2007 Crashes When Saving Second Linked File Off the Server

[Dean C]

When saving from 2007 server to a hard drive, I want to avoid having files
saved off of the server linked to files on the server. To verify this
capability, I created two two-task schedules linked to each other and saved
them on the server. When testing, I opened both files then tried to save each
of them as off server files. The first file saves fine, showing links back to
the server. When I try to save the second file, Project crashes. The crash
occurs every time the second linked file is "saved as". I tried changing the
order and successfully crashed Project. On the system I was using, this was
repeatable 100% of the time. When doing the reverse, saving to server from
off server, everything works fine.

Is this a known bug and if so, is there already a fix? I'm using
12.0.4518.1014.

 

[Chak]

Hi Dean,

It seems to be you may have external links from project which may be
deleted from the server OR other possibility may be that particular
external project may be not saved successfully to the server. It may
be struck on queue on saving changes to the server.

If you have external links on your project and not pointing to
required project (ghost external tasks), in this case project will
crash on attempt of saving file off the server.

You can verify the external task as follows:

Open project in Project Professional

Tools menu -> Link between projects -> External Predecessors tab

Also look for external tasks on gatt chart (tasks listed as gray font)

Also look for external tasks on gatt chart (tasks listed as gray
font); click on this tasks,you will see the
error prompt saying that "link contains the project which may be
deleted from the server or
may be external project not saved successfully to the server.

Until these links are not addressed, you can't save the file from
server.


Thanks
Chak
http://www.epmcentral.com

 

[Chak]

Hi Dean,

I posted the response before this, I didn't seen here. So reposting
again.

It seesm to be you have external link from project which may be
deleted from the server OR other possibility may be that particular
external project may be not saved successfully to the server.

If you have external links on your project and not pointing to
required project (ghost external tasks), in this case project will
crash on attempt of saving file off the server.

You can verify the external task as follows:

Open project in Project Professional

Tools menu -> Link between projects -> External Predecessors tab

Also look for external tasks on gatt chart (tasks listed as gray font)

Also look for external tasks on gatt chart (tasks listed as gray
font); click on these tasks,you will see the error prompt saying that
"link contains the project which may be deleted from the server or may
be external project not saved successfully to the server". (In general
it opens the external project, but you see the error message if you
have any issue on link)

Until this links are not addressed, you can't save the file from
server.

Thanks
Chak
http://www.epmcentral.com

 

[Dean C]

Chak,
Thanks, but I specifically set up two files that were linked to each other
for test purposes. I want to avoid having files on the server linked to
files off the server and the reverse.

File A task 1 is the predecessor to File B task 1, which is the predecessor
to File A task 2, which is the predecessor to File B task 2. If you open
<>File A and <>File B then save <>File A as c:\File A.mpp, it saves fine and
File A still has links back to File B and File B has links to File A. Leaving
both files open, I then try to save <>File B as c:\File B.mpp, resulting in
Project crashing.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Dean:

I don't think that the product team designed the system to work the way you
want. You need to remove the external links before saving as a file. The
system does not strip them out for you or change the link locations.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com

 

[Dean C]

Gary,
Your response reminds me of a cartoon caption "Why don't we just identify
all the bugs as features?".

Any crash is a bug. The method works perfectly off server and when saving
onto the server. It only fails going off of the server.

 

[Chak]

Hi Dean,

I never had this issue in Project Server 2003. We able to save linked
files from 2003 server to local machine.

I did same in 2007 server as you explained by creating two projects on
server with linked taks. Yes, you are correct. I unable to save the
second file to local machine. MS project is getting crash on attempt
of second file. I tried in multiple ways (giving different name on
local machine, clearing the cache after saving first file etc.), but
still no luck.

It seems to be 2007 may not be allow us to save the files with links
from server to local machine. I suspect, this might be due to local
cache concept or some thing else I am not sure.

Have you looked the feature "Save For Sharing" on file menu. I guess,
the idea might be entreprise project should stay on server always, we
can use this "Save for Sharing" feature to distribute the file to the
people who can't see the files on server. Once review is over with
external user, again you have to save file back to the server. This
method may be work around for you, if you want to have linked files
off the server. The down side is, no updated are possible when you
take the file for sharing.

Anyways, I will do more research and will let you know. Meanwhile, if
any one have some thoughts, please share with us.

Thanks
Chak
http://www.epmcentral.com

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

The fact that winproj crashes can certainly be classified as a bug. It
simply should not crash. However, whether or not you should be able to save
to file and preserve the links to the server is another matter.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com

 

[Dean C]

SaveForSharing works. Use that instead of SaveAs when saving off of the server.