In Project how do I get a task to start on the weekend.

[tyrlocker]

Every time I go to start a task on the weekend it changes to friday. I have
chosen a 7 day work week.

 

[JulieD]

Hi

things to check
1) ensure that you can see the times (tools / options / view - date format)
2) ensure that your definition of a day is correct (tools / options /
calendar)
3) ensure that the project calendar has the correct times (tools / change
working time)
4) ensure that you're resources' calendars match your project calendar
(resource sheet, base calendar)

once these are all correct, how are you trying to make a task start on the
weekend? ... via links / lag / constraints - if lag, which version of
Project are you using a there is a bit of a "bug" if you're using task
calendars & lags that wasn't "corrected" until ver 2003 but there are
work-arounds.

once all the above is check and if it is still not working, if you'ld like
to type out a sample of data for say 3 tasks to illustrate the problem -
oh, and are you scheduling from project start or project finish?

Cheers
JulieD

 

[Rod Gill]

There are two types of calendar: Base and resource. The Standard (default)
calendar is a base calendar and all tasks that don't have a resource
assigned use it or others (such as a 7 day base calendar) to calculate star
and finish dates.

Tasks that have resources assigned use the resource calendars to calculate
start dates. So, does you task have a resource assigned? If yes, then check
that the resource's calendar has the required weekend as working.
If no then check the calendar for the project or the calendar you've
assigned to the task if you have.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Adding to the other comments, the best way to use MS Project is NOT to try
to input task schedules yourself, whether you're trying to tell it to start
the task on the weekend or some other time. Project's job is not to parrot
back at you the dates you have determined you want tasks to occur. You
don't tell Project when you plan to do the tasks, it's job is to tell YOU
when you should be planning to do them.

A far better way than what I think you're doing is to tell Project
generically when tasks can take place (the calendar found in Tools,
ChangeWorkingTime and setting it to be the Project Calendar), what tasks
need to take place, the expended length of time each will take to complete,
and the relationships expressed through the links. The Start and Finish
fields are *calculated* fields and Project's calculation of them tell you
when they can be scheduled.