Master Project Plan Issue

[James Culshaw]

Hi,

I have a Master Project Plan which has about 50 projects in it.

When I or a colleague open the master plan all the tasks are visible for all
the projects.

When two other colleagues open the master plan only some of the sub projects
are expanded. When they click the project to expand it they get a 'Project
cannot open file' error.

Has anyone seen anything similar? Did you manage to resolve the issue?

james

They can however go and open the sub project directly. All four of us are
using MS Project 2007 with SP1 applied.

 

[Jim Aksel]

I have seen this. Investigate the location of the master project file and
all the subprojects. What appears to be happening is that the version of the
Master being accessed is attempting to find a subproject file that has been
moved or otherwise deleted.

This can happen if someone makes a copy of a subproject file... for example,
if someone dragged a copy of a subproject file out to their desktop and then
opened it and subsequently deleted it. If a version of the master was opened
that pointed to that desktop file, there is the error.

Here's another scenario. Subproject A has links to Subprojects B and C.
Project A is copied to a desktop wbile B and C remain elsewhere. Changes are
made to "A" that involve links to B. The files A, B, C are saved. A is
copied back to the server and the desktop A is deleted. File B is now
corrupt as it wants to find a predecessor on the desktop where A was.

What we do is keep all subprojects and the master in the same folder (there
may be subfolders involded too). We instruct people the only thing they may
copy is the entire folder to their local machine. They may edit any file
they wish and replace the files individually back to the server file using
copy/paste. This helps maintain the integrity of the folder architecture.
Unfortunately, I have to deal with this type of thing more oftten than I
would like to.

Generally, it is the folder architecture and file locations that can bite
you. It's quite early here for me and there has been no caffine inserted
yet.... let me know if I have to clarify anything.
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If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[James Culshaw]

After a bit more digging about its not the master plan but the actual
individual plans.

I can open the individual plans as can another of my colleagues. The 2 other
colleagues that are having the problem cannot open the individual problem
plans and get a simple message of 'Project cannot open the file' - nothing
more, nothing less.

James

 

[Jim Aksel]

Question: Where are they opening the individual plans from? If they browse
to the individual file location directly, not a short cut, they should be
able to open the file directly. If they are clicking a shortcut, then the
target location has changed. If they cannot open the individual file and you
can on your machine, then try updating their version of Project.

If they open the master and then try to click on an individual plan within
the master to expand it, then the problem is as I described BC (Before
Coffee).... the master is pointing to a broken link.

Try this, in the master. Insert the column "Subproject File." This will
give you the URL where Project is looking for the file. Verify the URLs
listed for yourself and your co-workers are all the same.

As you can tell, these problems get subtle. See if any of that helps, post
back if you need more help.

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If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[James Culshaw]

We are all accessing the files by double-clicking on the files themselves in
explorer.

All four of us are using MS Project 2007 with SP1 applied.

James

 

[Jim Aksel]

So as I understand it now:
Each individual file can be opened by some team members but not others. They
do this by browsing to the file name directly in Windows Explorer, not by
double clicking on the file name in the open Master File. When attempting to
open an individual file from Windows Explorer, some people can open all the
files, others cannot.

Basically, it is coincidence these files are part of the master file....

I suspect that the impacted users also have the problem you originally
described in your first post -- can't open some files from within the Master
file either?

If impacted users cannot open all the individual files from Windows
Explorer, then you have either a Windows problem or a Project installation
problem. Run updates.

--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com