How to Enable Tracing in Microsoft Dynamics 365 / Dynamics CRM

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Technical Article

Article sections

    Summary: This article describes how to enable and disable tracing for Microsoft Dynamics 365
    Article Type: Information / Troubleshooting / Support
    Related Product(s): This article relates to the following products:

    • Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015
    • Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013
    • Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
    Related Articles:

    Introduction

    Microsoft Dynamics CRM lets you create trace files that monitor the actions performed by Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Trace files are helpful when troubleshooting error messages or other issues in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

    There are tools available to help manage tracing and log creation. This article concentrates on managing tracing using the Registry.

    CRM Trace Reg Settings

    Warning

    Changes to the registry should be completed by a system administrator.
    You should only enable tracing for as long as you need. Running a trace for extended periods will affect performance.

    Incorrect changes to the registry can have adverse effects on your system. We recommend you make a full back up of your systems and registry before making any changes.

    Registry Locations

    Here are the registry locations for each component of Microsoft Dynamics CRM that allows tracing.

    Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\MSCRM

    Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\MSCRMClient

    Microsoft Dynamics CRM for SSRS Data Connector:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\MSCRMBidsExtensions

    Required Registry Entries

    Name Type Data Value Notes

    TraceEnabled

    DWORD

    0 or 1

    0 = disabled, 1 = enabled

    TraceDirectory

    String

    c:\trace directory

    This setting is for older versions.  The default location for trace files is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics CRM\Trace

    TraceRefresh

    DWORD

    0 or 99

    When the data is changed, the trace settings in the other trace registry entries are applied.

    Optional Registry Entries

    Here are optional entries used for specific purposes. Note: Using these may result in an incomplete trace file. For a complete trace, leave these as default. Further information on option registry entries can be found on the Microsoft Knowledge base

    Name Type Data Value Notes

    TraceCategories

    String or Multi-String

    Category.Feature:TraceLevel

    The TraceCategories registry entry is a combination of a category, a feature, and a trace level. You can specify multiple categories, features, and trace levels. Separate each combination by using a semicolon.

    TraceDCallStack

    DWORD

    0 or 1

    0 = disabled, 1 = enabled

    TraceFileSizeLimit

    DWORD

    0 or 100 (MB)

    The TraceFileSizeLimit registry entry specifies the maximum size of trace files. New files are created when the limit is reached.

    Enabling Tracing using Windows PowerShell

    It is also possible to enable and disable tracing using PowerShell.

    Enable Tracing

    $CrmTraceSettings = get-CrmSetting TraceSetting
    $CrmTraceSettings.Enabled=$True
    Set-CrmSetting $CrmTraceSettings

    Disable Tracing

    $CrmTraceSettings = get-CrmSetting TraceSetting
    $CrmTraceSettings.Enabled=$False
    Set-CrmSetting $CrmTraceSettings

    Further information on the PowerShell commands available can be found on the Microsoft Knowledgebase

    Related Information:

    in Microsoft Dynamics CRMSupportTroubleshooting
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