No task display unless I make it a subtask

[PJ]

I inherited a project 2000 file that I update weekly to show site meetings,
site projects, etc. I use to insert new line and as soon as I started typing
on the left side, a task bar showed up on the right side of the screen (gantt
view). Now I have to add a sub-item to it before anything will show up on
the right. What did I do? How can I correct it /turn it off and get back to
normal. If I open a new project, it works OK. If I go back to an old copy
of this file, it works OK also. I've tried to compare options, properties,
etc. and I can't find the difference. Please help, it's driving me crazy.

 

[JulieS]

Hi PJ,
This is a guess - did you see if the task's bar is hidden? Double click on
the task to show the task information dialog box - on the general tab see if
Hide Task Bar is enabled (checked).

Hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.
Julie

 

[PJ]

No, that is not turned on. There is no check in the box. I do have "show
rolled up Gantt bars" selected, but that's the only one.

 

[JulieS]

Hi PJ,

Is the Gantt bar for the "mystery" task formatted in white? Select the task
and choose Format -> Bar from the menu and change the color to some other
color. Does it appear now?

Julie

 

[PJ]

JulieS,

No. When I make a subtask, it shows up as a solid black triangle. If I do
a new line item, and hover around the start date area, my cursor stays an
arrow. It doesn't change to indicate that anything is in the area. If I
make a subtask, the triangle shows up on the main item, not the subtask line
and the main line, even if the box for roll up Gantt bar to summary box is
checked.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi PJ,

I've never heard of anything like this. I can only suspect corruption - you
could try the suggestions in FAQ Item: 43. File Bloat? - Might be
Corruption.

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: http://www.mvps.org/project/.

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
Project MVP

 

[PJ]

I tried both of the suggestions from FAQ #43. Yes, that did make the file
smaller, but it still doesn't give me a task mark when I enter a new item. I
did fine on the task information, advance tab, if I click on the "mark task
as milestone" I get a task triangle. But if a make a subtask under that and
roll up Gantt bar to summary, the main will change, but I still don't get a
task mark for the sub task.

This is sounding like a real stumper. I have an old copy that I am bringing
up to date, and so far, is working correctly. I appreciate all the
suggestions. But, looks like the Computer Gods have won this one. Thanks
for all the help. PJ.

 

[JulieS]

Hi PJ,

Sorry we couldn't come up with an answer to your problem. It truly is a
puzzler. Thanks for the feedback.

Julie

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Hang on - you're saying "Roll Up To Summary" and "Hide Task Bar" is turned
on or off for the affected tasks?? I would suggest you turn both of them to
OFF for all tasks as a very first step. What are your various task
durations? And I'm really confused with you inserting a subtask under a
milestone task - why?????? You might have a milestone included with the
subtasks under a summary but IMHO the summary would never itself be a
milestone nor are the subtasks under a summary only a list of milestones
either. Milestones are instantaneous events, what physicists might call a
change of state event, with zero duration. They mark signifigant points in
the project process but are not really tasks representing work performed in
the sense that "Dig a Hole" is a task. You could remove all the summary
tasks (leaving their subtasks) and all the milestones from a project plan
and all of the actual work the resources are required to do to complete the
project would still be in the plan. Summaries and milestones are just there
for reporting and organizational convenience.

 

[PJ]

WHOA Steve! You're way beyond me. As I said earlier. I have inherited a
"site calendar" that shows when meetings are, when some projects are going to
be done, when self assessments are due, or when the bloodmobile is going to
be on site. If the item is a one-time event, I enter in the information, but
I don't get any task item on the right hand side UNLESS I make a subtask for
that line item, THEN I get a task triangle/bar.... something to show when it
is occurring. I'm just trying to figure out what I did to screw it up. It
use to be OK. I had an old copy and I updated the file to current. So I
have given up in getting the old file fixed to behave as it should. The old
one that I updated is behaving properly. If I enter a new item, I get a task
item (triangle/bar) on the right hand side. So every thing is back to
normal. I truly do appreciate all the help and suggestions that the site has
offered, but as I said, the computer gods have won this one. Thanks again.
PJ