Master project makes sub projects read only

[shm75]

I've been coming up against a problem when setting up master projects, and don't know if it's something I'm doing wrong (or if there is another way of getting the result I am looking for).

I have 6 projects set up, each of which has 7 summary tasks - the summary tasks are arranged by the department responsible for the work (e.g. commercial, sales, design & engineering). I want to set up a master project for each department so that they can see their tasks for all 6 projects on one print out.

I have set flags 1 - 7 for the departments/tasks (including both summary and subtasks) in each project. I then opened a blank project, and inserted the subprojects as read only (because I do not want the formatting changes made in the master to affect the subprojects). I inserted a column for flag 1, expanded all the subprojects, and set the flag filter to only show yes. This worked fine, I got the result I wanted. However, after I'd saved the master project, when I opened up one of the subprojects the file had become read only.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd like to keep the master and subprojects linked if possible, but don't want to have to 'save as' to create a new file that I can edit every time I want to update a subproject.

I'm using MS Project Standard 2013.

 

[JulieInMaine]

Do you still have the master file open when you attempt to edit the subproject? Even though you inserted the subproject as Read-Only, it is linked to the subproject file. If you attempt to make change to the subproject through the master, it will ask you to save as another file name.

I would also not normally set up tasks by who is performing them. I would use assignments either at the department level or by assigning the true resources and using the Group field. You can then filter a project file for which individual resource or resource group is performing the work. Creating the project by deliverables also allows easier tracking as far a the dependencies between the tasks - particularly when they are performed by other groups of people.

 

[shm75]

I would normally open the master project, and then open the subprojects individually to update them.

However, this problem happened when I was trying to set up the master project for the first time - the subprojects were already up to date. It was after I'd changed to master to filter the flags that the subproject file had become read only.

 

[JulieInMaine]

I'm lost. You said you had inserted the subprojects as read-only. If the master is open, you cannot open a subproject read/write. Open the subproject, make the changes, save and close, then open the master.

 

[shm75]

The subprojects are inserted as read only (which I thought just meant that any changes in the master project would not affect the subproject). I have done this with other files, where the master project only shows the baseline start/finish dates for each subproject. When I am updating these, I am able to open the subprojects as read/write while the master project is open.

The problem here happened when I'd been working on the master project on its own. After I'd saved and closed it, I opened one of the subprojects and it had become read only (when it was the only file open in Project).

 

[JulieInMaine]

I am not able to reproduce this using Project 2013 Professional with the August 2013 cumulative update installed. I have created a master project (not using a resource pool) by inserting 3 projects as linked and read only. I have inserted the Flag field into the master, flagged tasks in the subproject files, saved the master (did not write the changes to the subprojects), close the master. I was able to immediately open the subproject file read/write. All files are stored locally.

However, if the master file is open all inserted subprojects open as read-only while the master is open.

 

[remeng]

Hi SHM75! Could you do me a favor and list step by step as to what you are doing. For instance;

1) Create the sub file
2) Create the master file
3) Attach the subproject to the master (please also include which options you use).

Thanks,

Mike

 

[shm75]

Hi Mike

The steps were pretty much as you said:

1) I created the 6 individual subprojects, including setting flags 1-7, and saved them
2) Opened a new file and saved as the master project for the first department
3) Inserted each of the subprojects (Project ribbon - clicked Subproject - selected the file - Insert Read-Only)
4) Inserted a column for flag 1
5) Expended each subproject by clicking on the arrow next to it
6) Set the flag 1 filter to only show those set to yes
7) As this gave me the result I wanted, I saved the master project. I got a message asking if I wanted to save the changes to the subprojects - I clicked No to All. I closed the master project.
8) When I then opened up one of the subprojects, the file had become read only.

As I said before, I've gone through exactly the same process for other master projects without any problems and have been able to make changes to the subprojects even with the master open (although in those the subprojects are not expanded in the master - I'm not sure if that should make any difference).

And just to confuse things even further, I've gone back into the files this week and they are all fine, back to read-write. Just a strange glitch maybe?

 

[shm75]

Hi Mike

The steps were pretty much as you said:

1) I created the 6 individual subprojects, including setting flags 1-7, and saved them
2) Opened a new file and saved as the master project for the first department
3) Inserted each of the subprojects (Project ribbon - clicked Subproject - selected the file - Insert Read-Only)
4) Inserted a column for flag 1
5) Expended each subproject by clicking on the arrow next to it
6) Set the flag 1 filter to only show those set to yes
7) As this gave me the result I wanted, I saved the master project. I got a message asking if I wanted to save the changes to the subprojects - I clicked No to All. I closed the master project.
8) When I then opened up one of the subprojects, the file had become read only.

As I said before, I've gone through exactly the same process for other master projects without any problems and have been able to make changes to the subprojects even with the master open (although in those the subprojects are not expanded in the master - I'm not sure if that should make any difference).

And just to confuse things even further, I've gone back into the files this week and they are all fine, back to read-write. Just a strange glitch maybe?

 

[remeng]

Thanks for the steps. I just want to make sure I understand what you are trying to do. First you want the sub projects to be read - write when you open them directly. Second you would like them not to be able to be amended from the master project file. Once you close the master project, the sub project files are read only. Did MS Project Pro open the sub sites when the master project is loaded? If so, the sub projects are opened as read only as you had specified. If you close the master project as well as the sub projects, and then open the sub projects individually, they should open as read - write. Is that what is happening?

 

[JulieInMaine]

Are you now saying you can open the subproject file read/write with the master still open? If the issues with the master being closed is resolved, my guess would be some sort of latency where although you closed the file for some reason, Project wasn't finished with it. I'm guessing the files are all stored on a LAN or WAN server?