Extra links created when saving a copy of a Project.

[RWR]

I am putting together a project file. I have inserted a file from the
engineering department and I am now linking all of the tasks between the two
projects. I saved a copy of the file to the same folder as the original file
and saved it under a different name. I also saved a copy to my flash drive.
When I did it created links to the newly saved copies. Is there a way to
prevent this? Is there a way to break the links to the saved copies without
breaking the links to the inserted engineering file. I will eventually insert
the project file into a master project file and insert the engineering file
into a master engineering file. Will Microsoft Project be robust enough to
handle this and/or is this a bad idea or a bad way of trying to manage the
two separate schedules? I have had many problems with files becoming corrupt
and I don't know if it has been problems with the software or (more likely)
my lack of experience and knowledge of the software that is causing the
problems.

 

[Rod Gill]

One file can only be linked to one other. Do a file, save as and the new
file is it!! Your method is fraught with corruption risk. Consider doing a
weekly master consolidation with no links. That way no corruption, weekly
snapshots and resources consolidated. Record a macro of you building a
master to make re-creating it each week easy. Remember to clear the link
option in the Insert Project dialog every time!

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

NEW!! Project VBA Book, for details visit: http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[RWR]

So are you saying I can't insert projects from the engineering master project
into projects in the projects master project file? Each master file has a
separate resource pool. I am using MP 2003.

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

One project can report to a resource pool and a master project as the
resource pool is a different "link pool". But that's it.

The only way around is to automate creating master projects with a macro
(record it) with no links. When you create a master project with no links,
all resource work is also consolidated, so you may not even need a resource
pool this way.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

NEW!! Project VBA Book, for details visit: http://www.projectvbabook.com