Sub Projects Failure to EXPAND in Master Project

[chicago25624]

When I open my Master Project, with 200+ Projects imported into it, the view will not show expanded, on the first try. I have to Expand, Collapse, and Expand to get the proper view.

Al Bahar LVZTW 100% 135.82 days 135.82 days
Major Milestones 100% 93 days 93 days
PreStart 100% 100 days 100 days
Start On Line 100% 33.82 days 33.82 days


Then I have to expand it to get the actual view

Al Bahar LVZTW 100% 135.82 days 135.82 days Thu 7/12/12 Tue 1/15/13
Major Milestones 100% 93 days 93 days Fri 9/7/12 Fri 1/11/13
DTO Engineering Completion date established 100% 0 days 0 days Fri 9/7/12 Fri 9/7/12
SOL 100% 0 days 0 days Mon 12/3/12 Mon 12/3/12
RTS 100% 0 days 0 days Fri 1/11/13 Fri 1/11/13
PreStart 100% 100 d 100 D Thu 7/12/12 Thu 11/29/12
PO Placement 100% 1 hr 1 hr Thu 7/12/12 Thu 7/12/12
Conversion to Order 100% 10 days 10 days Thu 7/12/12 Thu 7/26/12 6
LQBJH Kick Off Meeting 100% 1 hr 1 hr Mon 7/23/12 Mon 7/23/12
Order Update 100% 12 wks 12 wks Fri 9/7/12 Thu 11/29/12
Generator 100% 16 wks 16 wks Mon 7/23/12 Mon 11/12/12

 

[JulieInMaine]

What release of Project? What Service Pack? What CU? How are you expanding and collapsing the master project?

 

[chicago25624]

MS Project 2003 (Company owned, not mine)
Service Pack 3
Not certain what is meant by CU.

When the Master Project is opened
I have an embedded, imported project. I see the Project Name, with the tasks listed below. When I click on the "+" the tasks expand, but only partially. I have to click on the "-", to collapse the tasks, then click the "+" again to expand it to the normal view.

 

[JulieInMaine]

What happens if you select all tasks and use the Show drop-down on the Formatting toolbar to select "all tasks".

 

[chicago25624]

Same result, only on a larger scale. All projects on Partially loaded.

Thanks for your help

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1708146

 

[JulieInMaine]

Are the original project stored in different locations? (LAN, WAN, locally?). When you expand an embedded file project calls to the source project to display the "latest and greatest" data. My thought is latency on a WAN environment.

Julie

 

[chicago25624]

The Master Project I work with daily is located on a WAN. However, I have backed all of the projects up to my laptop, and when I try to open them, from my laptopp, I get the same problem.

The individual projects open fine. It is only when they are in the Master Project do I encounter this issue.

Mark

 

[JulieInMaine]

I'm afraid I don't have a clear defining answer for you. Do you need all 200 projects in the master file or are there some that are complete that can be disconnected? How many tasks in each file. Does the issue with expand/collapse only occur with specific files? have you attempted to re-create the master?

 

[jblack34]

Hi chicago25624,
I know this is not a direct fix for your problem, but if you are attempting to open 200+ projects in a master schedule within Microsoft Project, I must ask why? What are you trying to achieve?
And then I have to ask....have you looked into Project Server?
Find out about Microsoft Project Server here.

If you looking for someone who can help you with Project Server, try these guys: Pcubed.

~Jack



JBlack

http://www.pmconnection.com

 

[chicago25624]

To clarify, I have 200+ projects in the Master. It is used to track all of the projects I am responsible for. I do not try open them all at once.

This error happens when as I open each project, individually, to update the project status, every morning. The problem only occurs the 1st time.

Project Server is out, as the company will not pay for this, and I sure can't see a reason to spend my money for a corporate product.

 

[JulieInMaine]

When you expand all project that are embedded (linked) to the master you are, in essence, opening all 200 project files. My question regarding all 200 files is one of scale. Are you truly managing 200 projects daily?

 

[chicago25624]

I do not open all the projects at once. They are opened 1 at a time. Project 1 opened, updated, then closed. Project 2, opened, updated, then closed.

And yes, I am managing 200 projects/day. A project may only contain 1 engine build, or it may contain 15 engine builds.

 

[JulieInMaine]

Sorry - I guess I'm not understanding. You are not opening the master project? You initially wrote "When I open my Master Project, with 200+ Projects imported into it, the view will not show expanded, on the first try. I have to Expand, Collapse, and Expand to get the proper view.

 

[chicago25624]

OWhen I OPEN the Master Project, I will expand a single Project to update it. I only work on that 1 project. When I have completed my updates for the day, on the project, I opened in the Master Project, I close it.

When I attempt to Open another project, the Project ONLY opens partially. I will get the 1st 2 or 3 lines of the project, and have to Collapse, then expand the Individual Project, in order for all tasks to show.

By the end of the day, I have opened, collapsed, and expanded all 238 projects, in the Master Project.

2-Plan, Brightwire, and OnTime, do not have this issue
This can not be a normal thing. If it is, what is the use of using MS Project?

Thanks for every ones input
Mark

 

[JulieInMaine]

I'm sorry - I don't have 2003 around to test any longer. I do not see this issue in Project 2010 or Project 2013. Am I correct that all does work - after - repeating the expand/collapse process? The data gets written to the originating file as expected?

 

[chicago25624]

Yes JulieInMaine. After expanding, collapsing, and expanding the inserted project works, and all data is saved as entered.

So to retrace my steps.
1. Open Master Project with ONLY In-Progress projects showing.
2. Select an inserted Project.
3. Project opens only 4 or 5 lines of 150-200 lines of tasks.
4. Collapse the project.
5. Expand the project, and it opens completely, and works fine.


I just do not know how to open a project just 1 time, and it works the 1st time. Even if I break out the 200+ projects into several master projects, 2 or more per master project, I get the same issue. And doing this 200 times a day, every day, is getting ridiculous.

Our IT staff has no clue on a fix, and has waived the white flag on this one.

 

[JulieInMaine]

Sorry. I don't have 2003 to test any longer. I cannot replicate on Project 2007, Project 2010, nor Project 2013. I do not have any other suggestions -
When I select all tasks and change the outline to show all tasks - I see everything the first time.

 

[Mickplumb]

I have 2007 and on my master project I can only view the projects if I have the individual projects open.
Is this the same with your master project.
Also is this normal.

 

[JulieInMaine]

I don't know how you are making the master, Mickplumb. See my response to your other post.