]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy.old

Reboot and try opening Outlook and/Teams.

Solution 2:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Browse to C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\NGC
3. Delete everything in this folder.
   Note: you need to grant yourself access to the folders.
4. Reboot and try Outlook and/or Teams with that account.

Solution 3:

Note: backup your registry before this step.

1. Sign out from Microsoft Office and MS Teams, and close all 365 apps.
2. In RegEdit, navigate to this key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity
3. Modify the key called EnableAdal and set it to 1.
   If it doesn’t exist, create it as a DWORD.
4. Delete the ADAL Authentication Profile for the afflicted user account.
1. Navigate to this key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity\Identities
2. Export that folder for a backup.
3. Look in each of the folders for the one with the email address of the account.
   When you click on the folder, you can see the key EmailAddress on the right.
4. Record the name of the folder. If you need Solution 4, you’ll need the GUID (the part of the folder name before “_ADAL”).
5. Delete the folder.
   
   

   

   ADAL Identity Profile Registry Key

   
   
5. Reboot and try logging in to Outlook and teams. It will ask you to activate the account again.

Solution 4:

The above steps worked on two machines, but with a third, I had to go further.

1. Navigate to this key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity
2. Use Ctrl-F to search for the email address and delete the appropriate folders.
3. Use Ctrl-F to search for the GUID (from Solution 3, 4d) and delete the appropriate folders.
4. Open the TPM console (Windows Key – R > TPM.msc).
5. Clear TPM.
6. This will automatically reboot, and you can then try Outlook, Teams, or any other 365 apps.

Please add a comment if you have any other questions or suggestions.

More Information on TPM at these links:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_Platform_Module
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/information-protection/tpm/trusted-platform-module-top-node
• https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/error-code-80090016-trusted-platform-module-has/c0588197-a33a-423f-bcb0-4ab5cda58928
• https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-au/000190999/trusted-platform-module-frequently-asked-questions-for-windows-11
  

A Spring Clean for your system and Outlook

As many of you will know, systems slow down with use and can cause many issues in Sage ACT!. Consequently, I recommend running an occasional maintenance of your system to deal with these before they become a noticeable problem.

With March 20th being the Vernal Equinox (first day of Spring, at least in the Northern Hemisphere) I thought this would be a good time to recommend a Spring Clean routine.

Many of these function are much easier if you have installed Xobni. I highly recommend this product for any Outlook user. There is a free version (Plus) for Outlook only or a paid version (Pro) that will link Gmail, Blackberry, Android and iPhone. You should install the latest 2.x (Pro) or 1.x (Plus) on a system that meets the requirements.

Although the steps below are generally safe, some systems are corrupted to the point of irreparability. Neither GL Computing nor Xobni is responsible for any data loss or other damage that may occur. We recommend that you perform regular full backups of your system, so that if anything should go wrong you can always revert to a good copy. For more about backup, see this article for Windows 7 or this article for Windows XP.

You should back up your ACT! databases, Outlook files and system first.

Not all steps are required and the technical difficulty level of each step is listed from easy to advanced.

 

1. Before You Start: Create a Restore Point (Easy)

To create a restore point

1. Open System by clicking the Start button , right-clicking Computer, and then clicking Properties.
2. In the left pane, click System protection. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. Click the System Protection tab, and then click Create.

4. In the System Protection dialog box, type a description, and then click Create.

For more information about System Restore, see What is System Restore?

 

2. Back up Xobni Data (Easy) – Xobni Pro user

Xobni Cloud is included with Xobni Pro, which keeps your Xobni data backed up and synchronized across multiple instances of Xobni. To ensure that your data is up-to-date, please perform the following step:

In Outlook, select Xobni > Update Xobni Cloud

 

3. Apply Microsoft Updates (Easy)

Make sure that your system is up-to-date by running Windows Update. 

  Click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update. 

Apply latest service pack for your version of Office.

• Office 2010 Service Pack 1
• Office 2007 Service Pack 3
• Office 2003 Service Pack 3

 

4. Microsoft Office Repair (Easy)

Lot of issues are caused by corrupt Microsoft Office components. This can happen when one component overwrites another component, for example when multiple versions of Office are installed (say, 2007 and 2010). Microsoft recommends to keep all Office components the same version.  You may see COMexception errors in the InspectorX report in these cases. If you just installed the latest service pack in the previous step, you may skip Office repair.

To repair, please try these steps:

1. Click Start > Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs (XP) / Uninstall a program (Vista/Win7)
2. Scroll down the list and select the version of Microsoft Office you are running
3. Click the Change button 
4. Select Repair
5. Click Continue

 

5. Disable Add-ins (Easy)

In order to eliminate conflicts with other add-ins, please disable all Outlook add-ins using Inspector X:

1. Restart your computer 
2. Click Start menu > All Programs > Xobni > Diagnostics > Xobni InspectorX
   (Vista/7 users right-click to "Run as Administrator")
   If you don't have the latest version of Xobni installed, you can download InspectorX and extract the contents to your Desktop or other convenient location:
   For Outlook 2003, 2007, and 2010 32-bit: InspectorX.zip
   For the 64-bit version of Outlook 2010: InspectorX_x64.zip
   Right-click the InspectorX.exe file and select Run as Administrator
3. In Inspector X, select the Plugins menu > Disable all Plugins except Xobni

You can re-enable the add-ins you need once stability has been confirmed by using the Plugins > Plugin Manager menu option.

 

6. Repair the Outlook data files (Easy)

This is arguably the most important step (with or without Xobni)! If you are experiencing stability or indexing issues, for example, if emails or contacts are missing information, showing up as "Empty", "No subject", or "Message body unavailable", this step will help you resolve this. If you use IMAP, please see this article as well. Make sure to complete all steps.

Warning: If you are storing .pst files on a network share, do not run scanpst. It is unsupported by Microsoft and can cause irreversible data loss! 

1. Restart the computer (if you have not already). 
2. Run InspectorX: Click Start > All Programs > Xobni > Diagnostics > Xobni InspectorX
   Or, download the latest version of InspectorX:
   Most people (those with Outlook 2003, 2007, and 32-bit 2010) will need the 32-bit version: InspectorX.zip
   If you have the 64-bit version of Outlook 2010, use the 64-bit version: InspectorX_x64.zip
   Extract the contents to a folder and run InspectorX by double-clicking the InspectorX.exe file 
3. Select  Special > Automatically Repair All Outlook Data Files

   

   This process may take from several minutes to several hours, depending on your data. It is recommended not to use the computer at this point, as it is very i/o intensive. The process may appear to be not responding, so please by patient. Do not attempt to click on the buttons - it is all automatic.

4. If Xobni is currently installed, please clear the Xobni data files:  

   Select Special > Clear Xobni Data Files...

   Note: This will remove any customizations or merging, although InspectorX will create a backup copy of the Xobni folder named "xobni.bak" in case you need to revert. Xobni recommends to back up your Xobni data using Xobni Cloud, which comes with Xobni Pro.  

5. Start Outlook

6. After Xobni does the initial indexing, start a full index operation:

   Select Xobni > Index Outlook Mail

   

   If you use Xobni Plus 1.x, you may need to re-activate  by selecting Xobni > Options > Xobni Plus > Activate.

 

7. Registry Cleanup (Easy)

1. Download CCleaner
2. Install CCleaner
3. Launch CCleaner
4. Click on the Registry button on the left
5. Click "Scan For Issues..."
6. After scan is complete select "Fix selected issues...". CCleaner asks to make a backup of your registry. Choose a backup destination and click “Save.”
7. After doing so click "Fix All Issues"
8. When that is done, you can quit CCleaner
9. Repeat as necessary (at least once a month)

 

8. Scan Disks for Errors (Easy)

1. Double-click My Computer, and then right-click the hard disk that you want to check.
2. Click Properties, and then click Tools.
3. Under Error-checking, click Check Now. A dialog box that shows the Check disk options is displayed
4. Use one of the following procedures:
   • To run Chkdsk in read-only mode, click Start.
   • To repair errors without scanning the volume for bad sectors, select the Automatically fix file system errors check box, and then click Start.
   • To repair errors, locate bad sectors, and recover readable information, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.

 

9. Defragment your Disks (XP Only) (Easy)

Disks get fragmented over time, and Windows XP leaves it to the user to defragment them (Vista and 7 have automatic defragmentation). Fragmentation, in which files are not stored in contiguous blocks, will make your system slower over time and you should ideally perform this weekly.

1. Open My Computer.
2. Right-click the local disk volume that you want to defragment, and then click Properties.
3. On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now.
4. Click Defragment.

 

10. Repair System Files (Easy)

In order to repair the Windows system files, please follow these steps:

1. Open a command window as Administrator:
Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt (Vista/Win7: Right-click and select Run as Administrator)

2. In the command prompt, type:

sfc /scannow

 

11. Fix mapi32.dll (Medium)

If you see MAPI errors in the InspectorX report, it is commonly because another add-ins has overwritten the default mapi32.dll. To repair this library, please follow these steps:

XP: Download and run xpmapifix.bat.

Vista/Win7: Download mapifix.bat, then right-click it and select Run as Administrator.

If you wish to run the commands manually, follow these steps:

XP:

1. Open a command prompt as Administrator:

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt (Vista/Win7, Right-click and select Run as Administrator)

2. Run the following commands:

ren %windir%\System32\mapi32.dll mapi32.dll.bak
fixmapi

You may copy the text above, then right-click in the window to paste.

Vista/Win7:

1. Open a command prompt as Administrator:

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt (Vista/Win7, Right-click and select Run as Administrator)

2. Copy the following commands:

takeown /f %windir%\System32\mapi32.dll
cacls %windir%\System32\mapi32.dll /g %username%:c
ren %windir%\System32\mapi32.dll mapi32.dll.bak
fixmapi

3. Right-click in the window to paste the commands.

 

12. Reinstall .NET Framework (Advanced)

Xobni depends on the Microsoft .NET framework, which may become corrupted over time. You can repair your .NET framework by removing it completely and installing from scratch. Make sure to complete the backup steps (#1 and #2) prior to starting this process.

Windows XP

1. Restart your computer.
2. Download and run the Brute Uninstaller. (Vista and Windows 7 users, please right-click to "Run as Administrator")
3. Click Start > Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs / Uninstall a program
4. Scroll down and remove each and every .NET framework entry, including service packs and hot fixes that have the word ".NET" in the program name.
5. After every trace of .NET has been removed from your machine please restart your computer.

Vista/Win7

1. Restart your computer.
2. Download and run the Brute Uninstaller. (Vista and Windows 7 users, please right-click to "Run as Administrator")
3. Click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs / Uninstall a program
4. Scroll down and remove each and every .NET framework entry, including service packs and hot fixes that have the word ".NET" in the program name.
5. After every trace of .NET has been removed from your machine 
6. Click Start > Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features
7. Find the product named Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.1 and uncheck the box
8. Please restart your computer.

Trouble removing .NET?

If you are experiencing problems during the uninstall steps, please download the .NET cleanup tool:

1. Double-click the .zip file to see the contents (or extract to a folder)
2. Double-click cleanup_tool.exe to run the tool
3. Select .NET all versions
4. Click on "Cleanup Now"

Re-install .NET:

Download and install .NET 3.5 from Microsoft's download link.

If you had .NET 4 installed, please install from this link.

Download the latest version of Xobni

Please use this link.

 

13. Create a New Outlook Profile (Medium)

If all else fails, please follow these instructions on how to create a new Outlook Profile. It's totally safe. You can always revert to your old profile. Please refer to this article for instructions. If you use Google Apps, please see this article.

 

Attachments:

• mapifix.bat
• xpmapifix.bat

Reprinted with permission (with minor changes and edits) from:
https://support.xobni.com/entries/198041-how-can-i-improve-the-reliability-and-performance-of-my-computer-without-purchasing-a-new-one

Technorati Tags: corrupt,corruption,scanpst,Outlook,Xobni,maintenance

How should ACT! resellers/VARs deal with Microsoft install issues?

I'm sure this must be a question concerning every ACT! consultant/reseller ... but, which a number of them have asked my opinion on this, I've not seen any public discussion on it. I'd also be interested in the views of end-users as to what they believe would be fair.

The last time I was shown the figures, around 80% of install support incidents by Sage North America were not due to ACT! code, but were related to Microsoft issues - in the operating system, .Net Framework, SQL Server or Office. Note: If someone at Sage has a more current figure, please let me know

I’m not sure how long ago this happened, but I recently noticed that Sage Australia (and I assume similar in other regions) excludes many areas that fail from their install warranty. While the box says that install issues are covered under a 30-day warranty, it then refers you to the website for Getting Started Support – Free for 30 Days where you can see the majority of install issues that sometimes plague users are specifically exempted.

On one level, this is understandable, because it is sort of unfair that Sage should be responsible for supporting and repairing issues with products and components produced by Microsoft. On the other hand, it could be argued that Sage chose to use those technologies as a basis of the product and that they should provide that support.

The big problem that this raises is how should a Consultant/VAR handle this support? If you are installing a product that costs $300-500 and an OS, SQL or .Net issue requires 4-8 hours of work to resolve, how can you justify charging the user for this time?

• If the installer doesn’t charge, then they lose money to sell the product
• To charge may make a user feel less than happy at having to pay 4x the cost of the product
• Telling a non-technical user to deal with Microsoft, may also not be the best for customer satisfaction

Is a notice to users, in advance, that such a charge may be necessary the right choice? Would this tend to scare off some potential users?

Obviously this would be different for larger user sites where they would be more aware of the complexities of commercial software as well as being able to spread the cost over a larger number of seats.

As I’ve said, I’d really like the thoughts of users, resellers and even Sage staff on this topic. Please post any thoughts you might have to the comments as I think the sharing of ideas is likely to help everyone come to an amicable solution to this problem.

Technorati Tags: ACT!,Sage,Sage ACT!,CRM,Support,SQL,.Net

ACT! 2011 - The string was not recognized as a valid datetime

Last week, I was asked to look into a problem by an ACT! Consultant in Australia. They have a client in New Zealand who is experiencing the following problem.

On starting ACT!, they get the following error:

The string was not recognized as a valid datetime. There is a unknown word starting at index 5

That’s not too bad, as after clicking OK, everything seemed ok. However when they try to schedule an activity, they got this error:

Resolution of the dependancy failed, type = "ACT.ULAvailControl" name = "Exception message is: The current build operation (build key Build Key{Act.UL.AvailControl, null}; failed. The string was not recognised as a valid Date Time. There is a unknown word starting at index 5. (Strategy type BuildPlanStratefgy, index 3)

They contacted Sage Australia tech support and were told:

Please be advised that it is a Locale, Data/Time specific issue and has been identified as a known issue with the software version for New Zealand and Mexico and is under investigation. We should get a fix for it in Service Pack 1 which may be couple of months away. In the mean time, you can follow the below step to work around the issue –

Close and open database [File > Close] without closing ACT completely.

You will be able to access the date/time related features without any problem. If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email or call Support

Obviously, as this problem only happens in those countries, there is a problem with those who didn’t beta test it prior to release.

I wondered who might have seen this, so I posted a message about it to the ACT! Community Forums and the LinkedIN ACT! Fanatics Group … the answer came on the LinkedIN group from José Roberto  dos Santos from Brazil. He said:

Change the Regional Settings in Windows Control Panel from "am" and "pm" to "AM" and "PM".

I am glad to report that this simple fix worked perfectly and I thought I’d post it here for others in those regions who have this error.

 

Technorati Tags: Sage,ACT,Sage ACT!,ACT! 2011,New Zealand,Latin America

What I learned from my last blog post… and what would you like me to blog about?

Let me start by saying that, while I do like speaking, I don’t consider myself to be a good writer. This is the reason that my posts are largely bullet points or PowerPoint posts and tend to be mostly of a technical nature. Fortunately, blogs in the technical arena gain readerships according to the market they target.

As my blogs are targeted in a small niche of ACT! users who want to improve their technical understanding of the product, I don’t chase the volume hits of more professional bloggers. To put this in perspective, I have been typically achieving about 2000 hits per month on this blog (about the same as I get on the main GL Computing web site.

I try to post at least a couple of times a month and my posts do have a fair degree of text contact, which the search engines love to index.

I do promote my posts via Social Media:

• Twitterfeed automatically sends a Tweet on Twitter very soon after an update
• New posts are automatically added to the News section in the LinkedIN ACT! Fanatics Group 
• Networkblogs automatically posts them to the GL Computing Facebook page and to the streams of those who follow either the blog page or are fans of the GL page.
• I also find other similar blog posts and, where applicable, add a comment referencing my post
• Additionally, I use links to the posts when answering forum questions where I have covered the topic in a post.

Currently, about 50% of hits to the blog are from referring sites (mainly forums I post to and the social media links) and only 35% from search engines.

However, last week, I posted about Why I prefer Blackberry over iPhone for Businesses. This was picked up by a couple of journalists and professional bloggers like Neerav Bhatt on his blog: Introduction to RIM Blackberry Mobile Phones: Pros and Cons

Not only did this article receive a lot of nice comments, but it was highly re-tweeted and has so far received about 1000 hits in less than 2 weeks (500 in the first day).

This raises some questions that I’d like to pose to you:

1. What would you like to see me blog about?

   While I intend to keep targeting the ACT! user base, should I keep the focus on product technical posts? Or would you like to see more posts on other topics that might be of interest, such as: mobile computing, social media, general CRM, general sales/marketing or general IT?
   

2. Would it detract from the site if I added some Google Ads or sponsorships?

   As I provide the content of this blog for free, do you think it would be a problem to go down this path? Previously, I had not considered the hit rate to be high enough to make this worth-while and also reasoned that the technical people who read the site wouldn’t be interested in this.

To add one more thing – While I don’t sell to end-users, if anyone wishes to utilise my services for any work related to ACT! or IT, you just need to have your reseller contact me to book some time. I can be available remotely for work at any time of the day as we support (via our resellers) in all time-zones.

Please let me know via a comment to this article, a comment in the ACT! Fanatics Group or privately via our Web Site Contact Page if you have any thoughts on what you’d like to see articles on or if there’s anything I can assist you with.

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT! by Sage,Blogs,CRM,SCRM,Social Media,support

Tips for converting ACT! 6.0 (or earlier) data to Act! v19

The most common problem with converting the older versions of ACT! to ACT! by Sage is if there is some damage in the database. Unfortunately, the older versions could become corrupt but not be noticed if you didn’t access that part of the data. As everything needs to be read for a conversion or sync, these functions can show up issues that might have been there for some time.

First, no-matter which version you have, make sure you have a backup of the data before you start.

You should also make sure you have the User Name and Password for someone with Administrator access to the database.

Because the repair tools were improved could fix more types of damage as the versions progressed, I recommend always upgrading earlier databases to ACT! 6.0 and cleaning them there before converting to ACT! by Sage.

If you don’t have ACT! 6.0, you can download the ACT! 6.0 30-day Trial – this will give you the time to convert, clean and repair your database to ready it for converting to the later versions.

Convert Earlier Versions to ACT! 6.0

Always perform a database compress and reindex in the version you have before going to ACT! 6.0. The steps for that conversion depends on how old your version is:

• From ACT! for DOS, see:
  Converting an ACT! for DOS Database to ACT! 3.0 or Later Format
• From ACT! for Windows/MAC 1.x/2.x, see:
  How to Convert an Old ACT! for Windows 1.0/1.1b Database to ACT! 6.0/5.0/2000 Format
• From ACT! 3.0 – 5.0 (2000), see:
  How Do I Convert a Database Created in a Previous Version of ACT! to a Later Version?

Repair and Clean the ACT! 6.0 Database

Next you should do a repair with ACTDIAG as per:
How To Use The ACT! Data Diagnostic Tool (ACTDIAG) to Scan and Repair a Database

If you already have a later version installed, you’ll need to start ACTDIAG as per:
How to Use the ACT! 6.0 Diagnostic Tool When a Later Edition of ACT! is also Installed

Please note: If you got any red check marks, keep running it till they show all green
But if you’re still getting red checks after 3-4 runs, you’ll need to use additional tools to repair it
or have it professionally repaired

If getting an ACT! Consultant to help you with the conversion (recommended)
I also recommend that they run ABC_Scan on the database

If you are having problems are want to be really sure about your data, I recommend:
Red Flags from Cornerstone Solutions

If it still won’t clean or the conversion below still fails, please contact GL Computing

Centralising Attached Files

If you have attached files, especially if they are stored in different locations or on local workstations on a LAN, you should move these to one folder. You will then need to adjust the links in the database to show the new location. There are a number of tools to do this, I personally use Oak!Check! – Validate Attachments. You can also use it to do any other data cleaning you might need.

Converting to Act! 7.0 – 19.1

You are now ready to install the new Act! as per: Sharing ACT! – Network or Sync (Part 1)

Which ever version of Act! you are converting to, make sure you have the latest build and Hotfix.
See the Act! Download Centre – you might need BOTH a Service Pack and a Hotfix, depending on your install.

Then you should just be able to open the database from ACT! 2010 and it will convert. See:
How to convert an ACT! 3.x, 4.x, 5.x (2000) or 6.x (2004) database to versions 2005 (v7) through v19.1

If you have any questions, please post a comment here or in the LinkedIn Act! Fanatics Group

How to Get Faster Technical Support for ACT! by Sage

As most of my regular readers and followers know, I do a lot of on-line technical support as well as providing support services to our resellers and ACT! Certified Consultants and one of the things I notice is that I regularly need to ask users the same questions to diagnose the problem and provide a solution.

This means that the support person’s time is spent asking these and so the incident takes longer to resolve and get the user up and running. So, I thought I would provide a basic list of items to include to help any support technician resolve an incident faster.

When asking for support via email or an on-line site, it’s much easier if you write your query and necessary information in short points rather than large paragraphs. They are easier to read and respond to. Also, if asking about multiple, unrelated issues, it’s often better to do each one separately.

I will probably update this list as other common items come to mind.

Not all of these will be relevant to all support calls, but the more you provide the more likely you’ll get a faster solution.
If running on a LAN, supply any relevant items for both workstation AND server.
While these are targeted for support of ACT! by Sage, many are applicable for other software products also.

Should Have:

These items are usually necessary for any incident:

• Include the full version and build of the software. This is usually found under Help | About
  It is worth-while checking to see if there is an updated version available and, if so, applying it.
  Remember that every ACT! system sharing a database MUST be of the same build and Hotfix.
  If running a Premium version with a sync server, this includes the sync server.
  If related to ACT! connecting to a Microsoft Office product, also include the version for Office.
• Include the operating system – also note the service pack and if it’s 32-bit or 64-bit
  In Microsoft Windows, you can find this by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting Properties
• If you have an error message, include the full error.
  Hint: If sending the error via email or posting to a web site, don’t do this via a screen shot.
  For most Windows software, this is most easily done by clicking on the error box and pressing Ctrl-C.
  Then going to the email or web post and pressing Ctrl-V.
  This means you get the full error without having to re-type it and the technician can copy directly from it into any search engine they might need to access for information.
• If you still think a screen shot will help to convey the problem, don’t paste it into Word.
  Open MS-Paint (usually in Programs | Accessories), paste it there and then Save As a JPG file.
  This makes the file smaller in size and easier for the technician to read.
• If you can replicate the problem, include the EXACT steps you take.
  Identify what you expected to happen and what actually happens.
• Did you first notice problem after an update to ACT!, Windows or anything else on your system?
• Do you regard yourself as technical or not?
  This will help a good technician provide support at the right level for you.

Consider Adding:

Which items from the following list are necessary will depend on the type of problem you have:

• Include hardware specs like RAM, Processor and, if known, Hard Drive speed (in RPM)
• Include database specs like number of contacts and file size
• If the problem is related to emailing from ACT!, include the email client you are using:
  Outlook, Outlook Express, Lotus Notes, Eudora, Internet Mail (POP3/SMTP) – include the version
• If running any add-ons or plugins for ACT!, name them if they might be related (or if not sure)
• If for an issue with a PDA or Smart Phone, include the operating system and version
• What brand of anti-virus or firewall are you running?
• If your problem causes a crash or other error, see if there is anything logged in the Windows Event Viewer or ACT!’s logs. For instructions to do this, see: Tools for Viewing Error Logs
• If the problems seems database specific, have you tried to repair it? For instructions, see either of: ACT! by Sage Database Rebuild and Repair Procedures or ACT! 5.0 or 6.0 Database Repair Options

What Have You Tried:

You should also include anything you might have tried to resolve the problem. Some items you might try doing, depending on the type of problem could include:

• Have you checked the ACT! Knowledge Base?
  This should be your first port of call as finding an answer there will take less time and get you up and running faster, especially for common questions and errors.
• Does the problem happen with another database? Try opening the demo database and testing.
  Hint: The login user for the ACT! demo database is “Chris Huffman” with no password
• If running on a multi-user database or network:
  Does the problem happen when logged into ACT! as a different user or from a different workstation?
• If related to a template, report or layout, does it happen with other files?
• If a connection issue, have you tried disabling the firewall and anti-virus for a test?

Other Tips:

Remember that the best and fastest support option for ACT! by Sage is by working with an ACT! Certified Consultant. They are not only well trained, but can personalise their support to better suit your specific needs and can look at your environment and business needs to suggest improvements in ACT!’s operation, design and usefulness to your business

If you don’t need an answer urgently and are more technically capable, these are some useful on-line forums that you can get peer-based support: ACT! Community Site, Experts-Exchange and itToolbox

For better web searching of ACT! related information, links to support and other useful sites as well as updates on ACT!, please download the ACT! Fanatics Toolbar

To keep informed with the latest information, join both of these:
If you are on LinkedIN, I also recommend joining the ACT! Fanatics Group
If on Facebook, Like the GL Computing Page

Please feel free to add a comment with any suggestions you might have to improve this list.

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT!,ACT! by Sage,ACC,Consultant,Sage,Support,Technical Support

GL Computing wins Experts Exchange Titan Award 2008

Experts-Exchange announced today that The Titan Award for the highest percentage of support points earned in an Experts-Exchange Zone was awarded to GL Computing.

Experts-Exchange interview with GL Computing's Mike Lazarus

GL Computing’s Expert-Exchange Certifications for the ACT! Zone

GL Computing’s Experts-Exchange Profile

Having been the first Expert to earn Master Certification in the ACT! Zone, and the only one so far to have earned Guru and Wizard certifications, this award is further evidence of Mike Lazarus’s evangelical support for ACT! over the past 21 years.

To win this award from among some 250,000 experts world-wide supporting nearly 4 million IT professionals is simply amazing, and we’d like to thank Experts-Exchange and the users who have appreciated his support in this and many other forums.

About Experts-Exchange

Mike is also Sage’s ACT! Community Leader and the leading poster in the ACT! forums on itToolbox, Tek-Tips and many others.

How to pick the right CRM consultant for you

First, I think it’s necessary to point out that we don’t sell (product or services) direct to end-users. Our main role is supporting ACT! Consultants, Resellers and add-on vendors around the world. But I have worked with CRM products for 24 years and with ACT! for 21 and was an ACT! consultant for about 10 of those years.

I always recommend getting a consultant involved in the implementation of a CRM (even an entry-level product such as ACT!) as a good idea for anyone who wants to ensure a successful implementation and maximise their Return on Investment.

It’s not just a question of figuring out how to use it… most people can figure out the basics of ACT! very quickly. It’s a question of customising the power of the product to make the best use of functions that you might not look for (and therefore not find) or utilising the right add-ons to add functions that are not in the core product.

Investing in a suitably skilled consultant will save you money, especially once you factor in the costs of your own staff that many people forget. To assume you can always do it cheaper yourself is to devalue your own work.

Some like to have the CRM vendor do the work... but this is like having a car engineer teach you how to drive. They don't always have an unbiased view and when the only tool they have is a hammer, every problem resembles a nail.

It’s also useful to note that not all consultants have the same skills and expertise and you need to pick one that can do what you need – just like picking a hair-dresser or a builder. Some have more technical skills, some have better business workflow comprehension. Some have a more available support staff to deliver on an SLA and some are better trainers. Not all skills are might be required for your project.

So, other than cost (which I'd argue should not be a primary deciding factor when choosing the person implementing your access to data as valuable as your client base), what questions do you think a user needs to ask a prospective consultant to select the right one for their project?

As you can see, I believe it is critical in determining the right partner (and the relationship should be one of a partnership) to ask the right questions. This also identifies the first selection criteria – Does the consultant “listen” to the questions and respond appropriately? If it’s a technical question that they don’t have the answer for, they should be able to find the answer and respond back to you in a timely manner.

Do you have a “chemistry” with your potential new partner? Do they understand what you're saying. Do you feel comfortable communicating with the consultant.

Does the consultant show an “Insight” into your business need? Can the consultant ask pertinent questions that make you think about how you are doing things or are they just accepting that the way you usually do things is also what is best for you. You must accept that their experience might have taught them processes that are an improvement.

Have they got a proven track record in projects requiring similar “skills” and are they willing and able to provide references you can contact?

Do you perceive them as “honest”? Is the consultant willing to tell you something can't be done or will be prohibitively expensive and able to offer alternatives or do they just say yes to anything and everything.

Do they understand your professional “jargon” (or at least are self-assured to ask for an explanation when they don’t) and can they explain technical aspects in a way you can understand them.

How “responsive” are they? While speed to return sales calls isn’t always the same one the project is running or worse, once it’s complete and you have a need for support, if they are too slow with this, they are unlikely to be better later. Do they have an SLA with penalties if they don’t perform?

Are they willing to discuss agreed “goals” for a successful project? The goals should be measurable and usually relate to a Return On Investment or satisfaction of a specific set of needs.

Does the “estimate” seem real? Does their quote of hours and/or money seem realistic or are they promising you the world for a dime delivered tomorrow.

As you can see, I regard price as the least important concern and it should only be considered when all other aspects have been satisfied.

Most CRM vendors will have a selection of Certified or Authorised Consultants on their web site – and this is a good place to start. For ACT!, Sage has this at www.act.com/acc. For Asia Pacific ACT! users, we have our own list at the GL Computing recommended consultants page

If anyone has any thoughts or additions, please add a comment to this post or via the GL Computing Contact form

With thanks for their thoughts to:
Jason Tiler Broad, Michael Bryant, Hazem Bawab, Ben Hamilton, Tony Holowitz

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT!,CRM,Consultant

ACT! Add-on - Knowledgebase and on-line support

In conjunction with CRMAddon Factory, GL Computing is now offering an on-line knowledge base and support system as well as a live chat for a number of our add-on products.

Currently supported are all CRMAddon products (including itImport, itDial, itTables, etc) and Handheld Contact

The support page is at http://www.crmaddon.com/support

You can also try the live online support chat to ask any questions by clicking on the button below - there are support staff in Australia, United States and Germany to try and support you when you need it.



Please let us know how we can assist you.