Saving Project files as templates for an earlier Project version.

[David Pedersen]

I have Project 2007, but I'm working in an environment where most people have
Project 2003 (they don't know what they're missing!). I created project
files and saved them as Project 2003 format, so some of my customers can use
them. Unfortunately, although I can save .mpp files in the 2000-2003 format,
I don't have an option for creating Project 2003 templates...or do I?

Anyone know how or if I can do this (other than the obvious workaround
asking someone with Project 2003 to convert them to templates)?

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

Hmm...

I've always wondered about just changing the file extension from .mpp to
..mpt so I just checked it out and it appears to work.
Simply save as a 2003.mpp and then change the extension.

You won't get the option to choose whether you export the resources,
baseline etc. but just don't put that in in the first place.

-Jack Dahlgren

 

[David Pedersen]

Jack,
I'm not sure I'm getting the same results you are. When I did this and then
try to use the "template" I just produced by renaming the file, I find it
acts like a .mpp, not a .mpt file. The reason I say this is that if I open
the ".mpt" file, and then save it, there is still only one file in the
folder. If I do this with a real .mpt file, I will then have two files; the
original template and the new project file created from it. I searched my
computer to see if the file had been stored elsewhere, but it had not.

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

How did you rename the file?
This is what I did:

Save file as 2003 .mpp
In windows explorer rename the file and drop into the template folder

In project 2003 choose file / new / from templates ... on my computer.

-Jack

 

[David Pedersen]

I changed the extension in Windows explorer and then opened it from there. I
didn't move it to the templates folder.

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

Well...
That leaves you with the obvious work-around of saving to 2003, then using
2003 to save as template.
I don't think that there is much more you can do.

-Jack