The Departments button in Dynamics NAV Role Tailored Client (RTC) is one of those features that administrators frequently need to manage. While removing it is well-documented across various NAV blogs, restoring it without losing hours of profile customizations is a challenge that many administrators face.

The Common Problem

Most online resources suggest a simple solution for restoring the Departments button: “Go to configuration mode and restore the profile to default.” While this technically works, it comes with a devastating side effect—you lose all your carefully crafted personalizations.

Imagine losing hours of profile customization work just to get one button back! There has to be a better way, and fortunately, there is.

The Smart Solution: Surgical XML Editing

Instead of nuking your entire profile, you can surgically remove just the configuration that hides the Departments button. Here’s how to do it properly:

Step-by-Step Process

  1. Export Your Profile

    • Use XMLport “Profile Import/Export” (ID 9170)
    • Filter to your specific PROFILEID
    • For NAV 2017+: Use the “Export Profile” action on the Profile Card/List

  2. Locate the Departments Configuration

    • Open the exported XML file with a text editor (Notepad++ recommended)
    • Search for: Attribute value="Departments"
    • You’ll find a configuration node that controls the Departments button visibility

  3. Remove the Hiding Configuration

    • Select and delete the entire XML node containing the Departments attribute
    • Be careful to delete the complete node structure, not just the attribute

  4. Reimport the Modified Profile

    • Save your modified XML file
    • Delete the current profile from NAV
    • Import the modified XML file
    • Verify the Departments button is now visible

Visual Guide

The XML structure you’re looking for will contain something like this:

<Node>
  <Attribute value="Departments"/>
  <!-- Other configuration attributes -->
</Node>

Remove this entire node structure to restore the button.

Technical Details

Microsoft’s Unique Identifier: The Departments button uses a consistent unique ID across NAV versions: {7AA351B2-CC3E-479f-9A0B-6BC0DD7A3158}. You can also search for this ID to locate the correct XML node.

Version Compatibility: This method has been tested and confirmed working on:

  • ✅ NAV 2013
  • ✅ NAV 2013 R2
  • ✅ NAV 2015
  • ✅ NAV 2016
  • ✅ NAV 2017

Why This Method Works Better

Precision: Only removes the specific configuration that hides the Departments button Preservation: Keeps all other profile customizations intact Reliability: Uses the same mechanism NAV uses internally for profile management Reversible: You can easily hide the button again using the same process

Alternative Approach: Profile Comparison

For advanced users, you can also:

  1. Export a clean default profile
  2. Export your customized profile
  3. Compare the two XML files to identify Departments-related differences
  4. Remove only those specific differences from your customized profile

This method gives you even more control over what gets modified.

Best Practices

Always Backup: Export your profile before making any changes Test First: Try this on a test environment before production Document Changes: Keep notes of what you modified for future reference Version Control: Consider using version control for your profile XML files

Troubleshooting

Button Still Hidden: Ensure you removed the complete XML node, not just the attribute Profile Import Errors: Validate your XML syntax after editing Unexpected Behavior: Compare your modified XML with a fresh default profile export

This technique can be adapted for managing other Role Center elements:

  • Navigation pane customizations
  • Action visibility settings
  • Cue and tile configurations
  • Menu item modifications

For more NAV configuration insights, check out these related posts:

Conclusion

Managing NAV profiles doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. With careful XML editing, you can make precise adjustments while preserving the valuable customizations your users depend on. This surgical approach saves time, maintains user satisfaction, and demonstrates the power of understanding NAV’s underlying configuration mechanisms.

The next time you need to restore the Departments button—or any other hidden element—remember that a scalpel works better than a sledgehammer.

This blog is also available on Microsoft Dynamics NAV Community

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