Can't open MS Project File

[Adrian Bates]

On our work network everyone uses Win XP with MSP 2003 as default.
There may be a few people using Vista and potentially MSP 2007 but this is
more rare.

I have a colleague who has saved an MSP 2003 file on the shared drive. When
she came to reopen it later she got the following error message:

"Project cannot open the file.
- check that the filename and path are correct
- check that the file format is recognized by Project

Project files saved in a verson earlier than MS Project 98 can't be
opened...."

I get the same error message when I try to open the file in MSP 2003 and MSP
2007.

Has anyone got any ideas what has happened to this file and more importantly
.... any ideas on how we can fix this so we don't loose all the changes in the
current file version.

Many thanks.

 

[Rod Gill]

Reads like a corruption. Was the file connected to a resource pool or master
plan or linked to other files in any way?

I don't think there is anything that can be done to recover it if the file
can't be opened. If you do manage to open it, immediately save it as a .xml
file (File, Save as, File type xml) then re-open from xml and save as .mpp
again. As xml is a text format, any binary corruption should get left
behind.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

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

 

[Adrian Bates]

Sniff. Thanks for letting us know!
--
Adrian

Reads like a corruption. Was the file connected to a resource pool or master
plan or linked to other files in any way?

I don't think there is anything that can be done to recover it if the file
can't be opened. If you do manage to open it, immediately save it as a .xml
file (File, Save as, File type xml) then re-open from xml and save as .mpp
again. As xml is a text format, any binary corruption should get left
behind.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

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

 

[Dytham]

Who does Windows Explorer show as the file owner - is it your expected
colleague ?

 

[CBG]

Adrian and Rod,

I have encountered the same message and have been trying to determine the
cause of the file becoming corrupted.

Our situation is using MS Project 2007 with a schedule and resource pool on
a Novell Network. We do not think there were any network outages during the
time when the file got corrupted.

Do you know of any issues with MS Project and Novell Netware?....we do not
have the problem when the files are on a local drive?

 

[Rossy]

Did you find out how to open the files saved on earlier version of MSP, I got
a LOT of files un MSP 2000 and I can not open them with the MSP 2003, any
ideas?

 

[JulieS]

Hello Rossy,

Project 2000 files should be able to open directly in Project 2003.
What service pack do you have installed to Project 2003? On the
Security tab in Tools > Options, check that you have allowed the
loading of legacy files -- although this shouldn't be a problem.

What specifically happens when you try to open the files?

Julie

 

[Rossy]

Hi Julie,
Sorry, no my problem is with Microsoft Publisher 2000 & 2003 files, not
Project, any Idieas?
Thanks
Rossy

 

[JulieS]

Hi Rossy,

I suggest re-posting to the Publisher newsgroup as somehow your
message has appeared in the Project newsgroup.

When you re-post, make sure you're more specific about what release
of Publisher you are using as well as information about service
packs installed.

Julie

 

[Rossy]

Hi Julie,
Yes, I already did,
Thanks
Rossy

Hi Rossy,

I suggest re-posting to the Publisher newsgroup as somehow your
message has appeared in the Project newsgroup.

When you re-post, make sure you're more specific about what release
of Publisher you are using as well as information about service
packs installed.

Julie