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An OptionSet with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name.

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Posted on by 2,555

I tried importing an unmanaged solution from an organization deployment to another. I get the following error in the Import solution process:

An OptionSet with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name.


I have tried to compare both deployments and I can confirm that the optionsets have the same unique name in the Incident entity it was referring to as the source of the error.

A look at the event viewer gave this log: Sandbox Host - Access Denied. 

Host: ServerName
User: Domain\SystemAdminUser


Any ideas on how to resolve this?

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  • ThomasN Profile Picture
    ThomasN 3,190 on at
    RE: An OptionSet with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name.

    Thanks Nelson for digging into this further. I could be wrong on reasoning. Glad to hear you did get it corrected.

  • Eccountable Profile Picture
    Eccountable 10 on at
    RE: An OptionSet with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name.

    Tom,

        While moving a CRM 2016 Online solution from Development to Production I started getting this "An Optionset with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name" error today, so I used the SDK Solution Packager tool to unpack the solutions and compared the current version of the solution file with the new one (using Beyond Compare) and didn't see a difference on that entity.  I looked in the Entity.xml file where that fields is defined, and there are no GUID's at that part of the XML so how does CRM determine that the GUID of the new field has changed but has the same field name? As per your suggestion, I also used the Metadata browser and it looks like most fields have different GUID's between the two systems so I am not convinced your statement is accurate.

    Questions aside, I deleted the optionset field from production and successfully imported the updated solution file without issues.

  • Suggested answer
    ThomasN Profile Picture
    ThomasN 3,190 on at
    RE: An OptionSet with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name.

    Hi Daniel,

    The display and schema names do not matter. It is looking for a matching GUID for that particular OptionSet, and when it does not find a matching GUID then it attempts to create a new field, and fails on creation because the schema name already exists.

    The solution for this is to use the Metadata browser from Microsoft SDK. It is a solution you import to your CRM instance. You would install on both instances the source of the solution you are attempting to import and the target where you are importing the solution to and seeing this error.

    When the solution fails, there is an option to export the log, or results. Open this in excel and on the second tab filter the error column to see where the error is occuring. It should narrow down to a specific entity at least.

    Then open the Metadata Browser solution and browse down to the field level on the entity. This will give you GUID information, and you would have to compare that between the Target and Source. You will eventually find the difference.

    This is good example of why having tight control measures on solutions and their changes are very helpful. But you are not alone we have all had to go through this when managing solutions.

    Let me know if there is more I can do to help. Have a wonderful day!

    -Tom

  • Jeremiah Profile Picture
    Jeremiah 2,555 on at
    RE: An OptionSet with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name.

    Thanks Tom,

    I would have deleted straightaway the fields that are giving this problem, but the error is generic. It is not specifying the exact fields that are having the problem.

    The error us saying

    An OptionSet with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name.

    Perhaps I should delete all the optionset fields because I have checked all the fields, they have the same display and schema names.

  • Mohsin Ali Profile Picture
    Mohsin Ali 3,614 on at
    RE: An OptionSet with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name.

    Daniel, You need to compare the Option-set's names instead of their labels. Then I believe you can nailed down.

  • Suggested answer
    ThomasN Profile Picture
    ThomasN 3,190 on at
    RE: An OptionSet with the specified name already exists. Please specify a unique name.

    Hi Daniel,

    The OptionSet can have the same exact schema name but still not be the same field. CRM is trying to match off the GUID for that OptionSet field. Unless the field was created in the same organization, then pushed over to one giving the error the fields will not match.

    The fix is to delete field in error instance then continue import, or if the unmanaged solution being imported was incorrect delete that and bring the field from wherever it originated. Be careful what direction you do this as the entire entity must be imported and may make unintended changes.

    Let me know if this helps. Have a great day!

    -Tom

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