Spooler Error: Inactive Resources

[RickD]

I have several inactive resources that were assigned to historical tasks in
current projects that keep causing Spooler Errors because MPS is trying to
add a resource, which is not allowed. I cannot delete the resources because I
do not want to lose the work and cost history. In the Enterprise Resource
Pool they are marked Inactive, their workgroup is set to "None" and their
Windows User Account is null. When I open the project, their Windows User
Account is still there and the workgroup is "Default". If I try to update the
resource in Project Pro (in the project) I receive a warning that "changes to
enterprise resources will be lost".

Any suggestion on what the issue is and how I resolve it?

 

[Jonathan Sofer - MCP]

I can tell you exactly what is going on. This is an issue with inactive
resources.

If you inactivate an enterprise resource first and then make any data
changes to that inactive resource after the fact, it will not propagate
correctly to the project plans where those resources still reside. You are
getting a spooler error because when you publish a project it sees a
mismatch between the inactive enterprise resource on your project and the
inactive enterprise resource in the pool.

Solution:
Simply re-active the inactive resource and save the enterprise resource
pool. Check that your project is now publishing with no spooler errors.

To Inactivate those resources again and going forward your "Inactivating
Resource" Process should be to make all your changes on the enterprise
resource while that resource is still active. i.e. removing the Windows
User Account and changing the workgroup to "None". Some people also like to
put an ZZZ_ in the front of the name to make it go to the bottom of
enterprise resource lists views. Only after you have made these changes,
should you Inactivate the resource.

Hope that helps.

 

[RickD]

Thanks Jonathan.