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MS Project - Outdenting tasks

resolvedResolved · Urgent Priority · Version 2010

Maria has attended:
Project Intermediate course

MS Project - Outdenting tasks

Hi,

I use version 2010 and am trying to update a master plan, version 2003. When I insert a new task and try to outdent/indent it, it moves location and jumps elsewhere in the plan. E.g. I have inserted a task into link 50, once I try to outdent it, it will move to line 29. There are thousamds of lines in the plan so it's a nighmare to try and find where it has moved to.

Do you know why it is doing this please? I have tried to edit the plan in 2010 and then only save as 2003 and vice versa but it doesn’t make a difference.

Thanks

RE: MS Project - Outdenting tasks

Hi Maria

Thank you for your question. I can appreciate how frustrating this must be.

You mentioned this was a master plan - are there links between this plan and other plans? Let me know if that's the case.

If the plan is stand-alone the you might want to try the following to see if the files has become corrupt.

First make a small test project with only a simple summary task that has only two or three sub tasks. Do you get the same result when you outdent one of the sub activities?

If the mini plan behaves correctly and the task doesn't jump then perhaps the larger plan has become corrupt. You may find saving the file using Save As and setting the file type to the newest file format (probably the first item in the list, labelled Project) creates a plan that will indent correctly.


Let me know what you find.
Kind regards,

Andrew

RE: MS Project - Outdenting tasks

Hi Andrew,

Thank you for your feedback.

The plan is stand alone.

I tried to insert a sub project. In the mast plan it was only showing the summary task. When I went to click on the plus icon to show the sub tasks the whole thing jumped to another location. I went back to the original sub project and indented the tasks and this reflected on the master plan.
If it is corrupted, do you think it’s because we are using different versions? Any advice on how to stop this happening again? Finally, if I inset a sub project into a version 2003 master plan, does the sub project also have to be saved as 2003?

Many thanks,

RE: MS Project - Outdenting tasks

Hi Maria

apologies for the delay in getting back to you. Yes I think it would be best to keep the version the same for all files. I'd also want to make sure the sofware had all the latest patches applied.
I suggest carrying out a test, with two small freshly created projects files and recreate the scenario. If there are no problems then it may be that the original files have become corrupted. If you get the same results then try again with files from the same version of project. If this behaves correctly then the version is the issue.

I'm sorry I haven't been able to offer a quicker answer. Let me know if you plan on testing and how they work out.

Kind regards,
Andrew

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Mon 4 Nov 2013: Automatically marked as resolved.


 

MS Project tip:

Keep constraining dates to a minimum

As far as possible avoid fixing the dates of your tasks. For example try to steer of clear dragging task bars in the Gantt chart to move them on the timeline or entering dates directly into the Start / Finish fields.

Date constraints such as these limit Microsoft Project's ability to automatically adjust your project whenever you add, remove or modify the duration of your tasks. Instead use the logic in your task dependencies that link your tasks to enable Project to calculate the start and finish dates for you.

View all MS Project hints and tips


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