Before You Upgrade

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Upgrading to Microsoft Project 2002
Supported File Formats
The Global File and Enterprise Global Template
FAQs About Upgrading

Upgrading to Microsoft Project 2002

Microsoft® Project 2002 supports a variety of file formats, although the level of support varies from previous versions. Microsoft Project Standard 2002 uses the same Microsoft Project Plan (MPP) file format as Microsoft Project 2000. While the MPP file name extension is the same as that used by Microsoft Project 98 and earlier versions, files saved in native Microsoft Project 2000 or Microsoft Project 2002 formats cannot be opened in earlier versions of Microsoft Project.

Microsoft Project Professional 2002 saves projects to either a Microsoft SQL™ Server 2000 database or to a Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) database. It can also save to an MPP file format while not connected to Microsoft Project Server. SQL Server 2000 is required for workgroup project collaboration or enterprise project and resource management.

Prerequisites to Upgrading

Before you start the conversion process, you must:

  1. Determine which files you want to move to Microsoft Project 2002, and then use a virus.scanning program to scan the files for viruses.
  1. Create backup copies of the files you want to convert.

Migrating to Microsoft Project Professional from Microsoft Project 2000

Microsoft Project Professional 2002 introduces enterprise project and resource management features to the Microsoft Project product family. To access the enterprise features of Microsoft Project Professional, you must first deploy and configure Microsoft Project Server. Migration from earlier versions of Microsoft Project or other project management programs can require detailed planning if you wish to access the enterprise features.

Important   If you plan to roll out Microsoft Project Server for enterprise use, see Microsoft Project Enterprise Implementation Framework Files in the Deployment and Administration Tools section of the resource kit toolbox. This framework suggests an approach for building an implementation strategy for your business. Assessing the requirements of your business and users includes the selection and purchase of hardware, deciding upon Microsoft Project Server options, designing enterprise custom fields, migrating or importing existing data, and switching production systems.

At a high-level, the migration process for Microsoft Project Professional includes:

  • Understanding user roles, frequency of use and number of users in different roles, and their reporting needs.
  • Determining which enterprise features you will need for your organization, such as portfolio analysis and resource substitution features.
  • Determining which required enterprise fields, calendars, and views need to be included in the enterprise global template. This may require pilot testing the enterprise global template.
  • Installing and configuring Microsoft Project Server. You will need to review server hardware and software requirements thoroughly before upgrading.
  • Adding or importing enterprise resources. Enterprise resources must exist before they can be assigned to project teams.
  • Importing projects to the enterprise.
Migrating resource information to Microsoft Project Server

Resources and users are maintained separately in Microsoft Project Server: resources as team members or materials assigned to projects, and users as logons with permissions on system commands and data. When an enterprise resource is added to Microsoft Project Server, a corresponding user is also created with default permissions. If a user with the same name already exists, the enterprise resource is merged with the existing user account. Windows account information in the user account is synchronized with the newly added enterprise resource.

Keep the following in mind when you migrate resource information from Microsoft Project Central to Microsoft Project Server:

  • Microsoft Project Server does not allow duplicate or merged enterprise resource names, and you cannot delete a resource—you can only make it inactive. For these reasons, it is well worth the effort to create accurate enterprise resource information from the beginning.
  • During the resource migration process, you choose which resources to promote to enterprise resources, and which to map as duplicates of enterprise resources. For example, the resource John Smith could be duplicated in separate project plans or (less likely) in a resource pool as JSmith, JohnS, and John Smith. During the resource data migration to Microsoft Project Server, you might choose to promote John Smith as the enterprise resource, and map JSmith and JohnS as duplicates of John Smith.
  • If your resource information is not in a centralized resource pool, you can still use the import process to migrate the resource information to Microsoft Project Server, or you can create a central resource pool and share it with all project plans that include resources. Doing the latter may help you identify duplicate resource information between different project plans.
  • Resources in your existing Microsoft Project 2000 projects do not automatically become enterprise resources, nor are enterprise code values automatically associated with them.
  • Resources with assignments do not automatically become enterprise resources of projects containing the tasks to which they are assigned.
  • Creating a new enterprise resource that is a non-generic work resource also creates a corresponding user with the following characteristics:
  • Belongs to the Team Member group
  • Has a blank password
  • Can log on
  • Counts towards Microsoft Project Web Access client access licenses (CAL licenses)
  • A user who publishes projects also becomes a corresponding user with the following characteristics:
  • Belongs to the Project Managers group and hence can view all the projects and resources in the My Organization category
  • Has a blank password
  • Can log on
  • Counts towards Microsoft Project Web Access CAL licenses

If your organization currently uses a centralized resource pool, use the Import Resources to Enterprise Wizard (on the Tools menu, click Enterprise Options, and then click Import Resources to Enterprise) to migrate this resource information to Microsoft Project Server. This wizard can map local fields to enterprise custom fields, map enterprise base calendars, and check for common problems, such as duplicate names or invalid Windows user account name formats. After the resource information is imported, open imported resources to add generic and inactive values.

Migrating project plans to Microsoft Project Server

Once a project has been imported, some cleanup needs to be done so that the actual hours worked on tasks are regenerated and, to avoid duplication, the original non-enterprise projects are deleted.

Security settings for the new enterprise project (or published version) are maintained automatically. A published version of a project must be created first and must always exist while the project is in the Microsoft Project Server, in order to maintain these security settings.

There are two ways to bring projects into the enterprise to ensure that all task or resource data contains required values: by using the Import Project Wizard and by using the Save As dialog box.

Importing projects using the Import Project Wizard

Use the Import Project Wizard to:

  • Map local custom fields to enterprise custom fields.
  • Map project resources to enterprise resources, or leave project resources as local resources.
  • Import additional projects in the same wizard session with the same field mapping.
  • Import templates.

Importing projects using the Save As dialog box

You can also import projects or templates using the Save As dialog box. Keep in mind that when you use this method of importing projects, you will not be able to map custom fields or resources.

Migrating master projects from Microsoft Project 2000

Master projects were used in Microsoft Project 2000 as a means of opening many projects together, and were also used as a method for analysis and reporting. However, saving master projects to Microsoft Project Server is discouraged for the following reasons:

  • Summary rows in Microsoft Project Web Access can show double counting of some fields when a master project total and their inserted project values are totaled.
  • A master project might include inserted projects containing coding or other customizations different from the master project which can cause conflicts.
  • The default enterprise options don't allow saving and publishing master projects, since projects can be selected, sorted, and grouped dynamically in Microsoft Project Web Access using enterprise project outline codes.

For Microsoft Project 2002, external dependencies (also known as cross project links) are not allowed between projects of different versions. External dependency links can only be resolved within a version. If a project is saved as a new version, its external dependency links are redirected to this version. For example, suppose you have created projects P1.Published and P2.Published (with external dependency links to P1.Published), and then saved P1.Published as P1.Target. You will have different versions of the same project, P1.Published and P1.Target. When saving P1.Published as P1.Target, any links from P2.Published will be (in this case, incorrectly) redirected to P2.Target, even if that version of project P2 does not exist.

Keep in mind that all linked projects need to be kept open until they all are saved so that external dependency links can be resolved.

Migrating non-enterprise projects

If a project existed as an non-enterprise project in either Microsoft Project Central or Microsoft Project Server, additional cleanup work needs to be done after migrating or importing the project as an enterprise project into the Microsoft Project Server database, including:

  • Reentering actual work
  • Deleting references to the non-enterprise projects from Microsoft Project Server

Upgrading from Microsoft Project Central to Microsoft Project Server

Users who need to move a Microsoft Project Central database to Microsoft Project Server must manually run database migration scripts before running Microsoft Project Server setup. This process will migrate projects, status reports, timesheet data, user accounts, and most administrative settings to Microsoft Project Server.

To learn more about moving databases, see the Upgrading the Microsoft Project Central Server Database resource kit article.

Upgrading from Microsoft Project 98

You can upgrade directly from Microsoft Project 98 to Microsoft Project 2002. In addition to the native Microsoft Project 2000 and Microsoft Project 2002 MPP file format, Microsoft Project 2002 enables users to save files to the native Microsoft Project 98 MPP file format, making it easier to exchange projects with users who have not yet upgraded to Microsoft Project 2002. Saving to the Microsoft Project exchange (MPX) file format is no longer supported.

Upgrading from Microsoft Project 95 and Earlier Versions of Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project 2002 cannot read files created in versions before Microsoft Project 98. Users who need to open projects created in earlier versions should save the project in MPX file format, if available, before opening the project in Microsoft Project 2002.

Upgrading to Microsoft Project 2002 from Other Programs

Users who need to open projects created in other project management programs should save the project files in MPX file format before opening the project in Microsoft Project 2002.

Supported File Formats

A file format determines the way information is stored in a project file, document, or database. If Microsoft Project recognizes the file format, you can exchange files directly with previous versions of Microsoft Project or with other programs.

Microsoft Project Plan (MPP) File Format

Microsoft Project 2002 uses the same version of the Microsoft Project Plan (MPP) file format as Microsoft Project 2000. The MPP file format changed for Microsoft Project 2000 from Microsoft Project 98. While the MPP file name extension is the same as that used by previous versions, files saved in native Microsoft Project 2000 and Microsoft Project 2002 format cannot be opened in previous versions of Microsoft Project. Microsoft Project 2002 can read from and save to the Microsoft Project 98 MPP file format, facilitating a smooth migration. Data relating to new or enhanced features in Microsoft Project 2002 may be lost when saving to the Microsoft Project 98 MPP file format.

Microsoft Project Exchange (MPX) File Format

Microsoft Project 2002 can read files in the Microsoft Project Exchange (MPX) file format; however, it does not allow users to save MPX files. The MPX file format was replaced by the Microsoft Project Database (MPD) file format in Microsoft Project 98 to improve file interchange support and enable cross-language compatibility. The MPX file format is essentially a record-formatted text file containing only project data in ASCII text format. While it contains only rudimentary project data, the MPX file format does enable users to exchange project data between other applications and versions of Microsoft Project earlier than Microsoft Project 98. Though Microsoft Project 2002 no longer saves in the MPX file format, users can migrate files from other programs to Microsoft Project 2002 by saving in the MPX file format, opening the files in Microsoft Project 2002, and then saving the files to Microsoft Project 2000 or Microsoft Project 2002 MPP file format.

Microsoft Project Database (MPD) File Format

Like Microsoft Project 98, Microsoft Project 2002 uses the Microsoft Project Database (MPD) file format as its standard interchange file format.

However, the database schema has been changed substantially to improve performance and make it easier to work with Microsoft Project data in a database. In Microsoft Project 2002, the database schema has been simplified, reducing the number of tables from 38 to 21. Field names follow a standard naming convention, and are unique across all tables. By default, assignment timephased data is stored as compressed binary data in the database. If a user prefers to have access to timephased data in the database, it can be saved in expanded form using a much simpler structure, similar to what is seen in the Resource Usage view or Task Usage view in Microsoft Project.

Because of these changes, Microsoft Project 2002 can open a project file that has been saved to Microsoft Project 98 database format; however, it cannot save a project in the Microsoft Project 98 database format. Users who wish to exchange files between versions must use the Microsoft Project 98 MPP format.

Supported Database File Formats

Microsoft Project 2002 supports the following databases through Open Database Connectivity (ODBC):

  • Microsoft Access 2000 or later
  • Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 or later
  • Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) 1.0 or later
  • Oracle Server, version 8.0 (or later) server and client

Microsoft Project 2002 can also make the ODBC connection automatically, when writing to and reading from Microsoft Access 2000 or Microsoft Access XP databases, when users directly select Microsoft Project Database (MPD) or Microsoft Access Database (MDB) as the file type in the Open and Save dialog boxes.

External File Formats

Microsoft Project 2002 can read and write directly to the following file formats:

  • MPD and MDB files
  • Microsoft Excel 95 Workbooks
  • Microsoft Excel PivotTables® (export only; no import)
  • TXT files (tab delimited)
  • CSV files (comma delimited)
  • HTML files (export only; no import)
  • XML files

Previously Supported Formats

Previously supported formats that are no longer supported in Microsoft Project 2002 include:

  • Microsoft Project 3.0 MPP, MPV, MPC, MPW, and MPX files
  • Conversion of Microsoft Project 3.0 macros to current Visual Basic for Applications language and syntax (see Visual Basic for Applications for information on making Microsoft Project 3.0 macros available in Microsoft Project 98)
  • Microsoft FoxPro® DBF files
  • Lotus WKS, WK1, and WK3 files
  • dBase III and dBase IV DBF files
  • Excel 3.0 and Excel 4.0 XLS files

See Also

  • For strategies to help you plan a gradual upgrade to Microsoft Project 2002 and for information about upgrading to Microsoft Project 2002 from a previous version of Microsoft Project, see the Working with Multiple Versions and Other Applications resource kit article.
  • For more information about the Microsoft Project 2002 database structure and information about creating and updating project data directly in the database while maintaining the consistency and integrity of the data, see the file Projdb.xml, located in the folder Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 10\1033.
  • OLE-DB is a specification for a set of data access interfaces that enables many data stores in an enterprise to work seamlessly together. Microsoft Project 2002 is a read-only OLE-DB provider. This makes it possible for other programs to easily access data from Microsoft Project, making it much easier to integrate project data in the enterprise. For more information on how to access Microsoft Project data through the Microsoft Project 2002 OLE DB Provider, see the file Prjoledb.xml, located in the folder Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 10\1033. In addition to describing the OLE DB table structures, this document details some of the limitations and idiosyncrasies of the provider, describes how to access the table structure using data access pages, and provides sample ActiveX® Data Objects (ADO) code.

The Global File and Enterprise Global Template

Overview of Global.mpt

The global file (Global.mpt) is used as a master template file for any new project that is created in Microsoft Project 2002. By default, it contains all built-in views, calendars, forms, reports, tables, toolbars, menu bars, and import-export maps. You can customize these items or add new items in the global file. The global file cannot store tasks, resources, or assignments.

Overview of the Enterprise Global Template

Microsoft Project Professional is able to use a global template that has been saved to the Microsoft Project Server database. This global template is referred to as the enterprise global template. The enterprise global template contains all of the items available in Global.mpt, plus enterprise-specific task, resource, and project fields. The enterprise global template is useful for organizations that wish to standardize any of the global items across an enterprise's projects. The enterprise global template contains several unique features:

  • Various custom fields can be required.
  • Outline codes can share look-up tables.
  • Selection of outline code values can be restricted to only leaf nodes.
  • Resource outline codes can be specified as being used for resource substitution.

The Microsoft Project Server Setup program installs the enterprise global template. Users can then use Microsoft Project Professional to open and edit the enterprise global template by checking it out from Microsoft Project Server. Although users can temporarily edit items in their in-memory global template that originated from the enterprise global template, these changes are not saved to the Microsoft Project Server database unless the enterprise global template is checked out, and the user has the correct permissions for editing it. It is recommended that permissions to edit the enterprise global template be limited to a small number of administrators.

How Does Microsoft Project Locate the Global File?

When Microsoft Project 2002 is started, it first tries to locate a global file using the following policy registry key.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\

FakePre-0dd6439190bd46aea03599c2d751eb50-353b8496d5714673b19b86f6a6eaa64c FakePre-3335f43c610e4679aec6053c41a41781-d339c6ea4db44f9d8911f744e59ac517 FakePre-6eb146881bd3453095568b19129e7406-ab220592f0ec41a88e8877c11d2984d3 FakePre-64e513f56efe4aaaa8205d108653663c-f341985e76764efd94fefe9de236dabc

The Administrator can set this key to point to a particular location for the Global.mpt file.

If this registry key is set and a Global.mpt is found at the location it points to, Microsoft Project starts using that Global.mpt file.

If the Root Key policy registry key is not set, Microsoft Project looks for a Global.mpt file in these locations, in the following order:

  1. The current folder If the user has a shortcut specifying the "Start In" folder and a Global.mpt file resides there, Microsoft Project 2002 will use that Global.mpt file when it starts. If the user double-clicks a project file in a Windows Explorer folder and Microsoft Project is not already running, Microsoft Project will use Global.mpt if it resides in that folder.
  1. The user's profile folder Microsoft Project looks in the Application Data folder under the user's profile. For example, under Windows 98 with User Profiles enabled, this location is:
  1. The user's profile language folder This is the language ID subfolder in the Application Data folder for the user's profile. For example, under Windows 98 with User Profiles enabled, this location is:
  1. The folder where the Winproj.exe file is located By default, the Microsoft Project 2002 program (Winproj.exe) is installed in the folder:
  1. The Winproj.exe language folder By default, this folder is in the following location:

If the global file isn't found in any of the above locations**,** the Windows Installer starts and attempts to restore a copy to the Winproj.exe language folder.

If the Windows Installer is unable to restore a copy of global file, (for example, if the source is unavailable or you cancel the operation), Microsoft Project 2002 displays the message that it will create a new global file that will be missing some items.

In Microsoft Project 2002, there is no Backup.mpt file. If the global file cannot be found in the search process above, it can be reinstalled from the Microsoft Project 2002 installation CD or from the network installation point.

How Does Microsoft Project Professional Use the Global File?

Microsoft Project Professional uses both the local global file and the enterprise global template. Microsoft Project Professional combines items from both the global file and the enterprise global template into the in-memory version of the global file. With the exception of toolbars and menu bars, items from the enterprise global template overwrite items from the global file when the items have the same name.

Items stored in the global file

By default, the global file contains all built-in views, calendars, forms, reports, tables, filters, toolbars, menu bars, and import/export maps, as well as all default settings. Tasks, resources, and assignments can't be stored in the global file.

The global file can also store customized features and settings, including macros and custom fields. Storing custom items in the global file makes them available to all other projects. Customized features and settings in different global files can also be shared by merging the two global files.

Global.mpt on a shared server

If Microsoft Project is run from a network server in your organization, it first looks for the global file in the working directory on the local computer. If the local global file is missing from this directory, Microsoft Project uses the global file on the network server.

Users with read/write permissions on the network server can modify the original global file. Subsequent installations of Microsoft Project that run from the network server would then use this modified global file rather than the original global file. To ensure that the global file cannot be modified on the network server, users should have read-only permissions on the network server. Changes made to the global file on a read-only server cannot be saved. When users exit Microsoft Project, however, they can save a copy of the changed global file to a different location.

Upgrading Global.mpt

Setup requirements

Microsoft Project stores Global.mpt in a version-specific folder: \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 10\. When upgrading Microsoft Project from earlier versions, the existing global file is not overwritten.

When installing Microsoft Project 2002 over an existing version of Microsoft Project, the Setup program has several ways of dealing with any existing global file that is found:

  • If the existing global file is a Microsoft Project 2002 global file, the Setup program does not overwrite it with a new copy. The file will also not be renamed nor entered in the registry.
  • If the version number of the existing global file cannot be detected, the Setup program renames it to GlobalXX.mpt, and installs the new global file without creating a registry entry.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\office\10.0\ms project\previous global

Combining contents of previous and current global files

Upgrading to Microsoft Project 2002 requires that you resolve several issues related to the global file. If the new global file overwrites the old global file, customized views, tables, toolbars, menus, filters, reports, forms, and calendars are lost. However, if the existing global file is used instead of the Microsoft Project 2002 global file, many new additions to Microsoft Project are unavailable. To ease the transition to Microsoft Project 2002 from earlier versions, Microsoft Project 2002 supports a global file upgrade scheme that allows users to easily incorporate existing customizations, either selectively or automatically:

  1. If an existing global file is found during Setup, it will be renamed, and an entry with the new name will be made in the registry.
  1. Microsoft Project will always start with the new version of the global file.
  1. The first time Microsoft Project starts and a renamed global file is detected, a message notifies the user of existing customizations in an old global file and provides the opportunity to bring the customized items across to the new global file.
  1. The user has the choice to move all customized items to the new global file automatically, move only selected items manually, or move the items later.
  • If the user selects the automatic upgrade option, Microsoft Project determines which items were changed in the old global file and moves all those items over to the Microsoft Project 2002 global file.
  • If the user selects the manual upgrade option, Microsoft Project displays the Organizer in global upgrade mode, with both the old and new global file contents available. The user can then select which items to carry over.

Automatic upgrade option

When upgrading a user's customized items automatically, Microsoft Project incorporates the following updates in the new global file:

  • Items that the user actually modified in Microsoft Project 98 or Microsoft 2000.
  • Items in Microsoft Project 2002 that have changed from the previous versions. For items that have changed between versions, Microsoft Project will incorporate the changes, updating any old items that are moved over to match Microsoft Project 2002 standards.

The following table describes the upgrade that will take place for each type of item:

Item

Type of upgrade

Views   

Most customized views replace the view of the same name in Microsoft Project 2002 or are added to the list of views if the name does not exist in Microsoft Project 2002.

If any of the Microsoft Project 2002 Gantt views are replaced with the old version during an upgrade, Microsoft Project includes the Deadline, Group by Summary, Split, Rolled Up Split, Ghost Task, and Project Summary bar styles to ensure that all of the Microsoft Project 2002 features are present.

Tables   

Any customized table replaces the table of the same name in Microsoft Project 2002 or is added to the list of tables if the name does not exist in Microsoft Project 2002. Some tables have new fields in Microsoft Project 2002. If any of these fields are replaced with the old version during an upgrade, Microsoft Project inserts the new fields into the table. For example, if the Resource Entry table is replaced, Microsoft Project inserts the Type and Material Label.

Command Bars   

Any customized toolbar items are added to the end of the toolbar with the same name in Microsoft Project 2002. If a custom button has been added and it has a custom button face, the button face is moved over as well, but other changes involving button faces are ignored. If a toolbar with the same name does not exist in Microsoft Project 2002, the entire toolbar is moved over. If the command associated with a particular button is no longer supported in Microsoft Project 2002, the button is not moved over. In all cases, the Visual Basic, Microsoft Project 4.0, and Microsoft Project 95 toolbars will not be moved over, and any previous customization will be lost.

Filters   

Any customized filter replaces the filter with the same name in Microsoft Project 2002. If a filter with the same name does not exist in Microsoft Project 2002, the filter is added to Microsoft Project 2002.

Forms   

Any customized form replaces the form with the same name in Microsoft Project 2002. If a form with the same name does not exist in Microsoft Project 2002, the form is added to Microsoft Project 2002.

Reports   

Any customized report replaces the report with the same name in Microsoft Project 2002. If a report with the same name does not exist in Microsoft Project 2002, the report is added to Microsoft Project 2002.

Calendars   

All existing calendars are brought over to Microsoft Project 2002. Default calendars that have been edited will replace the corresponding Microsoft Project 2002 calendars; others will be added as new calendars.

Modules   

Microsoft Project 2002 scans each of the Microsoft Project-supplied modules, checking for any user-defined macros that have been added; these macros will be moved over to Microsoft Project 2002. This check will work at macro-level granularity and is based on macro name, so any macro changes a user has made to Microsoft Project-supplied macros will not be detected or carried over.

If any modules encountered are password-protected, the protected-module handling scheme is carried out before the upgrade actually occurs.

Manual upgrade option

If the user chooses to upgrade manually after reading the upgrade message, Microsoft Project 2002 brings up the Organizer in a special global upgrade mode, showing the old global file on the left and the new global file on the right.

In this special upgrade mode, the user can only move items from the old global file to the new global file. The Upgrade button is always disabled when the user clicks an item in the new global file list on the right. Depending on which tab is selected, clicking the Upgrade button will merge old information with new information or just overwrite the new information. The particular action taken for each type of item is the same as the action taken during automatic updating, except that the upgrade only occurs for the items the user has selected on the left (before clicking the Upgrade button).

In either case, the Organizer will not issue an alert to confirm or rename if the user selects an item to upgrade in the old global file that conflicts with an already existing item name in the new global file. To avoid a conflict or accidental overwrite, the Rename button can be used to rename an item in either global file before moving items.

Note that you cannot rename items in the old global file. When you click Close, the Organizer closes along with the old global file. After the new global file is upgraded manually, Microsoft Project 2002 displays the upgrade message every time it starts until the user selects the Don't tell me about this again check box.

Cross-language global file upgrading

Because the automatic upgrade scheme relies on text string comparisons, localized text strings would have to be accounted for in each language version of Microsoft Project to allow for cross-language global file upgrading. Microsoft Project, however, does not store text strings from all languages in each individual language version, so if you install Microsoft Project 2002 over a different language version of Microsoft Project, you will not be able to upgrade the global file automatically.

When you specify an automatic upgrade in the upgrade message, Microsoft Project 2002 will look in the global file for evidence that the language of the global file and Microsoft Project 2002 are the same. If the old global file uses a different language, Microsoft Project displays an alert to warn you of this language incompatibility, and allows you to use the Organizer to manually upgrade customized items.

Opening any global file

Microsoft Project 2002 is capable of opening any global file, regardless of what version the file is. Therefore, it is possible to access another user's customized global template information without the need to copy it back and forth between project files. If you want to access the contents of another global file, either from a previous version or from the current version of Microsoft Project, you can simply open it from the File Open dialog box.

When opening a global file from a previous version (such as Microsoft Project 2000), you are placed in the Organizer, in the upgrade mode, and everything behaves as described above. When opening a global file from the currently running version of Microsoft Project, you are placed in the Organizer in the normal Organizer mode.

Thus, if two different Microsoft Project 2002 global files are opened, information can be copied back and forth in either direction, and Microsoft Project displays alerts that prevent overwrites by allowing items to be renamed. The only restriction is that you cannot open the currently active global file from the File Open dialog box.

Forcing Microsoft Project 2002 to open with an old global file

Although Microsoft Project automatically starts using the new global file, allowing you to incorporate items from the old file, it is possible to force Microsoft Project 2002 to start with an old global file. To use an old global file, replace the Microsoft Project 2002 global file with a Microsoft Project 2000 global file that is also named Global.mpt. Because you are not merging the old global file with the new global file, you will be restricted to only the items contained in the old global file. Upon exiting Microsoft Project, this global file is automatically saved to Microsoft Project 2002 format, and is no longer compatible with Microsoft Project 2000.

Using the global file to distribute customizations to your organization

After customizing Microsoft Project to better reflect the needs of your organization, the policy registry keys can be used to specify that individual installations of Microsoft Project 2002 always open the customized global file saved on the network. Also, users can share additional customizations using the Organizer, including those described below.

  • **Sharing customized views   **
  • **Sharing customized toolbars   **
  • **Sharing customized filters   **
  • **Sharing customized Visual Basic modules   **
Using templates to share custom elements

You can save time in planning new projects by using templates. A template should not be confused with the global file. A template is merely a Microsoft Project file saved with the file extension .mpt, to allow existing schedules to be reused as the starting point for creating new schedules. Task and resource information, formatting, macros, and project-specific settings can all be saved in a template. Any information in a Microsoft Project file (MPP) can become part of a planning template, including:

  • Task and resource information
  • View and text formatting
  • Macros
  • File-specific settings

You can ensure that these types of information are set up uniformly across projects by distributing templates that project teams can use when new projects are created.

In addition, with Microsoft Project Professional, you can include templates in the Microsoft Project Server database, and also include tasks, assignments, generic resources, and so forth.

Typically, any changes to views, tables, filters, calendars, reports, and forms are local; that is, they take place only in the active project file. However, any changes to toolbars, menus, and import/export maps are global; that is, the changes are made to the global file and apply to all project files on a computer. Then, when a new project file is created, it reflects your customized toolbars and menus. When format settings (such as bold, italic, color, or bar shape) are changed, those settings apply only to the active project file and not to other project files on your computer. Changes to Visual Basic modules can be either global or local, depending on your preference. You can customize views, tables, filters, calendars, reports, and forms, and share them with other users by saving the file as a template. When the template is opened and saved with a new name, the new project file shows the original Microsoft Project defaults (which are saved in the global file), as well as the customized elements saved in the template.

Using the global file to roll out customizations to your organization

Depending on how users in an organization are set up to work on project files, you can roll out customizations in one of several ways:

  • Administrators can roll out the enterprise global template simply by editing the global file and saving it to Microsoft Project Server. Users of Microsoft Project Professional will automatically access the revised enterprise global template the next time they connect to the server.
  • Administrators can modify the policy registry key to specify that individual installations of Microsoft Project Standard always open the customized global file saved on the network. For more information, see "How Does Microsoft Project Locate the Global File?" earlier in this article.
  • If users have Microsoft Project Standard installed on local computers (or if they run Microsoft Project from a network server, but keep files in a working directory on their local computers), they can use the customized global file by replacing their global file with the customized global file, or by using the Organizer to copy customizations from the customized global file to their own global file.
  • If users run Microsoft Project Standard from a network server and also open files from the network, they will automatically get customization updates as the administrator updates the global file on the network server.

FAQs About Upgrading

When I convert a file from a previous version of Microsoft Project to Microsoft Project 2002, can I then open it in a previous version of Microsoft Project?

The file formats used by Microsoft Project 2002 and Microsoft Project 2000 are compatible; no information is lost when a user opens, edits, and saves a project created with Microsoft Project 2002 in Microsoft Project 2000. Fields and features unique to Microsoft Project 2002 will not be visible in Microsoft Project 2000, but they will not be lost if the file is saved and subsequently opened in Microsoft Project 2002.

Can I install Microsoft Project 2002 on the same computer as Microsoft Project 2000?

Installing Microsoft Project 2002 on a computer with Microsoft Project 2000 is not a configuration tested for Microsoft Project 2002. Therefore, we do not recommend installing both versions on the same computer. Because of differences in OLE file registration between Microsoft Project 2002 and Microsoft Project 2000, there may be problems with file references stored in a project file for resource sharing, inserted projects, and cross-project linking.

Do macros in a Microsoft Project 2000 file work in Microsoft Project 2002?

Macros in Microsoft Project 2000 will work in Microsoft Project 2002 with no special formatting or conversion. Simply open the file in Microsoft Project 2002 and save it to automatically update the file to Microsoft Project 2002 format. To share Microsoft Project 2000 code modules with other files in Microsoft Project 2002, save the code modules to the global file and upgrade the global file to Microsoft Project 2002.

Can I convert a password-protected project code module?

Password-protected code modules in Microsoft Project 2000 files can be opened and saved in Microsoft Project 2002. However, the code modules may not work if saved to Microsoft Project 2000 format after being saved in Microsoft Project 2002.

See Also

For information about changes to Microsoft Project Visual Basic, see the Programming Technologies resource kit article.

The international features of Microsoft Project 2000 with MultiLanguage Pack allow you to deploy it throughout your international organization. For information about multilingual support issues to consider, if your organization is upgrading to Microsoft Project 2002 with MultiLanguage Pack from localized versions of Microsoft Project, see the Preparing for an International Deployment section of the International Deployment resource kit article.