PRJ: Missing External Predecessors/Successors When You Open a Project (245845)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Project 2000
  • Microsoft Project 98 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q245845

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Project, when you open a project, external predecessors or external successors may be lost.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when you do the following:
  1. You are working with a project that meets the following conditions:

    • The cross-project linking option for the project, Show Links Between Projects dialog on open is cleared.
    • The cross-project linking option for the project, Automatically accept new external data is selected.
    • One or more tasks have one or more external predecessors or external successors.
  2. You close the project and any projects that contain the external predecessor or external successor tasks.
  3. While the projects are closed, the connection to the project(s) that contain the external predecessor or external successor tasks is lost. This could be due to a deleted or moved file, or it could be the result of loss of a network connection to the location where the project(s) are stored.
  4. You open the project that contains the task(s) that have external predecessors or external successors.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, re-create the external predecessor or external successor links to the appropriate tasks in the project that was moved or deleted. To do this, type the path, project name, and task number of the external predecessor or successor task in the Predecessors or Successors field, as appropriate. For example, to re-create a predecessor link to task ID 1 in the file Project 1 located in the folder C:\My Documents, type C:\My Documents\Project1.mpp\1 in the task's Predecessor field.

To avoid this behavior, follow these steps:
  1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
  2. On the View tab, click to select the Show Links Between Projects dialog on open check box.
  3. Click OK.
When you open a project and are prompted with the Links Between Projects dialog box, follow these steps to re-create lost links:
  1. In the Links Between Projects dialog box, click the row where File Not Found is displayed.
  2. Click Browse.
  3. Browse to the location of the missing file and select it.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Click Close.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/7/2003
Keywords:kbbug kbpending KB245845
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