Could not open a mpp-file with Access XP

[HansGermany]

Hi friends,
I'm from Germany and my writing is not so good, but I think you could understand.

I use MS-Project 2000 and MS-Office XP.

When I will have direct-access with MS-Access XP to my MS-Project2000-file, then it is not possible. Why?!

Thanks for every answer!

Hans Porzel
from Bavaria
in Germany
45 year old

 

[PDQBach]

(I have not used P2000 for a long time. I am currently using P2003.)

I presume you mean that you did the following:

1. You started Project.
2. You created a plan.
3. You saved the plan by clicking on File | Save as ...

This opened the File Save dialog box.

4. At the bottom you set "Save As Type" to "Microsoft Access Database (*.mdb)" and you chose a name for the database and you chose a folder to hold the database. Then you clicked on the Save button.

5. This started up a Wizard which took you through the final steps.

6. You Exit from Project.

If you have followed those steps then you should be able to open the database with Access or with Project.

If I have misunderstood the steps you took or if I have misunderstood your requirement, please let me know.

 

[HansGermany]

Hallo my friend,
this was NOT the problem. If I do so as you described, so I have only static, no dynamic, access to my project-file.

I mean if I do follwing steps:
1.) I have on my harddisc a file, may be, test.mpp
2.) I start MS-Access XP
3.) In MS-Access XP I choose FILE / OPEN -> All files
4.) Then I choose text.mpp
5.) And now
a.) a mistake-message appeared "... not connected", or
b.) MS-Access is crashed
finally I could not open the mpp-file.
You know, accordingly the Microsoft-Press-book is this the right do to. A mpp-file is like the same as a mdb-file!

Have you understand my bad english?
Eventually you can help me with my problem.
O I forgot something: MANY THANKS!!!

Hans Porzel
from Bavaria in Germany

 

[PDQBach]

I think I understand your problem now.

Project files have a .mpp extension.
Access files have a .mdb extension.

You cannot use Access to open a Project .mpp file.
You *can* use Project to open an Access .mdb file ONLY if the Access .mdb file is a file created by Project.

The only way to get Access to open a Project file is to:

1. Start Project
2. Open the .mpp file in Project.
3. Click on File | Save as ... and save the file as an Access file. When Project saves the data, it will save it in a file that has a different layout and will give that file a .mdb extension.
4. Exit from Project
5. Start Access
6. Open the .mdb file in Access.

There is NO way to have dynamic access to the information.

If you make a change in the Access file then you must:

1. Click on File | Save to save the Access .mdb file.
2. Exit from Access
3. Start Project
4. Click on File | open to open the Access .mdb file you saved.

 

[HansGermany]

Hallo friend,
first of all, MANY THANKS!

But I can't believe this, I looked in the 'Microsoft Press Book' again. There I saw a picture, where it was possible. So it must be go!!

Now I try it again. And I have found the solution!!!

Microsoft-Access-(XP) can have a DYNAMIC ACCESS to the Microsoft-Project-2000-Information!
Not to a mpp-file, but to a mpd-file!
This file-format is a database-format EXACTLY LIKE the MS-Access-mdb-file!

I recommend to save all MS-Project-2000-files to save as mpd (file / store / Typ: projectdatabase mpd).
A another good reason is, you have the advance of any stages in your project.
You agree?!
I wish you a 'Happy New Year!'

Hans Porzel
from Steinwiesen, Bavaria, in Germany

 

[PDQBach]

A most interesting discovery. I'll have to play around with it. Thanks for pointing it out! (I'm going to consider this to be a present that was hiding under the Christmas tree until today.)

 

[smithwillls]

Does this mean that you can save a project in MS-Project and open it (read-write) multiple times simulateously in MS-Access and update the plan? Then open it again in MS-Project when all updates have been completed?

 

[PDQBach]

Possibly ... but why bother? Project includes a *lot* of built-in data validations and additional processing. Simple example: change the finish date so that it is before the start date and Project automatically moves the start back the correct amount (including allowing for holidays and non-work time in the project calendar and the resource calendars).

Just because you *can* do something ... that doesn't mean you *should* do something.

Project is for building project plans; access is for building databases; Excel is for building spreadsheets. At the elemental level, it's all about data. At the meta-level it's all about the data inter-relationships.

 

[smithwillls]

Aye, you are right about fitness for purpose, however, this comes back to the other thread 'MS Projet 2002/2003' - can multiple update the plan at the same time (but not the same task).

I should have my evaluation version of MS Project 2003 in a couple of days.

I will then experiment with creating a plan and check out how it is viewable in Access. This would mean that we can have a project planning team (working on different streams) and have them working on the same plan. The end result could be used in MS Project to then generate the GANTT and PERT Charts.

 

[PDQBach]

No. (I think was dealt with in a different thread.)

You are looking for an analogy where the project plan is a table and the task is a row and, subject to row-level locking, multiple people can update different rows simultaneously.

The project plan is not a database and the tasks are not rows. Yes, yes, yes, I know: it's stored on P2003 Enterprise server in a SQL database but when it's there, it's not being accessed by Project. When it is being accessed by Project, it is simply being treated as a flat file.

(And it's a good thing, too. One person is responsible for the plan; multiple people shouldn't be allowed to update the tasks, etc., on it. And if you do let multiple people do that, then don't let that happen simultaneously.)

Good luck in your rather unique set of circumstances.