Change to MS Project needed

[Duc900rider]

I created a large project, I needed to change an end date. My start date
needs to stay where it is. I get a selection box that says I have choices to
make, remove the must start on constraint or cancle the operation etc. If I
select help the help button the box that pops up is for a constarined finsih
date. The program help is crosswired. I need to be able to change the end
dates as the project changes, if we are behind schedule I need to be able to
show it. I need to turn off this garbage crosswired auto calculate move the
dates around feature. My baseline will show the original dates. Please make
this change soon. !!!

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...aa7f-3976122aa690&dg=microsoft.public.project

 

[John]

I created a large project, I needed to change an end date. My start date
needs to stay where it is. I get a selection box that says I have choices to
make, remove the must start on constraint or cancle the operation etc. If I
select help the help button the box that pops up is for a constarined finsih
date. The program help is crosswired. I need to be able to change the end
dates as the project changes, if we are behind schedule I need to be able to
show it. I need to turn off this garbage crosswired auto calculate move the
dates around feature. My baseline will show the original dates. Please make
this change soon. !!!

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=0a3eb08a-b855
-466d-aa7f-3976122aa690&dg=microsoft.public.project

Duc900rider,
If you have a dynamically linked schedule and change something, there
has got to be a reaction in the network. It sounds like you may have
reverse scheduled your project (i.e. Project/Project Information, the
"scheduled from" selection box = Project Finish Date). If you then put a
hard constraint on the start and try to change the finish date without
making other changes (e.g. task durations, links, etc.), then Project is
going to raise a flag, as well it should.

Project works with algorithms that calculate dates so everything fits in
a logical sequence. It is software and works to very precise criteria.
On the other hand humans often do things that don't make logical sense.
They don't have a problem with fuzzy details because they can simply
block out what they don't want to see or know. Software can't do that,
unless it employs fuzzy logic and Project does not.

The most common type of schedule is set up in forward mode. That is, a
Project Start Date is established (in lieu of your constrained start
date). All tasks then start on this date unless they are linked to other
tasks. Logical relationships between tasks then create the standard
dynamic schedule and the finish date is determined by task durations and
task links. The start date does not change. The finish date may
depending on what happens to all the tasks in the schedule. There are
various ways attach "flags" to the finish date so the user knows if it
will come in early, be right on target, or is slipping out. That's how
the project manager manages the schedule. The project manager can also
use metrics generated from the baseline data.

Rather than change Project to your thinking (a minority), I suggest you
take the time to learn the basics of project scheduling.

John
Project MVP

 

[Duc900rider]

Thanks John, I understand the dynamics of how the dates are linked and
project management. You totally missed my point.

"I get a selection box that says I have choices to
make, I can remove the must start on constraint or cancel the operation etc.

If I select the help button in that pop up the box that pops up is for a
constarined finsih date." I am expecting help on a constrained start date
here as it would match my choices in the pop up. The help dialouge does not
match the selection offered eg: the constrained start date. The program help
is crosswired.

Rather than change the entire planet to your reversed thinking (a minority),
I suggest you take the time to learn the basics of programming. - LOL

 

[John]

Thanks John, I understand the dynamics of how the dates are linked and
project management. You totally missed my point.

"I get a selection box that says I have choices to
make, I can remove the must start on constraint or cancel the operation etc.

If I select the help button in that pop up the box that pops up is for a
constarined finsih date." I am expecting help on a constrained start date
here as it would match my choices in the pop up. The help dialouge does not
match the selection offered eg: the constrained start date. The program help
is crosswired.

Rather than change the entire planet to your reversed thinking (a minority),
I suggest you take the time to learn the basics of programming. - LOL

Duc900rider,
Well you may think you understand project management but based on your
later post stating, "I need a program to leave the dates alone..." it
appears you don't understand the basics of how Project operates.

In your original post you stated that you need to change the end date.
Unless you are using reverse scheduling, you should never "mess" with
the end date. The finish date in Project is calculated based on the
project start, task durations and task links. You might want to use the
Deadline field or set a finish-no-later-than constraint on the finish
date, but you should not try to manually set that date (or any other
date for that matter). Doing so completely negates the reason for using
Project. Project is a schedule calculator. If the user enters dates
manually then constraints are set and Project has nothing to schedule -
the user has done that - so why not use Excel instead and avoid the
frustration of using Project.

You are right. I guess I missed your point and it still isn't clear
exactly what the point is. If we understood what you are doing and had
an actual question, then maybe we could help. But if you insist on
forcing Project to do something it wasn't designed to do (and shouldn't
be designed to do), then you are on your own.

By the way, I don't know where you got the last sentence of your latest
post. It certainly is NOT what I stated.

John
Project MVP