1. Correcting a lost system password by resetting the System Password
Part of the security matrix of Dynamics GP is the
System Password. The system password provides another layer of
protection after users have already logged in to Dynamics GP. Certain
processes such as changing security settings or setup options may
require an additional password known as the System Password. Even if a
user has appropriate rights to set up options they can't changes those
options without the system password.
Although the use of a system password is technically
optional, it is typically used in Dynamics GP implementations. In many
environments it is entered very infrequently and typically only by
administrators. Consequently, the system password can be lost or
forgotten as people leave the company or change roles. Imagine how
painful it could be to explain that security can't be changed because
the system password has been lost!
Fortunately, there is a process available for
administrators with access to SQL Server to reset the administrator
password. In this recipe, we'll look at how to do just that.
How to do it...
To reset the system password:
1. Open Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the SQL Server used for Dynamics GP. Enter a username and password or use windows authentication to connect.
Because
of the way that Dynamics GP maintains security with SQL Server a
Dynamics GP username can't be used here. The only exception is the SQL
system administrator (sa) user.
2. Click on the New Query button. Select the DYNAMICS database from the drop-down menu on the top left. Enter the following script in the code area on the right:
Use Dynamics
Go
Update SY02400 Set Password = 0X00202020202020202020202020202020
3. Click on Execute to run the script. This resets the system password:
4. Open Microsoft Dynamics GP and select Administration from the Navigation Pane. Select System Password from the Area Page under System.
5. Enter a new system password. Re-enter the new system password as a confirmation and click on OK to save.
How it works...
The long line of strange numbers after Set Password
simply sets the password back to blank. The password isn't encrypted,
it's simply masked. With enough time, energy, and access to a company's
SQL Server it would be possible to decode the masking. Then again, if a
troublemaker has access to a firm's SQL Server, they don't need the
system password to make a mess. This tip belongs with a company's
database administrator. Ordinary users should be prevented from running
queries that update information via SQL.
2. Warning the user if Caps Lock is on during login
Login passwords for Dynamics GP are case sensitive
and limited to three tries. This means that the words "password" and
"Password" are viewed as completely different when logging in because of
the capital "P" in Password. After three failed login attempts Dynamics
GP closes and the user has to restart before trying to login again.
When a user accidently has the Caps Lock button on it almost always leads to failed logins and user frustration.
In recognition of this Patrick Roth, in Developer Support at Microsoft, wrote a VBA utility that checks for Caps Lock
activation and warns the user if it is on during login. He made the
utility freely available to the community via the Developing for
Dynamics GP blog.
In this recipe, we'll look at deploying and using this utility to warn users if Caps Lock is on.
How to do it...
To warn users if Caps Lock is on during Login:
2. Download and save the file Login_Password_Warning.zip to your desktop:
3. Right-click on the downloaded file and select Extract. Then click on the Extract button.
4. Back in Dynamics GP select Microsoft Dynamics GP | Tools | Customize | Customization Maintenance.
5. Click on Import and then on Browse. Navigate to the location where you extracted the Login_Password_Warning.zip file on the desktop and select the Login_Password_Warning.Package file. Click on OK to install:
6. This customization will need to be applied to each user's workstation by repeating steps 4 and 5.
7. Once applied a user will be warned if the Caps Lock button is on when logging in:
How it works...
Like the Reducing licensing needs by preventing Multiple Company Logins
recipe, this hack uses a free, unsupported
Visual Basic for Applications file. The package file will need to be
applied to each user's computer for the Caps Lock warning to appear. However, that is a small price to pay for a recipe that significantly reduces user frustration.
There's more...
There are some additional things to look out for when cooking up this recipe.
Additional considerations
Since this hack uses a Visual Basic for Applications
(VBA) customization companies will need to be licensed to either build
or run customizations in Dynamics GP. For companies that require a
Customization Site Enabler license, it is available for a fee through a
Microsoft value added reseller.
