Symptom: When using Outlook integration with a shared database over a network. You are trying to amend your email recording preferences in Outlook, the dropdown fields cannot be changed. You may also find Outlook prompts for a Username and Password repeatedly.
Product Details:
Product Family: Act!
Product: Act! on Premise only
Version: v22.1 and above
Environment: Shared database across a network
Solution:
Note: After performing the steps below, you may need to go through the email system setup within Act! again. You can find steps on doing this here.
This can be caused when the LocalSystem account that is used by the Act! Web API Host for Outlook Integration does not have the required permissions to access the database supplemental files folder over a network.
Note: As of Act! v24, it is possible for users working within a shared database to use the Web API of the computer hosting the database which will resolve this issue. To do so, an administrator needs to log into the Act! database, then go to Tools > Admin and select the option at the bottom to use shared database networking for API access. Please note that this will affect ALL users sharing this database, and that it will affect ALL uses of the API. If you want each individual user to make use of their own local API, then pleas follow the steps listed below.
When a service runs under the LocalSystem account on a computer that is a domain member, the service has whatever network access is granted to the computer account, or to any groups of which the computer account is a member.
If your network is configured as a Workgroup
To resolve this use your Windows user credentials to run the Act! Web API Host.
Note: This option works best if you are the only user on the computer. If there are multiple users please follow the advice for if your network is configured as a Domain.
Locate the Act! Web API Host by click Start > Type Services.msc in the search bar > Press return on keyboard. This will open a list of services running on your computer.
1. Locate the Act! Web API Host service
2. Right click the service, choose Properties
3. Click Log On tab.
4. Select the radio button for This Account
5. Enter your Windows user credentials
6. Click apply > ok
7. Restart the Act! Web API Host service
Because your Windows user already has access the database supplemental files folder the Act! Web API Host service will have access now. One consideration is that should you set a new password for your Windows account, you will need to update the password on the Act! Web API Host service.
If your network is configured as a Domain
To resolve this create a Windows Service account with the same credentials on both the host computer and each client computer that wishes to make use of Outlook integration. Once this has been done, these credentials can be used to run the Act! Web API Host service allowing it to authenticate over the network. The Service account will need to be part of the Local Administrators Group on the client computer and requires network read / write permissions for the full directory that contains the database supplemental files folder. The following article provides steps to locate the supplemental files.
How Do I determine the location of the database supplemental files folder?
Please follow the below steps to resolve the issue:
1. Create a Windows Service user on the host computer and client computer. Make sure that the username and password are identical.
Disclaimer: The link below provides advice on Service Accounts. Act! does not support this directly.
2. On each client computer run the Act! Web API Host as the new Service Account set-up above by
3. Start > Services.msc
4. Locate the Act! Web API Host service
5. Right click the service, choose Properties
6. Click Log On tab.
7. Select the radio button for This Account
8. Enter Windows Service user credentials
9. Click apply > ok
10. Restart the Act! Web API Host service
You will now be able to enter your Act! Username and Password and complete the Outlook Integration set-up.