Working from home with Microsoft Dynamics GP: General Recommendations and Troubleshooting

We have begun to see more questions in regards with Microsoft Dynamics GP and users working from home.  In an attempt to be proactive, we decided to put together this FAQ to give everyone some ideas where to look, if you happen to run into these type of cases and have a starting point for basic troubleshooting,

I. Users being kicked out of Microsoft Dynamics GP in the middle of a session. 

 Potential causes: 

 --If using RemoteApp or Citrix sessions, does the issue occur if you remove these and login to Dynamics GP directly from the server or workstation, or RDP to the machine, not using RemoteApp or Citrix? 

 --Damaged or corrupted FORM.DIC / REPORT.DIC dictionary files

 II. Microsoft Dynamics GP on terminal server crashing 

 Potential causes: 

 --The use of a P2P/WAN configuration – Microsoft Dynamics GP isn’t designed to work in and is not supported in a WAN environment. 

 --Installation/Configuration issues  

How to deploy Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains in a Terminal Server environment 

 --Damaged or corrupted FORM.DIC / REPORT.DIC dictionary files 

 III. Performance issues with Microsoft Dynamics GP on a terminal server environment 

 Potential causes: 

 --Some of the files GP is using, is not located on the Terminal Server. Put the Dynamics.set file and all dictionary files that are listed in the Dynamics.set file onto the server that is running Terminal Server. Troubleshooting Dynamics GP in Terminal Server

 IV. Microsoft Dynamics GP crashing 

 Potential causes: 

 --Reboot the server or workstation Microsoft Dynamics GP is installed onto. 

--Damaged or corrupted FORM.DIC / REPORT.DIC dictionary files

--Antivirus application doesn’t have exclusion for Dynamics GP directory, shared folders holding GP dictionary files, nor the Dynamics.exe file itself. 

We also recommend exclusions on these file types:

.cnk  -  File is used when service packs or product is installed. These files should not be in the directory for a significant time.
.dic and .chm  -  Files are the Help files for Microsoft Dynamics GP. 
.set  -   Is the start file for Dynamics GP and Utilities, the files store information of what and where products are installed. 
.ini  -   Is the configuration files. These files hold information about which user logged on most recently, what data source is used, and the path.
.dat  -  These files are ctree .dat files that are used with an SQL database. 
.idx  -  These files are ctree index files that are used with an SQL database. 
.vba  -  Files are used if there are Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) modifications for Microsoft Dynamics GP. 
.log  -   This file type used if you use a Dexsql.log file to troubleshoot an error message.

 -- Add Dynamics.exe as an exclusion in DEP.  

1. Log into the Windows Server as an administrator 
2. Browse to the Control Panel and click on 'System and Security'. 
3. Click on 'System', then click on 'Advanced system settings' on the left-hand side of the window. 
4. In the 'System Properties' window that opens, click on the 'Advanced' tab, then click on 'Settings' in the Performance section. 
5. In the 'Performance Options' window, click the 'Data Execution Prevention' tab. 
6. Select the 'Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select' option, then click the 'Add...' button and browse to the Microsoft Dynamics GP directory and select the Dynamics.exe file, click Open. 
7. Click Apply to save your changes and then click OK to close the window. 
8. Have users log out and back into Dynamics GP and verify whether they continue to see the issue with the freezing occur or not after this change is made.

 --If Microsoft Dynamics GP is ‘crashing’ randomly not related to user- or machine-specific processes, it could be due to SQL connectivity issues:   SQL Connectivity Errors seen in Microsoft Dynamics GP 

--Third party products and features installed on Microsoft Dynamics GP, to include RemoteApp and Citrix sessions. 

 V. Microsoft Dynamics GP crashes/closes when emailing 

 Potential Causes: 

 --Microsoft Dynamics GP crashes/closes when emailing after Office update 

VI. Microsoft Dynamics GP display issues when using RDP files to connect

We've become aware of an issue where, when users are using RDP files to connect to the server or workstation to access Microsoft Dynamics GP, they're able to connect and get into the GP application, but then see display issues such as checkboxes missing from boxes and windows within the application.

In the RDP file being used, the user's Login ID and password credentials were not present, so after adding the credentials and reconnecting to the server or workstation, then accessing Microsoft Dynamics GP again, the display issues were resolved within the GP application.  We've not seen this issue all that much, but wanted to put it out here as well, in case someone runs into it with users doing a lot of working from home.

Hopefully this blog will at least be a starting point for new users working remotely with Microsoft Dynamics GP if you run into any issues.

Thanks everyone!