Act! and Office 2016
On June 13, 2016 Microsoft released Office 2016 version 16.0.8201.2102. This build broke some of the standard MAPI APIs used by Act! and other 3rd party programs. One symptom is if you try to setup Act! <-> Outlook email integration, and the setup wizard doesn't list Outlook. Another symptom is e-mail no longer records history to Act!. A 3rd symptom is broken calendar or contact sync.
Here is the short term solution:
- Close Act! and Outlook
- Open the folder "C:\program files (x86)\act\act for windows" in Windows Explorer
- Rename adal.dll to adal_old.dll (Screenshot)
- Reboot
The cause was a recent Outlook update now has a file called, "adal.dll" also. Since Act! wrote something called, "adal.dll" used for legacy conversions, the programs collide, and the e-mail integration breaks. Over the next couple weeks (after 6/28/2017), Swiftpage will publish updates for Act! v19 and v18. v17 and earlier are no longer supported. So, the short term solution listed above is the way to get around it for legacy versions. Or you can use a plugin like this.
As of 8/21/2017, Swiftpage has published updates for this going to version 18.2. Follow their documentation to install the updates.
How to Reset the Act! Outlook Service
Once in a while this service stops working, and Act! won't record history from Outlook e-mail. Resetting this service may do the trick. Video below, or here are the written steps:
- Close Act! and Outlook
- Run Task Manager
- Find act.outlook.service.exe
- Right click on it
- Select "End Process"
- From Task Manager, go to File -> Run -> "C:\program files (x86)\act\act for windows\"
- Look for act.outlook.service.exe
- Double-click it to run it.
- Restart Outlook
- Restart Act!
How to Scan for Duplicates and Merge Them in Act!
Here is the article on how to do this in Act!, and you can only merge two contacts at a time. If you want to do this en masse, you need Duplicate Merge Wizard instead. Here is what's cool about this plugin.
- It will merge the contacts without going through the arduous 7 step wizard
- You can use up to 7 criteria to match duplicates
- When contacts merge, it will merge the notes, history, activities and opportunities; then, add notes to the new merged record that tell you the historical contact field data.
Here is what happens:
For example: The program merges Contact A with phone number 312-555-1234 and Contact B with 312-527-3133 to have Contact A with phone number 312-555-1234. Contact B is gone.
Contact A has the notes from A&B.
Contact A has a note in Act! now, "Merged Phone Number from Contact B of 312-527-3133".
So you don't lose the historical information from the merge. The merge program decides whether A or B is the best record by the most recent edit date.
The Duplicate Merge Wizard offers a trial version of their software.
Quick video (No Audio) on the steps in Act!
How to Disable Act! Scheduler in a Terminal Server Setting
If you keep getting the prompt to run Act! Scheduler when you start Windows, and it keeps bugging you; then, disable it. Here is how:
Steps :
- Open up Task Manager Start -> Run -> Taskmgr
- Click on startup tab
- Right Click on Act.Sceduler.ui.exe and select ‘disable’.
This means this user cannot do the following:
- Automate Backup
- Run Database Maintenance
How to Setup Act! Scheduler for Remote Database Synchronization
If you use Act! for remote database synchronization, you can add an automated task to synchronize automatically based on time. Act! cannot automatically sync based on whether you have a valid connection to the internet or your local network etc.
This video demonstrates the setup. Have your Act! user name and password ready. For a text-based tutorial, here is an article from their website.