CRM 2011 – CRM has stopped dead – Business Management Error: The user ID associated with the current user is not valid

I had a heart stopping moment today when I tried to log into CRM 2011 I gave me a weird error message below

Business Management Error: The user ID associated with the current user is not valid

This was a completely new error to me.  I started doing some digging and found the CRM async services were not running (always check this first)

Usually you can restart these services and everything goes back to normal but when I tried to restart the services it complained the user couldn’t logon.

This was very unusual.

I then tried to remote desktop to the server using that user and it wouldn’t connect.  The user I was having problems was the user you specify to run all the web services and services in general for CRM.  This user isn’t usually a user in CRM and you can change this to NETWORK SERVICE but that is not very secure.

This was all rather odd but in the end an IT chap looking after the server changed the password for the user.  After changing this I could then remote desktop to the computer, so I assume changing and saving the user possibly refreshed something.

Then you have the problem of how do you set the new password for this user.  The way I did it was to go to the control panel, ADD REMOVE programs and then choose Microsoft CRM 2011 server and do a repair.

You then get to fill in the details for this user.  You also get the added bonus of the program verifying the details are correct.

One word of warning, you will need to have the CRM install exe handy (I usually leave this on the server, in a folder off the c drive)

you should also not remote desktop to the CRM server using that user because he probably won’t have privileges to access the SQL server or the Active Directory account.  AGHGHGHGHG I slide down the snake and have to login and go through all that again.

Still it sorted out the problem