CRM install failed with 'PST\ABP Install failed'

Before we started our CRM production enviroment, we did a lot of testing on CRM on TS/Citrix and we never got this error on any of our test users. I was kind of stumbed when I first got it on one of my production users.

First, let me talk a little about the log files of CRM client install. Every time a user runs the TS/Citrix CRM installation scripts, 2 log files are created/modified. If you are using Roaming Profiles, these files are located in the "Application data" folder of the user's Roaming Profile path (Check in Active Directory to get it, or ask your system administrator if you can't find them). The files are called 'Crm30ForOutlookInstaller.log' and 'TermInstall.log'. I may be a good starting point if some of your users are not getting CRM to work in Outlook.

Naturally I did a 'google' on the error message, however could not manage to resolve the error. I even tried 'Filemon' and 'Regmon' tools (www.sysinternals.com) to try and capture some file/registry access error, but no success. The 'TermInstall.log' file suggest that the error is due to that the user do not have a outlook profile configured. Further investigation revealed that this was not true. All users that have received this error have had a fully configured and working outlook profile.

To this day, I don't know why some of my users get this error, however the total number of users that get it is very low (5 of 300 users). The terminal server batch script that installes the CRM for the user, abort the installation when this error occures. To resolve it, we have to change the error handling of the batchscript so that the installation continues as it normally would. Please be adviced, this is not a supported solution, and I cannot be held responsible for any errors this might cause for your users. Anyhow, here it goes;

Locate the following section of the script:

:PstFound
@Echo ************************************************************************** >> %LOGFILE%
@Echo Executing Install PST Service And CRM ABP >> %LOGFILE%
%SOURCE%\CrmForOutlookTSInstaller.exe /logfile:%LOGFILEPATH% /installpst /pstname:%PSTNAME% /pstcomment:%PSTCOMMENT% /pstservicename:"MSPST MS" /targetpath:%PSTPATH% /installabp
IF ERRORLEVEL 1
( @Echo PST\ABP Install failed. It is likely that Outlook is not installed or not initialized. >> %LOGFILE% goto InstallError)

Notice the line that says "If ErrorLevel 1", well change that to "If ErrorLevel 2" and the installation will continue as normally.

Now, don't that just make your day complete??? :-)

Best of luck!