New default, global.mpt

[MarkP]

I have built a new "standard" project template I want all our PMs to use.

I would like it to come up by default every time.

It does appear nicely under "Templates on computer" after changing the
"Save" tab under "Tools/Options"

But, it does not come up as the default when starting Project 2007 or when I
open the Resource Pool as option 3 "Open resource pool... and all sharer..."

I tried renaming the new & improved template as GLOBAL.MPT and put it in
place of that file. Not luck.

Am I missing something?

thanks,
MarkP

 

[Rod Gill]

You can't do that out of the box. The only way to open the new template as
Project1 when starting Project is using VBA. You never ever want templates
as part of your Resource Pool as any default assignments will immediately
corrupt the consolidated Assignment data accuracy.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[MarkP]

Rod,

Thanks, but..

I don't want to auto assign any resources.

I have some standard views, custom fields, modules etc that I want to always
have available.

I can't seem to point the GLOBAL.MPT I created that contains them (which
started as a normal .mpt)

I don't want to maintain everyone's desktop GLOBAL.MPT

My thought was to at least point them at a server based version.

Am I going in the right direction?

Thanks (in advance) for your help

-MarkP

btw: I sent an email to the address in your book and the mail server kicked
it back.

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

Your Global.mpt is filed in a specific location. Search for it in Windows
Explorer. Normal.mpt is not a Project created file, you must have created it
yourself.

I think your simplest solution is to email all PMs and ask them to open your
Normal.mpt file then use the Organizer to copy all Views etc to their
Global.mpt file. They can then use them in all their projects.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[MarkP]

Rod,

I'm afraid that approach won't work as any changes will require continued
emails and downloads. The ladards will be ringing my phone off the hook

So, based on other threads I have seen, I think the best approach would be a
central GLOBAL.MPT that everyone points to.

What do you think ?

How would I do it?

To clear the way, I have deleted every instance of GLOBAL.MPT off my desktop.

My thought is to move all of the following to GLOBAL.MPT:
1) tables and views (6 each)
2) custom fields (12 resource, 6 task)
3) forms (4)
4) modules (6)
5) class modules (1)

My problem now is:
- WHERE IS THIS INFO CURRENTLY SAVED ?

Remember I deleted all local GLOBAL.MPT

Yet when I run PS 2007, I do see a GLOBAL.MPT file in the VBA window
(alt-f11)

Thanks for your help and patience...

Mark

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Mark,

Although you've deleted all the global.mpts, when Project starts, it looks
for the global and if it can't find one, it recreates a global from scratch
with the default settings.

The settings you enumerate will reside in the project where you created
them. Use the Organizer to copy them across to the global. This will then
be available to every project created on that PC. You either have to copy
this new global to every other PC or point to a server where you put it.
Not having a server, I don't know how this is done, though I suspect that
each user will then have to copy this global to their own PC.

I think it would be simpler to create your own starter.mpt template with the
settings you want and distribute it to all users with instructions for them
to use that template. You might like to see FAQ Item: 8. New Project
Template. FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information
can be seen at this web address:http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
Project MVP

 

[Rob Schneider]

I don't think this approach will work, and I suspect that since you
deleted all global.mpt files on your "desktop" (does this mean
everywhere on your computer?), that you have probably lost all
customisations that you are trying to achieve. Sorry. Maybe it's in
another MPP or MPT file. Only you can find, though.

I also don't think that the "ladards" will be ringing your phone off the
hook as the only time they need an update would be when you make changes
to the standard. I'm assuming that won't be that frequent. Even then,
there is surely a way you can put a CMD/BAT file on their desktop which
they can click on to copy from the network server into the "right" place.

The way Project works is when it is launched it looks in the "current"
directory for a global.mpt. If there it uses it. If it can't find it it
looks elsewhere in the default location (probably defined in the system
registry). If it can't find any global.mpt files, it creates new one.

I suggest you try this. Define the "current" directory on a shared LAN
server by setting that in an desktop icon that launches Project and sets
the "start-in" folder to be that location. All PM's use that folder as
the starter for their own Project session. You maintain the global.mpt
that is kept in that folder. You maintain the views, field defintions
forms, modules, etc. in that file. Each time a PM launches Project with
that as the "start-in" folder that global.mpt will be used.

To Check: that simultaneous access to the same global.mpt actually
works. I have no way to test that right now and can't recall if this an
issue or not.

You mention that you run "PS 2007". Does that mean Project Server? I
don't know how Project Server works with global.mpt files so all the
above may not be right. try and see.

--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[MarkP]

Guys,

I think some flavor of the GLOBAL.MPT solution owned / distributed by me is
likely the best solution.

Thanks for all the help / suggestions.

Where I am stuck now is that even though I have deleted all the GLOBAL.MPT
files on my desktop, there still seems to be one somewhere.

I know this because when I open a fresh project and look at the organizer,
it shows a GLOBAL.MPT file.

I have even updated this version.

My problem is that I can't find it anywhere.
1) Looked for all files named GLOBAL* on my C drive
- Nothing found
2) Looked for all files modified between yesterday and today
- Saw nothing that resembled project files other than MSPRJ.OBJ

Sooooo... where does MS Project 2007 (Not Project Server as asked above)
store the info if it can't find a GLOBAL.MPT?

Sorry about the dissertation, but I wanted to give all facts to reduce
questions.

- MarkP

btw: "Latards" was supposed to be "Laggards"

 

[Mike Glen]

On my PC, the global is in C:\program files\microsoft office\...

Mike Glen
Project MVP

 

[Rod Gill]

As Mike, said, when Project starts, if it can't find a Global it creates a
new one.

I have used successfully:
Take Global.Mpt that has all custom Views etc and place in a Folder on the
network (EG X:|Projects)
Add a shortcut on each users Desktop to start Project
Edit the Short cut and set the Start in Folder to the location of the
Global.mpt on the Server (EG X:\Projects)

When Project starts it looks firstly in the Start in folder for a Global
before looking in the other normal locations.

Provided the Global has useful Views, Macros etc in it I find people will
use it, but training and threats etc do help!!

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com