Frequently asked questions about the home pages and area pages features in Microsoft Dynamics GP

This article contains answers to frequently asked questions about the home pages feature and the area pages feature that are included in Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Home pages in Microsoft Dynamics GP

Q1: Where can I find more information about home pages in Microsoft Dynamics GP?

A1: The SystemUserGuide.pdf file includes more information about home pages.

To obtain user guides for Microsoft Dynamics GP, visit the following Microsoft Web site:Q2: What occurs when I select an industry and then select a role? Are the home pages different for the different industries?

A2: The default settings for home pages are the same regardless of the industry. However, home pages use specific industry information to provide a refined list of roles to the user. This refined list enables users to find applicable roles more easily.

Q3: After I select a home page role, can I change the role?

A3: Yes. In the upper-right corner of the home page, click Customize this page, and then click Change Role.

Q4: If I change roles, what information is removed?

A4: The home page layout is changed. This change includes the order of the areas on the home page and whether these areas are turned on or are turned off. Specifically, you experience the following behavior:

• The Microsoft Office Outlook area, the Quick Links area, and the Metrics area are changed.
• The My Reports area is not changed.
• Reminder settings for the new role are added to the Reminders area. However, existing reminders are not removed.

Q5: What determines the timing of the home page refresh operation in Microsoft Dynamics GP? How does this timing affect resource usage?

A5: After a user logs on to Microsoft Dynamics GP, the home page refreshes every 60 minutes. Therefore, as long as all users do not log on at the same time, the refresh operation is staggered. Therefore, Microsoft Dynamics performance is usually not adversely affected.

The amount of resources that are required for the home page depends on the options that are configured for a particular user. Additional reminders, tasks, and metrics on the home page require an increased amount of resources during the home page refresh operation. Metrics items are the most resource-intensive items.

Q6: If a user makes a change to a home page, are the settings for the particular role changed?

A6: No. When a user makes a change to a home page, the change only applies to that particular user.

Q7: Can the Administrator assign a role to all users?

A7: The Administrator can log on to Microsoft Dynamics GP as each user, and then select the role for each user. To log on by using each user ID, the Administrator must have the password for each user. The Administrator can also run the following script to automatically set the role for all users who do not have a role assigned. These users have the Blank home page assigned. This script also sets the options so that the home page does not display at logon, and the home page does not refresh after an hour.Q8: Can the Administrator lock down the home page so that users cannot customize it?

A8: The Administrator can revoke security access to the Customize Home Page dialog box. This prevents users from customizing the home page and from customizing each area of the home page. Therefore, users cannot add an area to the home page. Also, users cannot remove an area from the home page.

To revoke the security access in Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0, follow these steps:

1. Click Tools, click Setup, click System, and then click Security.
2. In the User ID area, select the user ID.
3. In the Company area, select the company database.
4. In the Type area, select Windows.
5. In the Series area, select System.
6. Double-click Customize Home Page to remove access to the window.
7. Click OK.

To revoke the security access in Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 and Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, follow these steps:

1. On the Microsoft Dynamics GP menu, click Tools, click Setup, click System, and then click Security Tasks.
2. In the Task ID area, select the DEFAULTUSER.
3. In the Product area, select Microsoft Dynamics GP.
4. In the Type area, select Windows.
5. In the Series area, select System.
6. Click to clear the Customize Home Page check box to remove access to the window.
7. Click OK.

Note By default, access to the Customize Home Page window is granted to the DEFAULTUSER security task. These steps revoke access to this window in the DEFAULTUSER security task. If another security task grants access to this window, you must follow these steps for that security task.

Q9: Can I create new roles for the home page?

A9: Yes. You can create new roles by using a Dexterity customization. For more information about how to create new roles, see the Integration Guide manual (IG.pdf) that is installed with Dexterity.

Q10: How can I disable the home page?

A10: For information about how to disable the home page, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q11: What versions of Microsoft Office are supported by the Microsoft Dynamics GP home pages?

A11:Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 supports the 2007 Microsoft Office programs and the 2010 Microsoft Office programs.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 supports the 2007 Microsoft Office programs, Microsoft Office 2003, and Microsoft Office XP. Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 supports, Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office XP, and Microsoft Office 2000.

To obtain the Office Web Components for Office 2007, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Note The Office Web Components for Office 2007 are a service pack for the Office Web Components for Office 2003. You must install Office Web Components for Office 2003 before you install this service pack.

To obtain the Office Web Components for Office 2003, visit the following Microsoft Web site:To obtain the Office Web Components for Office XP, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Q12: Is Microsoft Office Outlook the only e-mail application that integrates with the home page?

A12: Outlook is the only e-mail application that is supported.

Q13: How do I disable the Microsoft Office Outlook content from the home page for all users?

A13: Run the following script from SQL Query Analyzer, from the Support Administrator Console, or from Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. Q14: If I connect through a terminal server, what must be verified to enable the Microsoft Office Outlook area to function?

A14: All users who connect through a terminal server must verify that they can start Outlook and that they created an Outlook profile.

Q15: How does the home page integrate with security?

A15: The Quick Links area, the Reminders area, the My Reports area, and the Metrics area integrate with the Microsoft Dynamics GP security. If a user does not have access to a window, that window is not listed in the Quick Links area. If a user does not have access to the Reminder Smart List, the reminder is not displayed in the To Do area. Also, the metrics that appear in the Metrics area are controlled by the window security settings.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q16: If I change my home page role, are my security settings affected?

A16: No. When a user changes a role, only the default settings that Microsoft Dynamics GP creates for the user are changed. These default settings are then filtered according to the particular user’s security settings.

Q17: How is each metric calculated?

A17: For more information about how metrics are calculated, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q18: Can I create new metrics, add to Quick Links, and add to My Reports for the home page?

A18: Yes. You can perform all these tasks by using a Dexterity customization. For more information about how to perform these tasks, see the Integration Guide manual (IG.pdf) that is installed with Dexterity.

Q19: If I click in the Metrics area, I can modify the displayed graph. However, when the home page is refreshed, my changes are not saved. Can I save my changes to the metrics graph?

A19: Currently, you cannot save changes to the graph in the Metrics area.

Q20: How are the SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 reports activated for the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 home page?

A20:In order to display the SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 reports in the Metrics part of the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 home page you need to do the following:

1. Use the SQL Server Reporting Services Wizard for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 to deploy the reports in the ‘Charts and KPIs’ series to your report site.
2. Open the Reporting Tools Setup window in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 and enter the URL to your Report Server site in SQL Server Reporting Services tab the using the following format:
   
   http://servername:port/ReportServer/ReportService2005.asmx
   
   Note You need to check the ‘Enable SQL Server Reporting Services Home Page Metrics’ option on this window.
3. Go to the home page and click Customize this page….
4. Click to select in Metrics.
5. Click on the blue expansion button beside Metrics and select the SQL Server Reporting Services reports to list on your home page.

NoteYou will need permission to run these reports in SQL Server Reporting Services in order for them to display on the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 home page.

Q21: When I start Microsoft Dynamics GP on a terminal server, I receive the following error message on the home page:What causes this error message?

A21: This issue occurs if roaming profiles are configured for the users. Specifically, this issue occurs because of the way in which the user profile Temp folders are mapped. To resolve this issue, reconfigure the roaming profile to remove the Temp folder from the shared network location. A user's roaming profile must be configured to use the local computer's Temp folder. The roaming profile must not be configured to use a shared network location.

Q22: When I start the home page, I receive the following error message in the Metrics area:What causes this error message?

A22: This problem is documented in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article: To resolve this problem, install the Microsoft Office Web Components. To obtain the Office Web Components for Office 2003, visit the following Microsoft Web site:To obtain the Office Web Components for Office XP, visit the following Microsoft Web site:Note If you are running the 2007 Office programs, install the Office Web Components for Office 2003. If you are running Office 2000, install the Office Web Components for Office XP.

Q23: When I start Microsoft Dynamics GP, the home page displays the XML code for the home page.

A23: This issue is documented in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article: To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Exit Microsoft Dynamics GP.
2. Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. At the command prompt, type regsvr32 MSXML3.dll, and then press ENTER.
4. Start Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Additionally, make sure that the following items are installed on the computer on which you experience this issue:

• The Microsoft Office Web Components
  
  To obtain the Office Web Components for Office 2003, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=7287252C-402E-4F72-97A5-E0FD290D4B76&displaylang=en

  (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=7287252C-402E-4F72-97A5-E0FD290D4B76&displaylang=en)
  To obtain the Office Web Components for Office XP, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=982b0359-0a86-4fb2-a7ee-5f3a499515dd&displaylang=en

  (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=982b0359-0a86-4fb2-a7ee-5f3a499515dd&displaylang=en)
  Note If you are running the 2007 Office programs, install the Office Web Components for Office 2003. If you are running Office 2000, install the Office Web Components for Office XP.
• The latest version of the Microsoft XML Parser (MSXML)
  
  To obtain the latest version of MSXML, follow these steps:
  1. Visit the following Microsoft Web site:
     http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en

     (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en)
  2. In the box to the right of the Search list, type XML Parser, and then click Go.

Q24: When I log on to Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0, I receive the following error message: "Unhandled object exception: error calling method 'get first' - Exception_Class_Object_Exception." Also, the home page is blank behind the error message.

A24: This error occurs if you are using a version of Microsoft Office that is older than Microsoft Office 2000. Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 supports the 2007 Microsoft Office suites, Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office XP, and Microsoft Office 2000.

Q25: When I start Microsoft Dynamics GP, I may receive one or both of the following error messages:

Error Message 1Error Message 2Note Error Message 2 appears in the Metrics area.

A25: This problem occurs when the Microsoft Office Web Components are not installed. The Microsoft Office Web Components are required for the metric feature of the Microsoft Dynamics GP home page. If the computer has a Microsoft Office 2000 program or a Microsoft Office XP program installed, use the Office Web Components for Office XP. If the computer has a Microsoft Office 2003 program or a 2007 Microsoft Office program installed, use the Office Web Components for Office 2003. To obtain the Office Web Components for Office 2003, visit the following Microsoft Web site:To obtain the Office Web Components for Office XP, visit the following Microsoft Web site:Note You can install the Microsoft Office Web Components even if no Microsoft Office program is installed on the computer on which you receive the error message. If no Microsoft Office program is installed, install the Office Web Components for Office 2003.

Q26: How can reminders be removed from the home page?

A26: To remove reminders from the home page, use the appropriate method:

Method 1: Remove security for all reminders on the home page

1. Log on to Microsoft Dynamics GP as the sa user.
2. Select a company to log on to.
3. Point to Tools, point to Setup, point to System, and then click Advanced Security.
4. Click the user for whom you who want to remove all reminders from the home page.
5. In the Navigation pane, expand by Menu, and then expand View.
6. Click to clear the by Reminders check box to remove access to reminders on the home page.
7. Click Apply.
8. Click OK to close.

Method 2: Remove security for custom reminders that are created in SmartList on the home page

1. Log on to Microsoft Dynamics GP as the sa user.
2. Select a company to log on to.
3. Point to Tools, point to Setup, point to System, and then click Advanced Security.
4. Click the user for whom you who want to remove custom SmartList reminders from the home page.
5. In the Navigation pane, expand by SmartList.
6. Click to clear the check box that is under the SmartList object to which you want to remove access. For example, click to clear the check box that is under Customers Over Credit Limit.
7. Click Apply.
8. Click OK. The reminder will not appear the next time that the user logs on to Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Q27: How do I work around the error messages that I receive a I add a report to the My Reports section of the home page and then try to print the report?

After you add a report to the My Reports section of the home page and then try to print the report, you may receive one of the following error messages.Note The error message that you receive depends on the report that you added to the My Reports section.

A27: This problem is fixed in Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 Service Pack 1. To obtain the latest update for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0, visit one of the following Microsoft Web sites, depending on whether you are a partner or a customer.

PartnersCustomersQ28: How do I add a report to the My Reports list on the home page?

A28:

1. Access the report that you want to add to the My Reports list on the home page. For example, if you want to add the Item Detailed List, follow these steps:
   1. Click Reports, click Inventory, and then click Item.
   2. In the Inventory Item Reports window, click New if you are creating a new report, or select one of the available report options.
   3. To open the Inventory Item Report Options window, click Modify.
2. In the Report Options window, click My Reports on the Report Options menu bar.
3. In the "Add to My Reports" window, enter information in the Name field, or accept the default information.
4. To close the window, click Ok.
5. To close the report windows, click the Close button.

To view the reports in the My Reports list on the home page, follow these steps:

1. To view the home page, click Home in the navigation pane, or press CTRL+1.
2. To open the Customize Home Page window, click the Customize this page link at the top of the content pane.
3. To display the My Reports list on the home page, click the My Reports option.
4. To save the changes, click OK, and then close the Customize Home Page window.
5. On the home page, expand My Reports. You will see the new report that you added to the My Reports list.

Q29: How do I remove the Outlook, Metrics, or To Do: Reminders areas of the home page for new users?

A29: To remove the Outlook, Metrics, or To Do: Reminders areas of the home page for new users, follow these steps:

1. Access the System Preferences window. To do this, click Microsoft Dynamics GP, click Tools, click Setup, click System, and then click System Preferences.
2. In the Home Page Defaults section, click to clear the Load To Do: Reminders, Load Metrics, or Load Microsoft Office Outlook check boxes.

Note This does not affect the existing users. This affects only new users who are created after you change these settings. See question and answer 13 if you have to disable the Outlook part of the home page for the existing users.

Q30: How do I add a Smartlist Builder object to the My Reports section on the Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 homepage?

A30: To add a Smartlist Builder object to the My Reports section of the homepage, follow the steps:

1. Start Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 as the user who wants the SmartList Builder on their homepage.
2. Click Microsoft Dynamics GP, point to Tools, point to SmartList Builder, and then click SmartList Builder.
3. In the Smartlist ID box, type the ID of the Smartlist Builder that you want to add to the My Reports section of the homepage.
4. In the Series list, note the option that is listed, and then exit SmartList Builder.
5. In the Navigation Pane, click the series that you noted from step 4, and then click Report List.
6. After the reports display, locate the name of the SmartList Builder object, and then click to check the report name.
7. In the My Reports section, click Add to, type a report name, and then click OK
8. In the Navigation Pane, click Home, expand My Reports, and then verify the report is now listed under the My Reports section.
   Note If the report is not added, refresh the homepage or exit and restart Microsoft Dynamics GP as the same user.

Q31: When you click the expand and collapse drop-down arrows on the homepage or area page, you recieve the following error message:A31: The users are using Terminal Server, and the UserData folder does not exist in the %appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ folder. Create the UserData folder in that location.

Area pages in Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 and Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010

Q1: When you open a Personalized List in Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0, there are no check boxes next to each item. Therefore, you cannot select an item.

A1: This issue occurs because the DPI settings are not set to Normal size (96 DPI). If you use Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Settings tab, and then click Advanced.
3. Click the General tab.
4. Under Display, click Normal size (96 DPI) in the DPI setting list.
5. Click OK to restart the computer.
6. Start Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 or Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, and then confirm that the issue is resolved.

If you use Windows Vista, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the desktop, and then click Personalize.
2. In the Personalization dialog box, click Adjust font size (DPI).
   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.
3. In the DPI Scaling dialog box, click Default scale (96 DPI) – fit more information.
4. Click OK.
5. Click OK to restart the computer.
6. Start Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 or Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, and then confirm that the issue is resolved.