Corrupt unused rows causing Project Pro 2007 Critical Error

[Steven Douglass]

Empty rows between tasks seem to be "corrupt" when the plan is opened with
Project Pro 2007 (retrieved from Project Server 2007).

After adding a task to an existing empty open row, Project Pro 2007 (client)
will abort the save action claiming that the project plan is of an
unsupported format. On the second save attempt (no other changes made),
Project Pro 2007 encounters a critical error, prompts me to send Microsoft an
error report, then closes Project Pro 2007. It does not provide me with a web
page identifying the issue or a resolution. I can reproduce this scenario
consistently.

It seems that when I enter a task in ONLY that specific row (row 13
identified below) Project Pro crashes. I can add and edit tasks in other
rows, just not in that one.

The plan was originally created with Project Pro 2007 and stored in Project
Server 2007.

The workaround as I have discovered, is to delete this "corrupt" row. After
the delete, I am able to add new tasks rows - even underneath the peer task
(row 12) of the original "corrupt" row and save without issue. I'm stumped.

While I know of a workaround, I would much prefer to know how to keep this
from occurring again.

Issue Details
-------------
Plan layout when opened from Project Server 2007 (unedited):

1 Summary Task
2 Task
3 Summary Task (pred: 2)
4 Task
5 Task (pred: 4)
6 Milestone task (pred: 5)
7 Task
8 Summary Task
9 Summary Task (pred: 6)
10 Task
11 Task (pred: 10)
12 Milestone task (pred: 11)
13 [***** this is the row that causes the crash - I cannot save the plan if
I enter any data here ******]
14 Task
15 Task
16 Task
17 Summary Task (pred: 8)
18 Task
19 Task
20 Task
21
22 Task

 

[JulieS]

Hi Steven,

I see you have posted your question to the server newsgroup as well --
good plan. I am *not* a server guru, but a couple of questions to see
if this is a corrupt project file or an issue with Project. Can you
reproduce the same error in a brand new project file?

I do not have Project server so I cannot test on my end other than to
create the file and of course, my file happily saves without error. Off
the top of my head, I don't see anything that would account for the
corruption.

Obviously there is some sort of corruption. The "how" and "why" of the
corruption may be forever unknown. I've had some success saving semi
corrupted files as XML and then reopening the XML file in project, so
you may want to give that a shot.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

 

[sb]

I have had the same problem since starting with Project Server 2007 in
November 2006.

You post on the blank tasks has certainly helped - but on two projects
deleting all tasks would still not allow the project to be saved.

What I had to do was save it locally, delete the blank tasks, close the
file, and then open and sabe it to project server under the same name.

Regards,

Hi Steven,

I see you have posted your question to the server newsgroup as well --
good plan. I am *not* a server guru, but a couple of questions to see
if this is a corrupt project file or an issue with Project. Can you
reproduce the same error in a brand new project file?

I do not have Project server so I cannot test on my end other than to
create the file and of course, my file happily saves without error. Off
the top of my head, I don't see anything that would account for the
corruption.

Obviously there is some sort of corruption. The "how" and "why" of the
corruption may be forever unknown. I've had some success saving semi
corrupted files as XML and then reopening the XML file in project, so
you may want to give that a shot.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

Empty rows between tasks seem to be "corrupt" when the plan is opened
with
Project Pro 2007 (retrieved from Project Server 2007).

After adding a task to an existing empty open row, Project Pro 2007
(client)
will abort the save action claiming that the project plan is of an
unsupported format. On the second save attempt (no other changes
made),
Project Pro 2007 encounters a critical error, prompts me to send
Microsoft an
error report, then closes Project Pro 2007. It does not provide me
with a web
page identifying the issue or a resolution. I can reproduce this
scenario
consistently.

It seems that when I enter a task in ONLY that specific row (row 13
identified below) Project Pro crashes. I can add and edit tasks in
other
rows, just not in that one.

The plan was originally created with Project Pro 2007 and stored in
Project
Server 2007.

The workaround as I have discovered, is to delete this "corrupt" row.
After
the delete, I am able to add new tasks rows - even underneath the peer
task
(row 12) of the original "corrupt" row and save without issue. I'm
stumped.

While I know of a workaround, I would much prefer to know how to keep
this
from occurring again.

Issue Details
-------------
Plan layout when opened from Project Server 2007 (unedited):

1 Summary Task
2 Task
3 Summary Task (pred: 2)
4 Task
5 Task (pred: 4)
6 Milestone task (pred: 5)
7 Task
8 Summary Task
9 Summary Task (pred: 6)
10 Task
11 Task (pred: 10)
12 Milestone task (pred: 11)
13 [***** this is the row that causes the crash - I cannot save the
plan if
I enter any data here ******]
14 Task
15 Task
16 Task
17 Summary Task (pred: 8)
18 Task
19 Task
20 Task
21
22 Task