How do I update task %complete without having actual hours changed?

[RonSo]

I have already tried unchecking the tools/options/calculation/Updating task status updates resource status and actuals hours still changes when I update the task %complete. Here is the excerpt from the help file on this option that clearly implies this should not be happening:

************************************************************************************
Updating task status updates resource status Automatically updates resource status, such as actual and remaining work and cost, whenever you update task status, such as percent complete, actual duration, or remaining duration.

For example, if you update a task's percent complete, the % Complete field for the resource and assignment are automatically calculated to reflect that task's percent complete.

Selecting this check box also causes the reverse to be true: if you update resource status, then task status is automatically updated.

If this check box is cleared, you must enter values in the Actual Work field for resources in order to have an accurate picture of the actual work and actual cost. By default, this check box is selected.

Whether this check box is selected or cleared, once a task is 100 percent complete, work on assignments is also marked complete.
**********************************************************************************
I want actual hours, which are coming from the PWA timesheet, to remain unchanged if a TASK %complete is updated. How do I do that?

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Ronso:

Work - Duration - Units
You pick two, Project calculates the third. What you describe is the core
behavior of the project client and completely consistent and predictable. If
you don't want Project to change actual work when you update the percentage
of completion on a task, you can remove the resource. Otherwise, adjust the
remaining work value to accomplish the same thing.

I have already tried unchecking the tools/options/calculation/Updating

task status updates resource status and actuals hours still changes when I
update the task %complete. Here is the excerpt from the help file on this
option that clearly implies this should not be happening:

****************************************************************************
********
Updating task status updates resource status Automatically updates

resource status, such as actual and remaining work and cost, whenever you
update task status, such as percent complete, actual duration, or remaining
duration.

For example, if you update a task's percent complete, the % Complete field

for the resource and assignment are automatically calculated to reflect that
task's percent complete.

Selecting this check box also causes the reverse to be true: if you update

resource status, then task status is automatically updated.

If this check box is cleared, you must enter values in the Actual Work

field for resources in order to have an accurate picture of the actual work
and actual cost. By default, this check box is selected.

Whether this check box is selected or cleared, once a task is 100 percent

complete, work on assignments is also marked complete.

****************************************************************************
******
I want actual hours, which are coming from the PWA timesheet, to remain

unchanged if a TASK %complete is updated. How do I do that?

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

If you replied to a news group message and it doesn't show up, it means that
there were problems with the server farm that runs the newsgroups. About a
dozen of my posts evaporated between 1/24 and 1/26. Try again.

 

[RonSo]

I've done more research on the question I posed and have a more complete answer. The answer that you must choose two out of the three (duration, units, work) is not entirely correct. The check box I referred to under Tools / Options / Calculations / Updating task status updates resource status, when UNCHECKED, decouples setting %complete at the task level from Actual Hours at the resource level with TWO important exceptions: 1) If you set task %complete to zero, then Actual Hours will get reset to zero and applied to the remaining hours and 2) If you set task %complete to 100, then Remaining Hours gets applied to Actual Hours and then set to zero. Otherwise, you are free to change task %complete without having it affect actual hours (HUGE relief for me). If the Tools / Options / Calculations setting I referred to above is CHECKED, then changing task %complete will smoothly change actual hours according to the duration, units, work rule you initially described.