MS Project Problem!

[L Kelly]

Hi there -

Has anyone ever come across an error in a MS Project
schedule like this one:

I have tons of tasks and resources, etc. Schedule is
baselined and I have been statusing fine for the past few
months.

I want to enter some additional tasks at say task ID line
212. I hit Insert and enter one new task line just fine.
When I tried to enter the next one - it tells me "No
calculations can be completed at this time due to circular
reference". Circular link relates to task 99 (not task ID
212 or even close to that task ID number ) because a
successor is creating the circular link. To solve I am
supposed to click on task 99 and and to unlink
predecessors and successors".

When I look at task ID 99, there is no successor or
predecessor ID listed AT ALL for that task! I even went to
those columns and hit backspace to get rid of anything I
may not be seeing for some reason.

So now because it won't calculate, if I try to link task
ID 213, 214 etc Finish-Start to 212, it shows a link but
the start date is the start date of the project, not
following the end date of 212!

Any help would be MOST appreciated! Is my schedule
corrupted or something?!

THANKS

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Lisa,

Well, this is not that uncommon.
Fact is that Project in 99% of the cases, when you try to introduce a
circular link, will give you an OK-only message box telling you you cannot
do that - so the problem is avoided.
Unfortunately, there is one case (I think it is when you create a circular
link by moving a task into an other summary task which has links on its own
right) where the OK-only message box is written differently: the text only
gives you a warning and the result of the OK is that the circular link is
there.
A bit sloppy, but now let's try to handle this.

The problem is that this mostly occur in very large projects with so many
links that it is not practical to undo them all, and that indeed the
circular link message often seems to point in a wrong direction.

I only know of two solutions:

1. Go back to your latest backup and re-enter transactions done from there;
2. (And this will improve the quality of your file as well and keep the
problem from coming back) undo all links to and from summary tasks -
re-entering them to and from normal tasks in order to reestablish the same
plan.

Hope this helps,



--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
Project Management Consultancy
Prom+ade BVBA
32-495-300 620