The Curious Case of the Import Data Wizard

In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 there existed an option to update records when using the built-in Import Data Wizard. This was an extremely useful feature; we could export thousands of rows to Excel directly from CRM, update the information using Excel tools (such as Find and Replace), and then import this enriched data back into CRM. This would update our existing records rather than creating entirely new records.

 This feature was in the beta versions of CRM 4.0, but when final release came around, this feature was nowhere to be found; a victim of the final cut. It was a perplexing ommision, as all documentation and help files related to the Import Data Wizard mentioned the ability to update rather than create new. The Data Import Wizard could now only be used to create new records, which made any type of bulk update a near impossible task. Sure, there were some 3rd party products available for purchase that could handle this task, but who would want to pay for something that was a free feature in previous versions? Needless to say, there were some folks who were a bit upset at the omission of this great feature. 

Microsoft had a surprise in store for Joe and Jane CRMs across the world when a recent CRM 4.0 product update included the return of the ‘enrich data by updating records rather than creating new records’ option within the Data Import Wizard!

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