Released on = July 31, 2007, 4:06 pm

Press Release Author = Alba Spectrum Group

Industry = Computers

Press Release Summary = Microsoft Great Plains version 10.0 is now released and as
we right these lines, there are some misunderstanding and even problems in upgrade
preparation and planning.

Press Release Body = Alba Spectrum Group, http://www.albaspectrum.com
help@albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918

Microsoft Great Plains version 10.0 is now released and as we right these lines,
there are some misunderstanding and even problems in upgrade preparation and
planning. We see multiple posts where upgrade fails and consultant and IT folks are
not sure what to do. Let's review what is the source of these problems and how
version 10 upgrade process differs from earlier versions upgrade: 9.0, 8.0, 7.5,
7.0, 6.0
1. New version CD. When you received new GP version CD in the mail, you kind of
expected that all you need to do is to insert CD into the CD drive and follow the
Wizard. Sometimes you saw issues and if you are consultant - you tried to review
options: upgrade path, including steps or intermediate versions, etc. If you
remember GP upgrade process with earlier versions, such as 5.0 or 5.5 and even 6.0 -
then you had to deal with patches, services packs, clean-up utilities and things
like these. Version 7.5 was probably the most prepared for upgrade and it typically
was successful process, even if it was conducted in internal IT departments
2. New approaches to GP upgrade. When version 9.0 was released, here consultant
community realized, that former control over upgrade process in now reduced: you can
have only one instance of GP workstation per user, for example was not really
understood - why it is needed? At the same time GP upgrade process was brought into
generic Microsoft products upgrade, it became similar to MS Office. The only
difference was the necessity to make Microsoft Dexterity and its Dex utilities to
dance Microsoft upgrade music
3. Version 10. Now, it is a surprise, that upgrade is not version-sensitive, but
even applied service pack sensitive. Let us give you example. If you are on
version 9.0 without service packs, then your build is 114 and if you try to upgrade
version 9.0 on 114 build with 10.0 GP CD, you will get the error message, saying
that file is not found: File not found: C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft
Dynamics\\GP\\SQL\vcontent1\\Upgrade.dll.UPGRADE_9_0_114.DRIVER_INI. The reason of getting
this message is the following: upgrade path for build 114 is not implemented in GP
10.0 OEM CD. At this time of writing this article (end of July 2007), Microsoft
Business Solutions promised to fix this issue in GP 10 Service Pack 1, which will be
released in the fourth quarter of 2007. OEM CD 10.0 actually is capable to upgrade
from GP 9.0 SP2 only, or build 9.00.0281. Plus if you are still on 8.0, then you
can upgrade from SP5 build 8.00g73. If you mastered to apply the patches with
higher that 9.0 SP2, then Microsoft clearly tells you that you will have to wait the
time when GP 10 SP1 will be released, and you can not upgrade at current time, July
2007
4. Linking OEM CD upgrade process to Service Packs. As of right now it is probably
OK and nobody would suffer due to this sensitivity. However in the future, GP
customers might be trapped in the situations, when they have to follow upgrade path
with intermediate versions; and if old version service packs are not longer
supported they may become not available for the customer, who is planning to
upgrade. So, general advise - you should stay current with relations with Microsoft
Business Solutions and pay annual enhancement fee to avoid problems

Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum Group, http://www.albaspectrum.com
help@albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, serving GP customers remotely
in Montreal, Toronto, New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San
Diego, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Kansas City, Denver, Rhino, Las Vegas,
Vancouver, Seattle. Local service is available in Texas: downtown Houston,
Richmond, Rosenberg, Sugar Land, Galveston, Katy, Dallas, in Illinois: downtown
Chicago and suburbs: Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook, Winchester, Morris, Minooka,
Plainfield, Romeoville, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, Lombard, Downers Grove, Lisle,
Ottawa, LaSalle, De Kalb, Plano, Crystal Lake, Montgomery, Oswego, Elgin.



Web Site = http://www.albaspectrum.com

Contact Details = Alba Spectrum Group, http://www.albaspectrum.com
help@albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918