Error message when you run the Sample Data Wizard in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0: "Object reference not set to an instance of an object"

When you install the sample data for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0, you receive the following error message:

This issue occurs if you do have an insufficient number of available licenses for the sample data users. The Sample Data Wizard needs 12 available licenses. This issue occurs most frequently with the MSDN license key, because the MSDN license key only has 10 user licenses.

Resolution 1: Map only nine users in the Sample Data Wizard

1. Run the Sample Data Wizard
2. When you receive the following warning message, click OK:
   You do not have enough Microsoft CRM Suite Professional licenses available for all the users in the sample data set. If you continue the installation process, the data will be imported only for the users with licenses. Do you want to continue the installation process?
3. Map only 9 users, and then click Next until the Error page of the Sample Data Wizard appears.
4. On the Error page of the Sample Data Wizard, click Continue.
5. Click Back.
6. Click Next. You do not receive the warning message that you received in step 2.
7. Click Next to review the sample data hierarchy.
8. Click Install to finish the Sample Data Wizard.

Resolution 2: Replace the sample data files

1. Copy a new Hierarchy.xml file and a new Systemuser.xml file. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:
   http://mbs.microsoft.com/downloads/public/KnowledgeBase/hierarchy.xml
   http://mbs.microsoft.com/downloads/public/KnowledgeBase/systemuser.xml
2. Copy the SampleData folder from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Server installation CD to the Microsoft CRM Server.
3. In the folder that you copied in step 2, locate SampleData\DataFiles\common folder, and then replace the following files with the downloaded files:
   • SampleData\DataFiles\common\hierarchy.xml
   • SampleData\DataFiles\common\systemuser.xml
4. Run the Sample Data Wizard again. Now you can map only nine or fewer user accounts.

The Sample Data Wizard requires that the logged-on user be a non-restricted Microsoft CRM Administrator. To verify whether a user account is a non-restricted user account, follow these steps:

1. In Microsoft CRM, click Settings, click Business Unit Settings, and then click Users.
2. Double-click the user account that you will use to run the Sample Data Wizard.
3. Verify that the Restricted Access Mode check box at the bottom of the form is not selected.