CRM 2011 Developer Toolkit Solution “Forgets” it’s a CRM Solution

 

A funny thing happened to me yesterday on my way to trying to actually get some work done…

I frequently will open a Dynamics CRM Developer Toolkit solution in Visual Studio when I’m disconnected from the actual Dynamics CRM server.  Visual Studio will kindly let me know that it can’t find CRM, I tell it, “yep, I know”, and it continues to load the solution without any problems. Once I’m ready to actually connect to CRM, a quick selection of the Tools | ”Connect to Dynamics CRM Server…” menu item and I’m on my way.

Except yesterday when Mr. Murphy was visiting for the day…

This time, all went as normal, except that when I went to connect to CRM, the Tools | ”Connect to Dynamics CRM Server…” menu item was missing!

And of course, I was in a hurry!

Well, after doing some digging, and comparing to other CRM 2011 Developer Toolkit solutions, I found the problem:  The .sln file was missing a section!

If you ever encounter this problem, the fix is VERY easy.

Open your .sln file for the CRM 2011 Developer Toolkit solution, locate the “Global” section, and make sure that the first entry is as follows:

   1: Global

   2:     GlobalSection(CRMSolutionProperties) = preSolution

   3:         SolutionIsBoundToCRM = True

   4:     EndGlobalSection

   5:     ...

   6: EndGlobal

 

A complete empty CRM .sln file follows with the key GlobalSection highlighted that MUST be present for Visual Studio to know that it is a CRM solution.

   1: Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 11.00   

   2: # Visual Studio 2010   

   3: Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "CrmPackage", "CrmVSSolution1\CrmPackage\CrmPackage.csproj", "{9AA6A940-7773-4376-B972-383C7EB001C8}"   

   4:     ProjectSection(ProjectDependencies) = postProject   

   5:         {D6B86A2F-B4E4-44B8-8C7C-81B4C07BB760} = {D6B86A2F-B4E4-44B8-8C7C-81B4C07BB760}   

   6:         {388B3993-ECAB-4A3A-B925-D6039DEC872F} = {388B3993-ECAB-4A3A-B925-D6039DEC872F}   

   7:     EndProjectSection   

   8: EndProject   

   9: Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "Plugins", "CrmVSSolution1\Plugins\Plugins.csproj", "{D6B86A2F-B4E4-44B8-8C7C-81B4C07BB760}"  

  10: EndProject  

  11: Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "Workflow", "CrmVSSolution1\Workflow\Workflow.csproj", "{388B3993-ECAB-4A3A-B925-D6039DEC872F}"  

  12: EndProject  

  13: Global  

  14:     GlobalSection(CRMSolutionProperties) = preSolution  

  15:         SolutionIsBoundToCRM = True  

  16:     EndGlobalSection  

  17:     GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution  

  18:         Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU  

  19:         Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU  

  20:     EndGlobalSection  

  21:     GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution  

  22:         {9AA6A940-7773-4376-B972-383C7EB001C8}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU  

  23:         {9AA6A940-7773-4376-B972-383C7EB001C8}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU  

  24:         {9AA6A940-7773-4376-B972-383C7EB001C8}.Debug|Any CPU.Deploy.0 = Debug|Any CPU  

  25:         {9AA6A940-7773-4376-B972-383C7EB001C8}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU  

  26:         {9AA6A940-7773-4376-B972-383C7EB001C8}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU  

  27:         {9AA6A940-7773-4376-B972-383C7EB001C8}.Release|Any CPU.Deploy.0 = Release|Any CPU  

  28:         {D6B86A2F-B4E4-44B8-8C7C-81B4C07BB760}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU  

  29:         {D6B86A2F-B4E4-44B8-8C7C-81B4C07BB760}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU  

  30:         {D6B86A2F-B4E4-44B8-8C7C-81B4C07BB760}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU  

  31:         {D6B86A2F-B4E4-44B8-8C7C-81B4C07BB760}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU  

  32:         {388B3993-ECAB-4A3A-B925-D6039DEC872F}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU  

  33:         {388B3993-ECAB-4A3A-B925-D6039DEC872F}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU  

  34:         {388B3993-ECAB-4A3A-B925-D6039DEC872F}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU  

  35:         {388B3993-ECAB-4A3A-B925-D6039DEC872F}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU  

  36:     EndGlobalSection  

  37:     GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution  

  38:         HideSolutionNode = FALSE  

  39:     EndGlobalSection  

  40: EndGlobal

 

Robert
- It is an honor to be of service

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