Microsoft Project 2000 Resource Kit

Article
02/20/2014

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By using the functionality of Microsoft Project 2000 and the tools available in this Microsoft Project 2000 Resource Kit, you can customize Microsoft Project to suit the needs of your users. This section provides the information you need to deploy a custom installation of Microsoft Project effectively and efficiently in your organization.

Customizing Setup

You can always run Microsoft Project Setup interactively to install Microsoft Project — or allow users to run Setup interactively. Microsoft Project Setup offers you many opportunities to customize Microsoft Project installations throughout your organization by using command-line options or by modifying the Setup settings file.

Customizing Feature Installation

Microsoft Project 2000 and the Microsoft Windows Installer enable you to customize what you install on the Microsoft Project users' computers. You have complete control over which features Microsoft Project Setup installs and how they are installed, including customizing the way that Setup creates shortcuts for these features. You can even add your own custom files to the Microsoft Project installation.

Customizing Options Settings

Microsoft Project 2000 and the Windows Installer provide you with a lot of flexibility for configuring Microsoft Project when you deploy it throughout your organization. You can preset options and settings for Microsoft Project, and you can set specific registry entries on users' computers.

Setup Program

You use the Setup program for Microsoft Project 2000 to install Microsoft Project on users' computers or to create an administrative installation point for users to install Microsoft Project over the network.

Custom Installation Wizard

By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can customize the way that all users in your organization install Microsoft Project 2000 on their computers. The Custom Installation Wizard you use to customize Microsoft Project 2000 is the same tool that you use to customize Office. You can download the Custom Installation Wizard from the Office Resource Kit Toolbox. Note that, while the instructions in the Custom Installation Wizard specify its use with Office, it is designed to work with Microsoft Project 2000 as well.

Profile Wizard

The Profile Wizard is a tool that helps you deploy Microsoft Project with specific user profile information. The Profile Wizard for Microsoft Project 2000 is also the same one you use with Office and can be downloaded from the Office Resource Kit Web site. However, you need to download an .ini file from the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox to use the Profile Wizard with Microsoft Project 2000.

Customizing Setup

You can always run Microsoft Project Setup interactively to install Microsoft Project — or allow users to run Setup interactively. However, Microsoft Project Setup offers you many opportunities to customize Microsoft Project installations throughout your organization by using command-line options or by modifying the Setup settings file.

Modifying Setup Options

You can customize the way Microsoft Project Setup installs Microsoft Project 2000 by modifying Setup options. You can specify whether to perform a user or administrative installation, or you can initiate the repair or reinstallation of Microsoft Project.

Other Setup options allow you to do the following:

Control the degree to which users interact with Setup, even running Setup in quiet mode.
Enable logging.
Specify values for Setup properties that further customize the installation process.

You can specify values for these Setup options in three ways:

On the Setup command line
In the Setup settings file
In a Windows Installer transform (MST file)

Each method provides unique advantages in what you can customize and how you give users access to the custom installation. You can implement one or more of these methods, depending on the level of customization you need.

Resolving conflicting Setup options

If you specify the same Setup options but use different values in the Setup command line, settings file, and transform, Setup uses the following rules to determine which settings to use:

If you set an option in the Custom Installation Wizard that corresponds to a Setup property, the wizard sets the corresponding property automatically in the MST file.
If you modify a Setup property on the Modify Setup Properties panel of the Custom Installation Wizard, this setting overrides any corresponding options that you set on previous panels of the wizard. Your modified Setup property is written to the MST file.
If you set options, including Setup properties, in the settings file that conflict with options in the transform, then the values in the settings file take precedence.
If you set options on the command line, those settings take precedence over any conflicting values in either the settings file or the transform.

Managing the installation process with Setup properties

Many of the customizations that you make to the installation process are done through Setup properties. Setup uses these properties to control different aspects of the installation process. For example, the COMPANYNAME property defines the default organization name that Setup uses during installation, and the REBOOT property determines whether Setup reboots after the installation is complete. By modifying these property values, you can customize the way that Setup installs Microsoft Project.

The default values for Setup properties are defined in the Windows Installer package (MSI file). You can modify Setup properties in the transform, in the Setup settings file, or on the command line.

There are two types of Setup properties:

Public property names are all uppercase and can be specified in the Setup command line, in the settings file, or on the Modify Setup Properties panel of the Custom Installation Wizard.
Private property names are a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters and can be specified only on the Modify Setup Properties panel of the Custom Installation Wizard.

If you enter a property name in the Setup command line or settings file, Setup assumes that it is a public property and the name is converted to all uppercase letters. If you enter a property name in the Custom Installation Wizard, you must enter the name exactly as it is defined, in all uppercase letters or in mixed-case letters. With few exceptions, all properties that you can use for managing the installation process are public properties.

Consider the following when setting properties:

String properties are not validated for proper syntax. Any value entered for a string property is considered valid.
Leading and trailing blanks are removed from property values.
Property values cannot contain environment variables.

See also

For a complete description of the features available in the Microsoft Project Setup program, including information about how to perform administrative and client installations, see "Setup Program" in this article.

The Custom Installation Wizard allows you to fully customize the installation process, from modifying Setup properties to adding custom files and registry entries to the installation. For more information about the Custom Installation Wizard, see "Custom Installation Wizard" in this article.

Specifying Values on the Setup Command Line

When you run Setup, you can use command-line options to change some of the parameters that Setup uses to install Microsoft Project 2000. By using command-line options, you can do the following:

Identify the MSI and MST files to use.
Direct Setup to run in quiet mode.
Initialize Microsoft Windows Installer logging.
Alter Setup property values.

For example, you can enter the following options on the command line:

setup.exe /qb+ /l*+ c:\Project9.txt companyname=" your company name "

This command line customizes Setup in the following ways:

Setup does not prompt the user for information, but it displays progress indicators and a completion message as it installs Microsoft Project. Setup installs the same Microsoft Project features that it would if the user ran Setup and clicked Install Now.
The Windows Installer logs all information and any error messages, appending this information to the file C:\Project9.txt on the user's computer.
Setup sets the default organization name to your company's name.

Toolbox Detailed information about Setup command-line options will be added to the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox. Check the Toolbox periodically for updated information.

How to distribute Setup command-line options

If users double-click Setup.exe, Setup runs with no command-line options. To use your custom command-line options, users must click Run on the Windows Start menu and enter the path to Setup.exe, along with your command-line options.

To simplify this process for your users, you can create in MS-DOS a batch file that runs Setup.exe with your command-line options. Or you can create a Windows shortcut and add your custom options to the command-line box. Users double-click the batch file or shortcut to run the Setup command line that you have defined. You can store the batch file or shortcut in the main folder of the administrative installation point.

If you run Setup from a network logon script or through a systems management tool (such as Microsoft Systems Management Server), you can add your custom options to the Setup command line in the script or deployment package.

When to use Setup command-line options

The Setup command line is most useful when you have few customizations to make or when you want to create several different installations quickly. You do not need to edit any Microsoft Project files (such as the Setup settings file) or run any special tools (such as the Custom Installation Wizard).

You can create multiple custom installations by defining different command lines for different users or by creating multiple batch files or shortcuts. This method is especially useful if you need to create multiple deployment packages by using a systems management tool — and each package requires a different command line.

For example, you can have your engineering and accounting departments install the same version of Microsoft Project but use unique organization names. In the administrative installation point, you create two shortcuts that have the following command lines:

setup.exe /q companyname="Engineering Department"
setup.exe /q companyname="Accounting Department"

See also

Specifying Values in the Setup Settings File

In addition to using options specified on the command line, Setup also reads the options specified in the settings file, Setup.ini. The settings file allows you to set the same options as the command line.

Note Some logging options behave differently in the Setting file and on the command line. The /l command-line option enables only Microsoft Windows Installer logging. By contrast, the Logging section of the settings file enables both Setup and Windows Installer logging and provides you with more flexibility in naming the log file.

The settings file is divided into five sections that contain keyword and value pairs, much like a standard Microsoft Windows INI file. The five sections are as follows:

MSI section

Specify an alternative Windows Installer package (MSI file). The file must be in the same folder as Setup.exe.
MST section

Specify the full path to a Windows Installer transform (MST file).
Display section

Specify the level at which Setup interacts with the user. You can specify levels from full user interaction (the default) to a completely quiet installation.
Logging section

Specify log files and options for Setup and the Windows Installer.
Options section

Specify values for one or more Setup properties.

For example, you can include the following entries in the settings file:

[Display]
Display=Basic
CompletionNotice=Yes
[Logging]
Path=c:\
Template=Project9.txt
Type=*+
[Options]
COMPANYNAME=Your Company Name

These entries customize Setup in the following ways:

Setup does not prompt the user for information, but displays progress indicators and a completion message as it installs Microsoft Project 2000. Setup installs the same Microsoft Project features as it would if the user ran Setup and clicked Install Now.
The Windows Installer logs all information and any error messages, appending this information to the file C:\Project9.txt on the user's computer.
Setup sets the default organization name to your company's name.

Toolbox Information about the format of the Setup settings file will be added to the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox. Check the Toolbox periodically for updated information.

How to distribute the Setup settings file

When you edit the default settings file (Setup.ini), users can run Setup without using command-line options to install Microsoft Project 2000 with your customizations. (Be sure to back up the original Setup.ini file before modifying it.)

To create multiple custom installations that use different Setup options, you can create several custom settings files that have different names and store them in the main folder of the administrative installation point. Users must specify the name of a settings file by using the /settings Setup command-line option. You can simplify this process for your users by creating an MS-DOS batch file or Windows shortcut that contains the appropriate /settings command-line option.

If you run Setup from a network logon script or through a systems management tool (such as Microsoft Systems Management Server), then you must edit the Setup command line in the script or deployment package to refer to the appropriate settings file using the /settings option.

When to use the Setup settings file

When a user double-clicks Setup.exe, Setup reads your customizations from the Setup.ini file automatically. Use the Setup settings file when you do not want to require users to enter a complicated command line when they run Setup or when you do not want to create a batch file or shortcut.

The settings file is also useful when you want to set options that are awkward to include in a command line. The settings file organizes Setup options in an easy-to-read format that you might find more helpful than creating a long command line.

The settings file also differs from the Setup command line in that the settings file provides more flexibility for installation logging. The Setup /l command-line option initializes only Windows Installer logging. By contrast, the Logging section of the settings file initializes both Windows Installer and Microsoft Project Setup logging. The settings file also provides you with more flexibility in naming the log file.

You can create multiple settings files for different groups of users. Users specify the settings file they want to use by using the /settings Setup command-line option. You can also specify Setup command-line options along with a custom Setup settings file. If you specify a command-line option that conflicts with a value in the settings file, Setup uses the command-line option.

For example, you can create two settings files for your engineering and accounting departments. Users in each department run Setup by using one of the following command lines:

setup.exe /settings prj9engr.ini
setup.exe /settings prj9acct.ini

Suppose, however, that you want these two departments to use a common set of custom options, except that each needs a different organization name. You can customize the default settings file (Setup.ini) with the standard options, and then you can have your engineering and accounting departments use the following command lines to run Setup:

setup.exe companyname="Engineering Department"
setup.exe companyname="Accounting Department"

Setup uses the options defined in the settings file and sets the organization name according to the command line.

See also

For a complete description of the features available in the Microsoft Project 2000 Setup program, including information about how to perform administrative and client installations, see "Setup Program" in this article.

Storing Values in a Windows Installer Transform

You can make extensive modifications to the installation process by using a Microsoft Windows Installer transform (MST file), including many modifications that you cannot make in the Setup command line or settings file. These modifications include specifying the following:

Where Microsoft Project 2000 is installed
Which Microsoft Project features are installed
Where Microsoft Project shortcuts are installed
What previous versions of Microsoft Project are removed
How Setup property values are set

In the MST file, you can also add custom files and registry entries to the installation to distribute company templates or custom applications.

You create a Windows Installer transform by using the Custom Installation Wizard. The Windows Installer transform contains the changes that you want to make to the installation process. The Windows Installer applies your changes to the Windows Installer package (MSI file) before installing Microsoft Project.

Note The Custom Installation Wizard you use to customize Microsoft Project 2000 is the same tool that you use to customize Office. You can download the Custom Installation Wizard from the Office Resource Kit Web site. Note that, while the instructions in the Custom Installation Wizard specify its use with Office, it is designed to work with Microsoft Project 2000 as well.

How to distribute a transform

For users to install Microsoft Project with your customizations, you must specify the name and path to the transform by using the Setup TRANSFORMS= command-line option or by using an entry in the MST section of the Setup settings file.

For example, to direct Setup to use the transform Custom.mst (in the same folder as Setup.exe), you use the following Setup command line:

setup.exe transforms=custom.mst

You can also use the following entry in the settings file:

[MST]
MST1=Custom.mst

When to use a transform

The Windows Installer transform is most useful when you want to customize extensively, especially when you cannot make the changes you want by using the Setup command line or settings file.

For example, in the MST file you can set the installation state of Microsoft Project features. For each Microsoft Project feature, the Custom Installation Wizard allows you to specify whether you want to copy the feature to the user's computer, run the feature from the network, install the feature on first use, or not install the feature at all. You can even hide features that you do not want users to modify during Setup.

You can create more than one transform for different groups of users, and then specify on the command line or in the settings file which transform to use. For example, to have your engineering and accounting departments use two different transforms, you can create two shortcuts in the administrative installation point by using the following command lines:

setup.exe transforms=prj9engr.mst
setup.exe transforms=prj9acct.mst

See also

Customizing Feature Installation

Microsoft Project 2000 and the Microsoft Windows Installer provide you with flexibility in customizing what you install on the Microsoft Project user's computer. You have complete control over which features Microsoft Project Setup installs and how they are installed, including customizing the way that Setup creates shortcuts for these features. You can even add your own custom files to the Microsoft Project installation.

Using a Transform with Setup

To customize how Setup installs Microsoft Project 2000 on the user's computer, you can use the Custom Installation Wizard to create a Microsoft Windows Installer transform (MST file). The transform contains the changes that you want to make to the installation process. Users can run Setup with the transform to install your customized version of Microsoft Project.

The Custom Installation Wizard you use to customize Microsoft Project 2000 is the same tool that you use to customize Office. The Custom Installation Wizard can be used with any product that uses the Windows Installer Technology. You can download the Custom Installation Wizard from the Office Resource Kit Toolbox or from the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox. Note that, while the instructions in the Custom Installation Wizard specify its use with Office, it is designed to work with Microsoft Project 2000 as well.

To create and use a transform, follow these general steps:

Create an administrative installation point. Users install Microsoft Project from the administrative installation point.
Create a transform. By using the Custom Installation Wizard, create an MST file that contains your customizations.
Have users run Setup with the transform. Users specify the name of the transform when they run Microsoft Project Setup.

Create an administrative installation point

Run Setup from Microsoft Project CD with the /a command-line option to create an administrative installation point on a network server. The administrative installation point contains copies of all Microsoft Project files, and users can install Microsoft Project from this location. By customizing the files here, you can control how Setup installs Microsoft Project for your users.

To create an administrative installation point

Create a network share. All users who need to install Microsoft Project must have access to the share, and you must have write access to it.
Run Setup from the Microsoft Project CD by using the /a command-line option. Use the Run command in the Start menu to add the /a option to the Setup.exe command line. For example:

e:\setup.exe /a
When Setup prompts you for the installation location, enter the network share that you created.

Setup copies all of the files from the Microsoft Project CD to the network share.

Create a custom transform

Use the Custom Installation Wizard to open the Windows Installer package (MSI file) for Microsoft Project. Then use the wizard to select the features you want, and save your selections in a custom MST file.

To create a custom transform

Start the Custom Installation Wizard.
On the Open the MSI panel, enter the file name and path of the MSI file for Microsoft Project.

The package is located in the root folder of the administrative installation point. For example:

\\Server1\Project\install.msi
On the Open the MST panel, select Do not open an existing MST file to create a new transform.

– or –
To open and modify an existing transform, select Open an existing MST file and enter the file name and path of the transform.
On the Select the MST File to Save panel, enter the name and path of the MST file you want to create.

Place the MST file in the same folder as the MSI file to make it easier for users to find. For example:

\\Server1\Project\Custom.mst
On the subsequent panels of the wizard, customize those areas of the installation process that affect your organization, including selecting which features are installed.
When you have finished making all your selections, click Finish. The Custom Installation Wizard creates a transform that contains your customizations.

Toolbox You can customize Microsoft Project Setup with the Custom Installation Wizard. The wizard includes extensive online assistance that you can view by clicking the Help button on any panel. For information about installing the wizard, see the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox. The Custom Installation Wizard you use with Project is the same on you use with Office and can also be obtained from the Office Resource Kit Web site.

Run Setup with your custom transform

To use your custom transform when you install Microsoft Project on a user's computer, you must provide Setup with the file name and path of the MST file. You can do this by including the information on the Setup command line or in the Setup settings file (Setup.ini).

Use the Setup command line

When you run Setup to install Microsoft Project on the user's computer, add the TRANSFORMS= option to the Setup.exe command line to specify the file name and path of the MST file.

For example (assuming that the MST file is in the same folder as the MSI file), type the following command:

\\server1\Project\setup.exe transforms="Custom.mst"

Use the Setup settings file

Setup uses a settings file (Setup.ini) for installation options. Add the MST1= key to the MST section of the settings file to specify the file name and path of the MST file. For example:

[MST]
MST1=Custom.mst

You can add the key directly to the default settings file (Setup.ini), or you can create a copy of Setup.ini with a different file name and add the key to the duplicate file. If you create a duplicate settings file, you also need to specify the name of the settings file with the /settings command-line option. For example, type the following command to specify a settings file:

\\server1\project\setup.exe /settings newsetup.ini

See also

Creating the administrative installation point on a network server is the first step in deploying a customized version of Microsoft Project over the network to your users. For detailed information about how to create an administrative installation point, see "Creating an Administrative Installation Point" in this article.

You can also customize the way Microsoft Project Setup runs by using the command line and settings file. For more information, see "Customizing Setup" in this article.

You can use the Custom Installation Wizard to customize many aspects of your Microsoft Project installation. For more information, see "Custom Installation Wizard" in this article.

Selecting Features

When running Microsoft Project 2000 Setup interactively, users can choose which Microsoft Project features are installed by selecting from a list that Setup displays. Users can choose to install a particular feature in one of several ways:

On the local hard disk
On the network server, where the user runs the feature
On first use, meaning that Setup does not install the feature until the first time it is used
Not installed at all

By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can make these choices ahead of time for users. When users run Setup interactively, your choices become the default. When users run Setup quietly, your choices determine how the features are installed.

Set the installation state for features

On the Set Feature Installation States panel of the Custom Installation Wizard, you can click any feature to select the installation state. You can choose from the following options:

Run from My Computer

Components for the feature are copied to the local hard disk, and the feature is run from there.
Run all from My Computer

Same as Run from My Computer, except that all of the child features belonging to the feature are also set to this state.
Run from CD or Run from Network

Components for the feature are left on the Microsoft Project CD or on the network server (depending on how users are installing Microsoft Project). The feature is run from the Microsoft Project CD or the network server.
Run all from CD or Run all from Network

Same as Run from CD or Run from Network, except that all of the child features belonging to the feature are also set to this state.
Installed on First Use

Components for the feature and all its child features are left on the Microsoft Project CD or on the network server (depending on how users are installing Microsoft Project). When the user attempts to use the feature for the first time, the components are automatically copied to the local hard disk, and the feature is run from there just as if it had been installed with the option Run from My Computer.
Not Available

The components for the feature, and all of the child features belonging to this feature, are not installed on the computer, and the feature is unavailable to the user.

Not all installation states are available for every feature. For example, if a feature contains a component that cannot be run over the network, then the feature does not have Run from CD or Run from Network as a choice in its list of installation states.

Tip If you run the Custom Installation Wizard with the /x command-line option, the wizard displays the feature tree fully expanded on this panel.

Hide features from users during Setup

In addition to setting the installation state, you can right-click any feature on the Set Feature Installation States panel of the Custom Installation Wizard to hide the feature from the user. If you select Hide, then Setup does not display the feature when the user runs Setup interactively; instead, the feature is installed behind the scenes according to the installation state that you have specified.

To reverse this setting, right-click the feature and select Unhide. If you hide or unhide a feature, all of the child features belonging to the feature are hidden or not hidden accordingly.

See also

When you change the installation state of a Microsoft Project feature, the installation states of the child features change in various ways. For more information, click Help on the Set Feature Installation States panel of the Custom Installation Wizard.

Creating the administrative installation point on a network server is the first step in deploying a customized version of Microsoft Project over the network to your users. For more information, see "Creating an Administrative Installation Point" in this article.

You can use the Custom Installation Wizard to customize many aspects of your Microsoft Project installation. For more information, see "Custom Installation Wizard" in this article.

Customizing Shortcuts

By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can customize the shortcuts that Setup creates for Microsoft Project 2000. You can control what shortcuts are installed, and you can also customize settings such as what folder the shortcut is installed in and what command-line options to use with the shortcut.

On the Add, Modify, or Remove Shortcuts panel of the Custom Installation Wizard, the wizard displays all of the shortcuts that correspond with the features that you selected on the Set Feature Installation States panel.

Modify an existing shortcut

On the Custom Installation Wizard panel, you modify any existing shortcut by selecting the shortcut and clicking Modify. In the Add/Modify Shortcut Entry dialog box, you can make the following modifications:

Target

Change the application associated with the shortcut. The names in the list correspond to features that you selected on the Set Feature Installation States panel of the wizard, plus any custom files that you added to the installation on the Add Files to the Installation panel. You can also add command-line options by appending a space and a list of options to the target name.

For example, to customize the Microsoft Project shortcut to open a project file, select <Microsoft Project> and append the /t option as follows:

<microsoft project> /t "c:\Tools\myproject.mpp"
Location

Change the folder in which the shortcut is created by selecting a location from the list. You can specify a subfolder by appending a backslash (\) followed by the subfolder name.

For example, to install the Microsoft Project shortcut in the subfolder Project 2000 in the Programs folder in the Start menu, select <StartMenu\Programs> and append the subfolder name as follows:

<startmenu\programs>\Project 2000
Name

Change the name of the shortcut by entering any string.
Start in

Change the starting folder for the application by entering a path. The path must be a valid path on the user's computer. If it is not, the user gets an error message when trying to use the shortcut.
Shortcut key

Associate a shortcut key with this shortcut by entering the shortcut key string in this box. Click the Help button in the wizard for a description of how to specify a shortcut key.
Run

Select the way you want the application to run when the user double-clicks this shortcut. For example, if you want the application to run in a maximized window by default, then select Maximized.
Change Icon

Select a new icon for the shortcut.

Add or remove shortcuts

You can also click Add to add a new shortcut for any file being installed by Setup. This step allows you to create duplicate shortcuts for Microsoft Project on the user's computer. It also allows you to create shortcuts for custom files or applications you add to the installation.

To remove a shortcut from the list, select the shortcut and click Remove.

Adding Files to the Installation

In addition to selecting what Microsoft Project 2000 files are installed, Microsoft Project Setup allows you to add your own files to the installation. You can deploy corporate templates, images, custom applications, or other files.

On the Add Files to the Installation panel of the Custom Installation Wizard, click Add to add a new file to the installation. After you select one or more files to add, enter the destination path for the file or files in the File Destination Path dialog box. You can enter an absolute path on the user's computer, or you can select a path from the list. If you select a path, you can add a subfolder to it by appending a backslash (\) followed by the subfolder name.

When you click OK, the wizard adds the file to the transform. Setup installs the file on the user's computer, in the folder you specified, when the user installs Microsoft Project.

After you add the file, you can add a shortcut for the file on the Add, Modify, or Remove Shortcuts panel of the wizard. On that panel, click Add. The file you added appears in the Target box.

Because the file is copied into the transform, you must update the transform if the file changes later.

To update the installation with modified files

On the Create or Open the MST File panel, enter the name of the Microsoft Windows Installer transform (MST file).
On the Select the MST File to Save panel, enter the name of the MST file again.
Click Next until you reach the Add Files to the Installation panel.
Select the file that has changed, and click Remove.
Click Add, and then enter the information for your modified file.
If you want to add registry keys to the MST file, click Next.
On the Add Registry Entries panel click Add or Import to either add registry entries or import them from a Registry export file.

See also

You can use the Custom Installation Wizard to customize many aspects of your Microsoft Project installation. For more information, see "Custom Installation Wizard" in this article.

Customizing Options Settings

Microsoft Project 2000 and the Microsoft Windows Installer provide you with a lot of flexibility for configuring Microsoft Project when you deploy it throughout your organization. You can preset options and settings for Microsoft Project, and you can set specific registry entries on users' computers.

Customizing User Options

When you install Microsoft Project 2000 on users' computers, you can use several methods to customize user options. You can use the Profile Wizard to preset Microsoft Project options, or you can customize specific registry settings on users' computers.

If you define duplicate options by using a combination of the following methods, the user's computer determines which settings to use according to where the method falls in the following order of precedence (a given method overrides any preceding methods):

Settings in an OPS file included in a transform
Registry values specified in a transform
Settings in an OPS file included in the Profile Wizard
Settings that migrate from a previous version of Microsoft Project
Settings modified through system policies

Specifying settings in an OPS file included in the MST file

By using the Profile Wizard, you can customize users options and save your settings in an OPS file. By using the Customize Default Application Settings panel of the Custom Installation Wizard, you can include the OPS file in the Windows Installer transform (MST file). The OPS file contains registry values corresponding to option settings in Microsoft Project; these registry values are set on users' computers by Setup during installation.

The Profile Wizard you use to capture and restore Microsoft Project settings is the same Profile Wizard provided in the Office Resource Kit or the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox, and it can be used with Office as well as Microsoft Project. When you use the Profile Wizard with Microsoft Project, you need to use a different .ini file. See the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox for more information.

Setting registry entries in the MST file

By using the Add Registry Entries panel of the Custom Installation Wizard, you can define registry values that are set on users' computers by Setup during installation. These values override duplicate values in the OPS file included in the transform.

Specifying settings in an OPS file and running the Profile Wizard

By using the Add Installations and Run Programs panel of the Custom Installation Wizard, you can create a command line for running the Profile Wizard with an OPS file to set default Microsoft Project settings. This command line runs immediately after Microsoft Project Setup is completed. Values in this OPS file override duplicate values that you added by using the Add Registry Entries panel of the Custom Installation Wizard and duplicate values in the OPS file included in the transform.

Migrating user settings

If a previous version of Microsoft Project is installed on a user's computer, Setup copies the former application settings for that version of Microsoft Project to Microsoft Project 2000. Migrated settings override duplicate settings that are contained in any OPS file or added to the registry during installation.

Note If you want to prevent migrated settings from overriding the OPS file, set the DONOTMIGRATEUSERSETTINGS property to TRUE, or clear the Migrate user settings check box on the Customize Default Application Settings panel of the Custom Installation Wizard.

Modifying settings through system policies

After installation is complete, you can modify registry values by using Windows system policies. System policy settings take effect when the user logs on to the network, and they override any duplicate values you set during installation.

Using Global.mpt to roll out customizations throughout the organization

The Global file (Global.mpt) is used as a master template file for any new project that is created in Microsoft Project 2000. By default, the Global file contains all built-in views, calendars, forms, reports, tables, filters, toolbars, menu bars, and import/export maps. Tasks, resources, and assignments cannot 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 Global file.

See also

By using the Profile Wizard, you can create an OPS file that contains default Microsoft Project settings that you can use to configure your users' computers. For more information, see "Profile Wizard" in this article.

By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can create a transform that contains an OPS file, or you can create a transform that runs the Profile Wizard. For more information about how to create and use a transform, see "Storing Values in a Windows Installer Transform" in this article.

You can use the Custom Installation Wizard to customize many aspects of your Microsoft Project installation, including selecting which features are installed. For more information, see "Custom Installation Wizard" in this article.

For more information on using Global.mpt to customize user options, see "The Global File" in Part 5 – Upgrading of the Microsoft Project Resource Kit.

Presetting User Options in an OPS File

A Microsoft Project 2000 user can configure Microsoft Project by customizing a broad array of options. Users can select options such as toolbar settings, custom dictionaries, the location of templates, and the default format for saving files.

By using the Profile Wizard and the Custom Installation Wizard, you can change the default settings for these options and set new defaults on users' computers. Your changes are implemented when users install Microsoft Project 2000 on their computers.

To customize default options for users, follow these general steps:

By using the Profile Wizard, create an OPS file that contains your default settings for Microsoft Project options.
By using the Custom Installation Wizard, create a Microsoft Windows Installer transform (MST file) that contains your OPS file.

– or –

Run the Profile Wizard during Microsoft Project Setup to implement your default settings. You can create an MST file that runs the Profile Wizard immediately after Microsoft Project 2000 is installed.

NotesThe Custom Installation Wizard you use to customize Microsoft Project 2000 is the same tool that you use to customize Office. You can download the Custom Installation Wizard from the Office Resource Kit Web site. Note that, while the instructions in the Custom Installation Wizard specify its use with Office, it is designed to work with Microsoft Project 2000 as well.The Profile Wizard you use to capture and restore Microsoft Project settings is the same Profile Wizard provided in the Office Resource Kit Web site. However, when you use the Profile Wizard with Microsoft Project, you need to download a different .ini file from the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox.

Create an OPS file that contains your settings

Before you create your OPS file, you must start Microsoft Project and set all the options you want for your users, such as Calendar or custom View settings. You can set most options by using the Options command (Tools menu). To customize toolbars and menus, use the Customize command (Tools menu).

After you have customized Microsoft Project, run the Profile Wizard to save the settings to an OPS file.

To save settings to an OPS file

Run the Profile Wizard by using the following command line:

Proflwiz.exe [[/s] *** *** <settings filename> ] [/i < INI filename > ] [/q] [/p] [/e]

where <settings filename> is the name of the OPS file you want to create to store your settings and <INI filename> is the name of the .ini file you want to use

You can use one of the following .ini files with Microsoft Project (both can be downloaded from the Microsoft Project 2000 Resource Kit Toolbox):

Projprof.ini — captures only Microsoft Project-specific settings (settings shared with Office 2000, such as the Office Assistant settings, are not captured).

Offcprof.ini — captures Office as well as Microsoft Project settings (this is useful if you are deploying and Office at the same time).

The Profile Wizard saves all the Microsoft Project settings on your computer to the OPS file.

Toolbox The Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox contains a link to the Profile Wizard in the Office Resource Kit Toolbox. The Profile Wizard you use with Project is the same one that you use with Office.

Create a transform that contains your OPS file

You use the Custom Installation Wizard to create an MST file that customizes the Microsoft Project 2000 installation process. By using the wizard, you can customize many aspects of the installation that affect your organization. On the Customize Default Applications Settings panel of the wizard, you can add your OPS file to the transform.

To create a custom transform that contains the OPS file

Run the Custom Installation Wizard.
On the Customize Default Application Settings panel, select Get values from an existing settings profile, and type the file name and path of the OPS file you created.
On the same panel, select the Migrate user settings check box if your users are upgrading from a previous version of Microsoft Project and you want to apply their former application settings to Microsoft Project 2000.

The Custom Installation Wizard creates a transform that contains your OPS file and any other customizations you have made.

Toolbox The Custom Installation Wizard includes extensive online assistance that you can view by clicking the Help button on any panel of the wizard. For information about installing the wizard, see "Custom Installation Wizard" in this article.

Run the Profile Wizard during Setup

Instead of including an OPS file in the MST file, you can run the Profile Wizard during Setup to restore the settings from the OPS file. This alternative gives you the flexibility to place the OPS file in a common location, such as a network server, so that the OPS file can be modified without having to update the MST file.

To run the Profile Wizard during Setup, run the Custom Installation Wizard to add a command line for the Profile Wizard on the Add Installations and Run Programs panel.

To run the Profile Wizard during Setup

Copy the Profile Wizard executable file (Proflwiz.exe) and your customized OPS file to the Microsoft Project administrative installation point.

You can place the files in the same folder as Microsoft Project Setup.exe, or you can create a subfolder for them.
Run the Custom Installation Wizard.
On the Add Installations and Run Programs panel, click Add.
In the Command line box, type the file name and path to Proflwiz.exe, or click Browse to select the file.
In the Command line box, add command-line options directing the Profile Wizard to restore the OPS file to the user's computer, and then click OK.

For example, to run the Profile Wizard from the Profile subfolder in the Microsoft Project administrative installation point and restore settings from the file Newprofile.ops, type the following command line:

profile\proflwiz.exe /q /r profile\newprofile.ops

After Microsoft Project is installed, the Windows Installer starts all the applications you specify on the Add Installations and Run Programs panel in the order that you specify them.

See also

You can run the Profile Wizard interactively, or you can use command-line options to run it in quiet mode (without user interaction) to save or restore settings. For more information, see "Profile Wizard" in this article.

By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can create a Windows Installer transform that contains an OPS file or that runs the Profile Wizard during Setup. For more information about how to create and use a transform, see "Storing Values in a Windows Installer Transform" in this article.

You can use the Custom Installation Wizard to customize many aspects of your Microsoft Project installation, including selecting which features are installed and customizing installation options. For more information, see "Custom Installation Wizard" in this article.

Setting Registry Entries

In Microsoft Project Setup, you can include custom applications that require custom Microsoft Windows registry settings. You can also customize certain Microsoft Project 2000 options by changing registry settings. In these situations, you can use the Custom Installation Wizard to define registry values that are set on users' computers during Microsoft Project installation.

To set registry values during Microsoft Project installation, you add individual registry entries to a Windows Installer transform (MST file). You can also import a registry file containing multiple registry entries.

Add registry entries to a transform

By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can customize many aspects of the Microsoft Project installation process that affect your organization. To add registry entries to a Windows Installer transform, you use the Add Registry Entries panel of the wizard. You must know the complete path for each registry entry, as well as the value name and the data type for that entry.

To add Windows registry entries to a transform

Run the Custom Installation Wizard.
On the Add Registry Entries panel, click Add.
Enter the full path for the registry entry you want to add, enter the value name and data, and click OK.

For more information about how to enter these values, click the Help button.

Import a registry file into a transform

To add multiple registry entries to a Windows Installer transform, first you create a registry (.reg) file, and then you use the Add Registry Entries panel of the Custom Installation Wizard to import the registry file.

A registry file is a text file that contains a copy of a section of the Windows registry. If your computer already has the registry entries you want to copy to users' computers, then creating a registry file is an efficient way of copying those entries.

To create a registry file

On the computer that has the registry entries you want to add to the installation, click Run on the Start menu, and then type regedit.
In the registry editor, select the portion of the registry tree that you want to copy.
On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File, and follow the instructions to export the selected portion of the registry tree to a registry file.

To import a registry file to a transform

Run the Custom Installation Wizard.
On the Add Registry Entries panel, click Import.
Select the registry file you created, and click Open.

The wizard adds the registry entries from the registry file to the list on the Add Registry Entries panel.

If the wizard encounters an entry in the registry file that is a duplicate of an entry already in the list and the two entries contain different value data, then the wizard prompts you to select the entry you want to keep.

After Microsoft Project Setup is completed, the Windows Installer copies the registry entries that you added to the transform to users' computers.

The Global File

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 2000. 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.

How does Microsoft Project locate the Global file?

When Microsoft Project 2000 is opened, it first tries to locate a Global file using the following policy registry keys:

The Root Key policy key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office
\9.0\MS Project\GlobalSearch
Data: RootKey
Value: <Full path to Global.mpt>
Type: REG_SZ

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

If Microsoft Project finds that this registry key is set and it finds a Global.mpt at the location it points to, then it boots using that Global.mpt. If Microsoft Project cannot find a Global.mpt at this location, then it checks the following registry key.
The Permission policy key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office
\9.0\MS Project\GlobalSearch
Data: Permission
Value: <0 or 1> //0=not restricted, 1=restricted
Type: REG_DWORD

If this key is set to '1', it means that the administrator wants the user to boot with one and only one Global.mpt at the location that the Root Key registry key points to, so Microsoft Project displays an error and exits the boot process if it cannot find a Global.mpt at this location.

If the Permission key is not set or is set to '0', then Microsoft Project gets the user's current user interface language ID, and looks for Global.mpt in the appropriate LCID folder of the location that the Root Key points to, that is, <value of RootKey>\LCID. For example, if the user's current language is Japanese, this will be <value of RootKey>\1041. The administrator may set Permission to '0' to support multiple language environments where the user is allowed to run Microsoft Project in multiple languages. By setting Permission to '0', the administrator won't need to change the Root Key every time the user switches to a new language. If searching and locating a Global.mpt in the LCID folder succeeds, Microsoft Project boots using this Global.mpt; otherwise, it displays an error and exits the boot process.

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

The current folder. If the user has a short-cut specifying the "Start In" folder and if a Global.mpt file resides there, Microsoft Project 2000 will open that Global.mpt file. If the user double-clicks a project in the Windows Explorer and Microsoft Project 2000 is not already open, if a Global.mpt file is saved in that particular folder, then Microsoft Project 2000 will use it.
The user's profile folder. Microsoft Project looks in the Application Data folder under the user's profile. For example, on Windows 98, with User Profiles turned on, this location is:

\Windows\Profiles\Username\Application Data\Microsoft\MS Project

On Windows 2000, it is the Application Data folder for the user profile.
The user's profile language folder. This is the language ID subfolder in the Application Data folder for the User Profile. For example on Windows 98 with User Profiles turned on, it is:

\Windows\Profiles\Username\Application Data\Microsoft\MS Project\1033 (if the user's language is English)
The folder where the Winproj.exe file is located. By default, the Microsoft Project 2000 application is installed in the folder:

\program files\Microsoft Office\Office
The Winproj.exe language folder. By default, this folder is in the following location:

\program files\Microsoft Office\Office\1033

If Microsoft Project 2000 opens the Global file from this location (which it does by default the first time Microsoft Project 2000 is launched), it doesn't save changes to this copy, but saves them to the profile language folder.
If the Global file isn't found in any of these locations then 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), then Microsoft Project 2000 displays the message that it will create a "new" Global file that will be missing some items.

In Microsoft Project 2000, 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 2000 installation CD or the network installation point.

Items stored in Global.mpt

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.

Global.mpt on a shared server

If Microsoft Project 2000 is run from a network server in your organization, Microsoft Project looks for the Global file in the working directory on the local computer first. If the local Global file is removed from this directory, Microsoft Project uses the Global file on the network server.

Users with read/write permission on the network server could 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 Global file cannot be modified on the network server, users should have read-only permission on the network server. Changes made to the Global file on a read-only server cannot be saved. When they exit Microsoft Project, however, users can save a copy of the changed Global file in a different location.

Upgrading Global.mpt

Setup requirements

When installing Microsoft Project 2000 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 was created in Microsoft Project 98, the Setup program renames it to Global98.mpt, creates a registry entry with this new name (including the path to its location), and installs the new Global file.
If the existing Global file is a Microsoft Project 2000 Global file, the Setup program does not overwrite it with a new copy. The file will also not be renamed or 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.
If the existing Global file was created in Microsoft Project 98, the Setup program copies the Global file to the default location:

c:\program files\Microsoft office\office\1033\Global98\Global98.mpt

Then, a registry key is set that tells Microsoft Project that there's an old Global file that the user may want to upgrade. The key is:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\Microsoft\office\9.0\ms project\previous global

In this key is a string name that is:

Renamed Global File

And the value is the location where the Global98.mpt resides on the system. Then, when the user first starts Microsoft Project, a message is displayed to notify the user of existing customizations and allows the user to move these items across to the new Global file as described below.

Combining contents of previous and current Global files

The process of upgrading to Microsoft Project 2000 requires that you resolve several issues related to the Global file. If the new Global file is written over 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 2000 Global file, then many new additions to Microsoft Project are unavailable. To ease the transition to Microsoft Project 2000 from older versions of Microsoft Project, Microsoft Project 2000 supports a Global file upgrade scheme that allows users to easily incorporate existing customizations, either selectively or completely automatically, following these steps:

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.
Microsoft Project will always boot with the new version of the Global file.
The first time Microsoft Project starts and a renamed Global file is detected, Microsoft Project displays a message to notify 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.
The user has the choice to move all customized items to the new Global file automatically, move only selected items manually, or move none at this time.
- If the user selects the automatic upgrade option, Microsoft Project determines which items were user-edited in the old Global file and moves all those items over to the Microsoft Project 2000 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 exactly which items to carry over.

Automatic Global file upgrade

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.
Items in Microsoft Project 2000 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 2000 standards.

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

Views

Most customized views replace the view of the same name in Microsoft Project 2000 or are added to the list of views if the name does not exist in Microsoft Project 2000.
If any of the Microsoft Project 2000 Gantt views are replaced with the old version during an upgrade, Microsoft Project includes the bar styles for Deadline dates, Group by Summary task, Split, Rolled Up Split, Ghost Task, and Project Summary to ensure all the Microsoft Project 2000 features are present.

Tables

Any customized table replaces the table of the same name in Microsoft Project 2000 or is added to the list of tables if the name does not exist in Microsoft Project 2000. Some tables have new fields in Microsoft Project 2000. If any of these fields are replaced with the old version during an upgrade, then Microsoft Project will insert the new fields into the table. For example, if the Resource Entry table is replaced, Microsoft Project will insert 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 2000. 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 same-named toolbar does not exist in Microsoft Project 2000, the entire toolbar is moved over. If the command associated with a particular button is no longer supported in Microsoft Project 2000, the button is not moved over. In all cases, the Visual Basic or Microsoft Project 4.0 or 4.1 toolbars will not be moved over and any previous customization will be lost.

Filters

Any customized filter replaces the same-named filter in Microsoft Project 2000. If a same-named filter does not exist in Microsoft Project 2000, the filter is just added to Microsoft Project 2000.

Forms

Any customized form replaces the same-named form in Microsoft Project 2000. If a same-named form does not exist in Microsoft Project 2000, the form is just added to Microsoft Project 2000.

Reports

Any customized reports replace the reports with the same names in Microsoft Project 2000. If a same-named report does not exist in Microsoft Project 2000, the report is just added to Microsoft Project 2000.

Calendars

All existing calendars are brought over to Microsoft Project 2000. Edited calendars with the default names replace the Microsoft Project 2000 calendars, while others will be added.

Modules

Microsoft Project 2000 will scan each of the Microsoft Project-supplied modules, checking for any user-defined macros that have been added and these macros will be moved over to Microsoft Project 2000. This check will work at macro-level granularity, based on macro name, so user-edits 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.

After an automatic upgrade, Microsoft Project 2000 sets the flag in the registry so that the upgrade message will not come up again the next time the user boots Microsoft Project 2000.

Manually upgrading the Global file

If the user selects Upgrade manually in the upgrade message, Microsoft Project 2000 brings up the Organizer in a special global upgrade mode, with 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 Microsoft Project 2000 Global file list on the right. Depending on the current tab, clicking the Upgrade button will merge old information with new information or just overwrite the new information. The particular action is the same for each type of item as the one used for automatic updating, except that the upgrade only occurs for individual items that the user selects 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 the user clicks Close, the Organizer closes along with the old Global file. After the new Global file is upgraded manually, Microsoft Project 2000 continues to display the upgrade message when Microsoft Project is opened 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 the user who installs Microsoft Project 2000 over a different language version of Microsoft Project will not be able to upgrade the Global file automatically. When the user specifies an automatic upgrade in the upgrade message, Microsoft Project 2000 will look in the file for evidence that the language of the Global file and Microsoft Project 2000 are the same. If the old global file is in a different language, an alert is displayed to warn the user of this language incompatibility and allow the user to manually upgrade customized items using the Organizer.

Opening any Global file

With the ability to open an old Global file, Microsoft Project 2000 actually is capable of opening any Global file. 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 the user wants to access the contents of another Global file, either from a previous version or from the current version of Microsoft Project, the user can simply open it from the File Open dialog box. When opening an old Global file (Microsoft Project 98), the user is placed in the Organizer in the upgrade mode and everything behaves as described above. When opening a current Global file (that is, one marked with the same version as the currently running version of Microsoft Project), the user is placed in the Organizer in the normal Organizer mode. Thus, with two Microsoft Project 2000 Global files, information can be copied back and forth in either direction and alerts are displayed to prevent overwrites by allowing items to be renamed. The only restriction is that the user cannot go into the File Open dialog box and open the currently active Global file. And, although you can launch Microsoft Project 2000 by double-clicking the Global file, it is not recommended.

Forcing Microsoft Project 2000 to open with an old Global file

Although Microsoft Project automatically launches with the new Global file, allowing users to incorporate items from the old file, it is possible to force Microsoft Project 2000 to boot with an old Global file. To use an old Global file, you can replace the Microsoft Project 2000 Global file with a Microsoft Project 98 Global file that is still 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, this Global file is automatically saved to Microsoft Project 2000 format, and the file is no longer compatible with Microsoft Project 98.

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 2000 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

Information in a view or report can be customized by applying different tables and filters and the appearance of printed reports or views can be customized by adding notes, gridlines, borders, and column totals.

Sharing customized toolbars

Built-in toolbars and buttons can be customized or new custom toolbars and buttons can be created. A toolbar is a set of buttons and list boxes that provide command shortcuts for working with Microsoft Project. Clicking a toolbar button is usually quicker than clicking a command on a menu. By default, the Standard and Formatting toolbars are displayed below the menu bar at the top of the screen. Any built-in or custom toolbar can also be hidden, modified or moved to another location. Once a custom toolbar is created, it is automatically saved in the Global file.

Sharing customized filters

If none of the Microsoft Project built-in filters meet the needs of your organization, a filter can be modified or a new filter created. When a project is saved, the new or modified filter is saved only with the project file, but it can be copied to the Global file using the Organizer.

Sharing customized Visual Basic modules

If a macro is saved initially in a Global file, it is available for any other project file on a computer. Whether a macro is saved in an active project file or the Global file, it can be made available to other users in your organization by using the Organizer.

You can save time in planning new projects by using templates. A template should not be confused with Global file. It 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 become part of 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 begin.

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 opened, 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 a computer. Changes to Visual Basic modules can be either global or local, according to your preference. But you can customize views, tables, filters, calendars, reports, and forms and share 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 modify the policy registry key to specify that individual installations of Microsoft Project 2000 always open the customized Global file saved on the network. For more information, see the section "How does Microsoft Project locate the Global file" above.
If users have Microsoft Project 2000 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 simply 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 from a network server and open files from there as well, they will automatically get customization updates as the administrator updates the Global file on the network server.

Adding Functionality

There are a number of ways to add functionality to Microsoft Project 2000 and distribute this functionality to users throughout your organization. You can customize the Global.mpt file and distribute it when you deploy Microsoft Project. You can include in your deployment a separate project file that contains macros that your users can then use on their project files. And you can develop and distribute a COM add-in that contains new functionality for Microsoft Project.

Using the Global file to distribute new functionality

The Global file (Global.mpt) is used as a master template file for any new project that is created in Microsoft Project. It contains many Microsoft Project default settings and formatting for new projects. Customized settings in a project file can be stored for use in other files, as well, but the Global file cannot store tasks, resources, or assignments.

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

Note Most options within the Options dialog box of Microsoft Project 2000 are not stored in the Global file.

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 set policy registry keys to control the Global.mpt that Microsoft Project uses. When Microsoft Project 2000 is opened, it first tries to locate a Global file using the following policy registry keys:
1. The Root Key policy key:
  
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office
  \9.0\MSProject\GlobalSearch
  Data: RootKey
  Value: <Full path to Global.mpt>
  Type: REG_SZ
  
  The Administrator can set this key to point to a particular location for Global.mpt. The value in the registry key should include only the path to Global.mpt—for example, C:\MyFolder.
  
  If Microsoft Project finds that this registry key is set and it finds a Global.mpt at the location it points to, then it boots using that Global.mpt. If Microsoft Project cannot find a Global.mpt at this location, then it checks the following registry key.
2. The Permission policy key:
  
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office
  \9.0\MSProject\GlobalSearch
  Data: Permission
  Value: <0 or 1> //0=not restricted, 1=restricted
  Type: REG_DWORD
  
  If this key is set to '1', it means that the administrator wants the user to boot with one and only one Global.mpt at the location that the Root Key registry key points to, so Microsoft Project displays an error and exits the boot process if it cannot find a Global.mpt at this location.
  
  If the Permission key is not set or is set to '0', then Microsoft Project gets the user's current user interface language ID, and looks for Global.mpt in the appropriate LCID folder of the location that the Root Key points to, that is, <value of RootKey>\LCID. For example, if the user's current language is Japanese, this will be <value of RootKey>\1041. The administrator may set Permission to '0' to support multiple language environments where the user is allowed to run Microsoft Project in multiple languages. By setting Permission to '0', the administrator won't need to change the Root Key every time the user switches to a new language. If searching and locating a Global.mpt in the LCID folder succeeds, Microsoft Project boots using this Global.mpt; otherwise, it displays an error and exits the boot process.
  
  If the Root Key policy registry key is not set, then Microsoft Project looks for a Global.mpt in these locations in the following order:
3. The current folder. If the user has a short-cut specifying the "Start In" folder and if a Global.mpt file resides there, Microsoft Project 2000 will open that Global.mpt file. If the user double-clicks a project in the Windows Explorer and Microsoft Project 2000 is not already open, if a Global.mpt file is saved in that particular folder, then Microsoft Project 2000 will use it.
4. The user's profile folder. Microsoft Project looks in the Application Data folder under the user's profile. For example, on Windows 98, with User Profiles turned on, this location is:
  
  \Windows\Profiles\Username\Application Data\Microsoft\MS Project
  
  On Windows 2000, it is the Application Data folder for the user profile.
5. The user's profile language folder. This is the language ID subfolder in the Application Data folder for the User Profile. For example on Windows 98 with User Profiles turned on, it is:
  
  \Windows\Profiles\Username\Application Data\Microsoft\MS Project\1033 (if the user's language is English)
6. The folder where the Winproj.exe file is located. By default, the Microsoft Project 2000 application is installed in the folder:
  
  \program files\Microsoft Office\Office
7. The Winproj.exe language folder. By default, this folder is in the following location:
  
  \program files\Microsoft Office\Office\1033
  
  If Microsoft Project 2000 opens the Global file from this location (which it does by default the first time Microsoft Project 2000 is launched), it doesn't save changes to this copy, but saves them to the profile language folder.
8. If the Global file isn't found in any of these locations then the Windows Installer starts and attempts to restore a copy to the Winproj.exe language folder.
9. 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), then Microsoft Project 2000 displays the message that it will create a "new" Global file that will be missing some items.
If users have Microsoft Project 2000 installed on a local computer (or if they run Microsoft Project from a network server but keep files in a working directory on their local computer), they can use the customized Global file simply 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 from a network server and open files from there as well, they will automatically get customization updates as the administrator updates the Global file on the network server.

Using a project file to distribute new functionality

You can add macros to project files (.mpp) and to project template files (.mpt) in the same way you add them to the Global file. You can then distribute these files when you deploy Microsoft Project. When users open these files, they will have access to these macros.

Note When users open project or project template files, by default, they will get a prompt to disable macros in these files.

There are typically two ways to distribute these new files throughout your organization:

Use the Add Files to the Installation panel of the Custom Installation Wizard to add these new files to your deployment.
Send the files as an e-mail attachment after you deploy Microsoft Project.

You can also create an AutoRun macro that runs when users open the project file. The AutoRun macro could then copy other macro code to the Global template so that the macros are available for all projects.

Using COM Add-ins to distribute new functionality

The Component Object Model (COM) allows software components to communicate with each other. It's an interface that allows any two components to communicate regardless of the computer they're running on (as long as the computers are connected), the operating system the computer is running (as long as it supports COM), and the language the components are written in.

A COM add-in extends an application by adding functionality that is not in the core product. For example, an add-in might add new menu commands or toolbar buttons that display custom forms to add new features to an application.

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) developers can create COM add-ins by using Office 2000 Developer. COM add-ins can also be created by developers who are using one of the following programming languages:

Microsoft Visual Basic versions 5.0 or later
Microsoft Visual C++
Microsoft Visual J++
Any language that can create COM components

The only requirement to connect COM add-ins to Microsoft Project is that the add-in must implement the IDExtensibility2 interface.

COM add-ins can be loaded when the host application starts, or they can be loaded on demand. Support has also been added to allow the OnAction property of a custom command bar button to load a COM add-in.

The following Microsoft Project 98 macros have been converted to COM add-ins for Microsoft Project 2000:

PERT Analysis
Analyze Timescaled Data
Adjust Dates

The Database Upgrade Utility is a new COM add-in that is shipped with Microsoft Project 2000. Additional Com add-ins for Microsoft Project 2000 will be available online at the Downloads on Microsoft Office Online Web site. Check the site periodically for updated information. You can also create your own custom add-ins and deploy them. You can package COM add-ins into installation packages and use the Custom Installation Wizard to add these to a custom installation of Microsoft Project so that they get installed after Microsoft Project is installed.

See also

To learn more about working COM add-ins, see the Microsoft COM Web site and the Microsoft Office 2000/Visual Basic Programmer's Guide.

For more information on customizing Microsoft Project 2000 using Global.mpt, see "The Global File" in Part 5 – Upgrading of the Microsoft Project Resource Kit.

Setup Program

You use the Microsoft Project 2000 Setup program to install Microsoft Project on users' computers or to create an administrative installation point for users to install Microsoft Project over the network.

Working with Setup Components

The Microsoft Project 2000 Setup program, Setup.exe, installs Microsoft Project 2000. Behind the scenes, however, Setup uses the new Microsoft Windows Installer technology to perform installation tasks. Improvements in this process have made installing Microsoft Project more flexible and more reliable.

Setup.exe bootstrap program

The executable file Setup.exe is a bootstrap program. That is, it performs a few preliminary tasks and then calls the Windows Installer program, Msiexec.exe, to perform the actual installation. All command-line options documented in this Resource Kit are defined for Setup.exe, which passes appropriate options to Msiexec.exe.

You run Microsoft Project Setup by double-clicking setup.exe. If Microsoft Project 2000 is not currently installed on the computer, you can also run Microsoft Project Setup by inserting Microsoft Project 2000 CD in the CD-ROM drive. When Setup.exe starts, it performs the following functions:

If the Windows Installer is not installed on the computer, Setup installs it from the Microsoft Project CD.
If Microsoft Project is installed, Setup allows the user to add or remove Microsoft Project features.
If Microsoft Project is not installed, Setup runs the Windows Installer (Msiexec.exe) to install Microsoft Project.

Microsoft Project Setup automatically installs the Windows Installer on computers running Microsoft Windows 95/98. If you are running Setup on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, you must have administrative permissions for Setup to install the Windows Installer components.

Note Throughout this Microsoft Project Resource Kit, the terms Setup and Setup.exe refer to both the bootstrap Setup program and the Windows Installer program.

Msiexec.exe Installer program

The Msiexec.exe program is a component of the Windows Installer. When called by Setup.exe, Msiexec.exe uses a dynamic-link library, Msi.dll, to read the Windows Installer package (MSI file), apply the Windows Installer transform (MST file), incorporate command-line options supplied by Setup.exe, and install Microsoft Project.

Important Do not run Msiexec.exe directly. Instead, always run Setup.exe to perform install Microsoft Project. Running Setup.exe ensures that all system verifications are performed.

When Windows Installer is installed on a computer, it changes the registered file type of MSI files, so double-clicking the MSI file runs Msiexec.exe with that file. You can change the default file types on your users' computers to prevent them from inadvertently running Msiexec.exe with the Microsoft Project MSI file, rather than Setup.exe. You change default file types by using the Folder Options command on the View menu in Windows Explorer.

See also

You can run Microsoft Project Setup interactively to install Microsoft Project — or allow users to run Setup interactively. However, Microsoft Project Setup offers you many opportunities to customize Microsoft Project installation throughout your organization. For more information, see "Customizing Setup" in this article.

Creating an Administrative Installation Point

To create an administrative installation point for Microsoft Project 2000, run Setup with the /a command-line option and specify a Windows Installer package (MSI file). For example:

setup.exe /a install.msi

Administrative Setup guides you through the steps that are necessary to install Microsoft Project on your administrative installation point.

Enter CD key and organization name

After you enter the CD key, Setup allows you to specify your organization name. The organization name is stored in the MSI file for use by Setup during client installation. This organization name appears on users' computers in the About box (Help menu) in Microsoft Project.

When users run Setup from the Microsoft Project 2000 CD, they are prompted for an organization name. However, when users run Setup from the administrative installation point, the organization name that you specified is used by default.

In the Custom Installation Wizard, you can create a Windows Installer transform (MST file) that modifies the organization name during installation. This flexibility allows you to create different organization names for different groups of users in your organization. Set the organization name on the Specify Default Path and Organization panel, or set the COMPANYNAME property on the Modify Setup Properties panel. You can also set the organization name in the Setup command line or settings file when users run Setup, but to do this you must leave the organization name blank when you create the administrative installation point.

Accept end-user license agreement

Setup displays the end-user license agreement. By accepting the agreement here, you are accepting on behalf of the users who install Microsoft Project from this administrative installation point.

Specify installation location

Enter the path where you want to create the administrative installation point for Microsoft Project. Setup requires approximately 204 megabytes (MB) of disk space in this folder to copy all of the Microsoft Project files. Setup installs a hierarchy of folders in the folder that you specify.

Note When you specify the location of the administrative installation point during administrative Setup, do not include extended characters in the folder name. Setup does not allow you to install Microsoft Project from this location if the folder name contains extended characters.

After installing Microsoft Project, share this folder and provide read access for all users who need to run Setup from this server.

Install Microsoft Project

When you click Install Now, Setup copies the Microsoft Project files from the Microsoft Project CD to the network server, customizing the organization name and installation location according to the responses that you have given.

The administrative installation point uses short file names

When you run Setup with the /a command-line option, Setup sets the property SHORTFILENAMES=Yes in the command line when it calls Msiexec.exe to create the administrative installation point. This setting directs Msiexec.exe to create all files and folders with the MS-DOS – compatible file names used on the Microsoft Project CD.

You can disable this option by setting the property SHORTFILENAMES="" in the Setup command line or settings file. If the network server supports long file names, then Msiexec.exe uses long folder and file names where appropriate. For example, with this option disabled, Setup creates the wizard agenda.wiz using the name Agenda Wizard.wiz.

However, if you create the administrative installation point with long file names, then the Microsoft Project CD cannot be used as an alternate source if the server becomes unavailable. This is because some file and folder names on the administrative installation point do not match the short file and folder names used on the Microsoft Project CD.

See also

For more information about the Setup command line, the Setup settings file, and Setup properties, see "Customizing Setup" in this article.

Installing Microsoft Project on Client Computers

Users install Microsoft Project by running Setup from the Microsoft Project 2000 CD or from an administrative installation point that you create. Client Setup guides users through the process of installing Microsoft Project on their computers, using the information described below.

Enter name and organization

This name and organization appears on users' computers in the About box (Help menu) in Microsoft Project. If a user is installing Microsoft Project from the administrative installation point, Setup uses the organization name you specified without prompting the user.

Accept end-user license agreement

Setup displays the end-user license agreement. If a user is installing Microsoft Project from the administrative installation point, the license agreement you agreed to when creating the administrative installation point applies here.

Select installation mode

On the third panel in Setup, users click Install Now to perform an automatic installation of Microsoft Project, or they click Customize to select Microsoft Project features and specify how they are installed.

Install a predefined set of Microsoft Project features

When a user clicks Install Now, Setup skips the remaining panels and installs a predefined set of the most frequently used features of Microsoft Project in the default installation location.

Note Clicking Install Now upgrades to Internet Explorer 5.01 by default.

In the Custom Installation Wizard, you can create a Microsoft Windows Installer transform (MST file) that specifies the default features installed by Setup when the user clicks Install Now. You specify the default features on the Set Feature Installation States panel of the wizard.

You can change the label of the Install Now button and the accompanying text by setting the TYPICALINSTALLTEXT, TYPICALINSTALLDESCRIPTION, TYPICALINSTALLHEADER, TYPICALUPGRADEHEADER, or TYPICALUPGRADETEXT properties on the Modify Setup Properties panel. You can also set these properties on the Setup command line or in the Setup settings file.

Select Microsoft Project features to install

If a user clicks Customize, Setup prompts the user for the installation location and then displays a hierarchy of Office features. The user can select an installation state for each feature.

In the Custom Installation Wizard, you can change the label of the Customize button and the accompanying text by setting the CUSTOMINSTALLTEXT, CUSTOMINSTALLDESCRIPTION, and CUSTOMINSTALLHEADER properties on the Modify Setup Properties panel. You can also set these properties on the Setup command line or in the Setup settings file.

Note Customize also allows you to choose to upgrade Internet Explorer.

Enter installation location

Users enter the path where they want Setup to install Microsoft Project. The default location is the Program Files\Microsoft Office folder.

In the Custom Installation Wizard, you can specify a default value for the installation location on the Specify Default Path and Organization panel of the wizard. You can also specify the location by setting the INSTALLLOCATION Setup property on the Modify Setup Properties panel of the wizard, or you can set the property on the Setup command line or in the Setup settings file.

Select previous versions of Microsoft Project to keep

If the user is upgrading from a previous version of Microsoft Project, Setup displays the version of Microsoft Project currently installed — which Setup removes when it installs Microsoft Project 2000. If the user installs Microsoft Project 2000 in a folder that is different from the folder in which the previous version of Microsoft Project is installed, however, then the user can choose to keep the previous version of Microsoft Project.

If a user chooses to keep a previous version of Microsoft Project, Setup does not remove this previous version. However, Setup does redefine system settings, such as file types, to point to the Microsoft Project 2000.

Important It is not recommended to have Microsoft Project 2000 and Microsoft Project 98 installed on the same computer, even if they are installed to different folders.

Upgrade Microsoft Internet Explorer

If you choose the Customize option when installing Microsoft Project, the user can choose to upgrade to Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 if a previous version of Internet Explorer is installed on the user's computer. Some features of Microsoft Project require Internet Explorer 5 or later in order to fully function. If users choose not to do a typical installation of Internet Explorer 5.01, then they have the following options:

Minimal installation.
Do not upgrade Internet Explorer (if the user already has Internet Explorer 3 or 4 installed on the computer).
Windows Web Browsing Component — installs the basic support components of Internet Explorer 5.01 but not the entire browser. The user's default browser remains unchanged.

Toolbox The Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit describes many different ways that Setup allows you to install Internet Explorer 5.01 on users' computers. You can run the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit from the Customize IE 5 Installation Options panel of the Custom Installation Wizard. You can download the kit from the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox.

Select installation options for Microsoft Project features

If users choose the Customize installation mode, Setup displays Microsoft Project features on the Selecting Features panel, and users can set an installation state for each feature.

In the hierarchical feature tree, features can contain any number of subordinate child features. A child feature might also contain additional child features. For example, the Microsoft Project feature includes the child feature Add-ins. The Add-ins feature includes the child feature PERT Analysis.

To expand the tree and display the child features belonging to that feature, click the plus sign (+) to the left of a feature.
To collapse the tree, click the minus sign (–).

Users select the installation state for each feature by clicking the icon to the left of the feature and selecting one of six settings.

When you change the installation state of a feature, Setup sometimes automatically changes the state of other features in the feature tree to match. Setup makes this change to ensure that child features are installed in a state that is consistent with the feature that contains them. If, as a result of your changes, Setup attempts to change a feature to an installation state that the feature does not support, then Setup selects another supported state for that feature.

Note Changes that you make to the installation state of a child feature might also cause Setup to change the installation state of the feature that contains that child feature. Specifically, if a feature is set to either Installed on First Use or Not Available, and you set one of its child features to Run from My Computer, Run from CD, or Run from Network, then Setup changes the feature to the same state as the child feature.

Run from My Computer

Setup copies files to the user's hard disk, and the application runs the feature locally. Use this option if the user does not have a persistent network connection, to reduce network usage, or to run the feature with the highest performance.

When you select this option for a feature, Setup automatically changes all associated child features to Run from My Computer, unless the child feature is already set to Installed on First Use or Not Available.

Run all from My Computer

Setup installs this feature and all of its child features on the user's hard disk, and the application runs the feature locally.

When you select this option for a feature, Setup automatically changes all associated child features to Run from My Computer, regardless of the current installation state of the child features.

Run from CD or Run from Network

Setup leaves files on the Microsoft Project CD or on the administrative installation point, and the application runs the feature from there. Use this option to minimize the amount of local disk space used by the application, provided the user has a CD-ROM drive or a reliable network connection.

When you select this option for a feature, Setup automatically changes all associated child features to Run from CD or Run from Network, unless the child feature is already set to Not Available.

Run all from CD or Run all from Network

Setup leaves this feature and all of its child features on the Microsoft Project CD or on the administrative installation point, and the application runs the feature from there.

When you select this option for a feature, Setup automatically changes all associated child features to Run from CD or Run from Network, regardless of the current installation state of the child features.

Installed on First Use

Setup does not install the files associated with the feature until the user tries to use the feature through a menu command or shortcut. When the user activates the feature for the first time, the Windows Installer copies the files to the local hard disk and runs the feature locally. The feature then remains on the user's hard disk. Use this option to minimize the use of local disk space by installing only necessary features on the computer.

Important Installed on First Use is supported only on operating systems that support Windows Installer shortcuts, including Windows 98, Windows 95 with Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 1 or later; Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 and Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 1 or later; and Windows 2000. On Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, you must also have Active Desktop installed (but not necessarily enabled) before you install Microsoft Project. In Windows 2000, Active Desktop is automatically installed. If you install Microsoft Project on an operating system that does not support Windows Installer shortcuts, then features set to Installed on First Use are set to Run from My Computer instead.

When you select this option for a feature, Setup automatically changes all associated child features to Installed on First Use, unless the child is already set to Not Available.

Not Available

Setup does not install the feature or any of its child features. If a user selects a menu command that refers to the feature, an error message instructs the user to rerun Setup and change the installation state in order to use the feature. Setup does not install some associated components, such as templates or converters, and does not create shortcuts for the feature. Use this option to minimize the use of local disk space and to reduce clutter by eliminating features that the user does not need.

When you select this option for a feature, Setup automatically changes all associated child features to Not Available.

See also

For more information about the Setup command line, the Setup settings file, and Setup properties, see "Customizing Setup" in this article.

Custom Installation Wizard

The Custom Installation Wizard allows you to customize the way that all users in your organization install Microsoft Project 2000 on their computers.

Deploying a Custom Installation Throughout Your Organization

If you are deploying Microsoft Project 2000 throughout a large organization, it is probably most efficient to first install Microsoft Project on a network server and then to have users run Setup from your administrative installation point.

After you create an administrative installation point, you have many options for managing the deployment of Microsoft Project. By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can modify the administrative installation point to control how all the users in your organization install Microsoft Project on their computers.

By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can do the following:

Define the path where Microsoft Project is installed on users' computers.
Define the default installation state for all features of Microsoft Project.
Add your own files and registry entries to Setup so that they are installed along with Microsoft Project.
Modify Microsoft Project shortcuts, specifying where they are installed and customizing their properties.
Define a list of network servers for Microsoft Project to use if the primary server is unavailable.
Configure Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 the way that you want.

After you fine-tune the options by using the wizard, your modifications become the default settings for anyone who runs Setup from your administrative installation point. You can even have users run Setup in quiet mode (with no user interaction) so that your modifications define precisely how Microsoft Project is installed — no questions asked.

Toolbox The Custom Installation Wizard you use with Microsoft Project is the same one you use with Office and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Project 2000 Resource Kit or Office Resource Kit Toolbox. Note that, while the instructions in the Custom Installation Wizard specify its use with Office, it is designed to work with Microsoft Project 2000 as well. The Custom Installation Wizard includes a Help file that contains extensive reference information. To get access to Help topics without running the wizard, double-click Custwiz.hlp. For information about installing the wizard, see the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox.

Transforming a Standard Installation

When you select modifications in the Custom Installation Wizard, the wizard alters the behavior of Microsoft Project 2000 Setup to install Microsoft Project the way that you choose. The wizard can do this because Microsoft Project 2000 Setup uses the new Microsoft Windows Installer to install and manage Microsoft Project components.

The Windows Installer uses two types of files to install Microsoft Project:

Installer package (MSI file)

The package, or MSI file, contains a database that describes Microsoft Project files and configuration information, plus instructions that determine how Setup installs the files.
Installer transform (MST file)

The transform, or MST file, contains modifications to be applied to the package as Setup installs Microsoft Project.

The Custom Installation Wizard creates a new MST file based on your customizations. Setup reads the information in the MSI file, applies the changes specified in the MST file, and installs Microsoft Project by using the combined set of instructions. The original MSI file is never altered. This arrangement allows you to create any number of MST files; so you can design any number of Setup scenarios by using the wizard, all from the same administrative installation point.

For example, you can use the Custom Installation Wizard to create unique MST files for your accounting, engineering, and human resources departments. You can install a customized set of features and settings for each department. Your settings become the default when users in these departments install Microsoft Project by using the MST file that's customized for their departments.

Using a Windows Installer package

The Windows Installer package is a relational database that contains all the information necessary to install Microsoft Project 2000. The package associates product components with features and contains information about the installation process itself, such as installation sequence, destination folder paths, system dependencies, and installation options. The package also contains a number of properties that control the installation process.

After installation, the Installer continues to use the package to add or remove components and replace missing or damaged files. When you set Microsoft Project features to be installed on first use, the Installer uses the package to copy the files the first time the user activates the feature.

Using a Windows Installer transform

By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can create a Windows Installer transform that describes how to transform the package so that Setup installs Microsoft Project the way you want. Like the package, the transform is a relational database with information about components, features, and Setup properties. But the transform contains only the changes that you want to apply to the package.

When you run Setup by using both the package and the transform, the Installer applies the transform to the original package, and Setup uses your altered configuration to perform the installation. The Installer does not change the package itself, but only temporarily applies the changes in memory before carrying out the package instructions.

Creating multiple custom installations of Microsoft Project

To customize the Microsoft Project installation, you use the Custom Installation Wizard to create a new transform that contains all of the changes you want to make to the Microsoft Project installation. You then run Setup by using both the package and the transform.

Because the transform is typically much smaller than the package, you can easily create multiple custom installations by creating multiple transforms to use with the default package. In each transform, you can select a different set of installation options, add custom files or registry entries, and customize Setup properties.

For example, you can use the Custom Installation Wizard to create three MST files for three departments: accounting, engineering, and services.

In the accounting transform, you specify that Microsoft Project is to be installed to run on the user's computer and that Microsoft Project Help is to run on the network. In the engineering transform, you choose to install the PERT Analysis add-ins to run on the user's computer. And in the services transform, you add a set of Microsoft Project templates that are used to create corporate projects.

When users in the accounting department run Setup, they use their department's MST file, and Setup installs their customized version of Microsoft Project. Users in the engineering and services departments install different customized versions of Microsoft Project by using the MST files created for their departments.

Setting Options in the Custom Installation Wizard

When you run the Custom Installation Wizard, you first identify the Microsoft Windows Installer package (MSI file) that you want to customize. Then you can either open an existing Windows Installer transform (MST file) (if you want to work with those customizations as a starting point) or create a new MST file.

The Custom Installation Wizard you use with Microsoft Project is the same one you use with Office and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox. Note that, while the instructions in the Custom Installation Wizard specify its use with Office, it is designed to work with Microsoft Project 2000 as well.

Start with the MSI and MST files

After the Welcome panel appears in the Custom Installation Wizard, you identify the MSI and MST files on the following panels.

Open the MSI File

Enter the name and path of the Microsoft Project MSI file, install.msi, which is located in the root folder of the administrative installation point.
Open the MST File

If you are creating a new MST file, select Do not open an existing MST file.

– or –

If you are modifying an existing MST file, select Open an existing MST file and enter the name and path of the MST file.
Select the MST File to Save

Specify a file name for the MST file in which to save your customizations. You can save your changes in the same file you opened, or you save your changes in a new MST file.

If you plan to store multiple MST files in the same folder that contains the MSI file, give them unique file names. When users run Setup from your administrative installation point, the users specify in the Setup command line the name of the MST file designed for them.

Important The Custom Installation Wizard is designed for use with the MSI and MST files included with Microsoft Project 2000, Office 2000, and related products. If you use the Custom Installation Wizard to customize the MSI file of another product, some of the panels of the wizard might not appear and some of the Setup properties described in Help might not have any effect.

Specify your Setup options

After you specify the correct MSI and MST files, the Custom Installation Wizard guides you through the many installation options that you can customize and records your choices in the MST file.

In addition to customizing installation options, you can also set default application settings by using the Profile Wizard and the Custom Installation Wizard together. For example, you can set the default view that is displayed when users start Microsoft Project.

First, you customize settings in Microsoft Project and use the Profile Wizard to record them in a profile settings (OPS) file. Then, you use the Custom Installation Wizard to copy the OPS file into the MST file. Setup uses your OPS file to preset the default options on users' computers.

Toolbox You can use the Custom Installation Wizard to specify that Setup runs the Profile Wizard separately, after installation is completed, to restore the settings in the OPS file. For information about installing these wizards, see the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox.

Save yourself some time

Most of the time, the installation scenarios that you create for various departments differ only slightly. If you need to make several MST files that are almost — but not quite — identical, create the first MST file by using the Custom Installation Wizard. You can then use the wizard to open your customized MST file, alter one or two options, and save these options in a new MST file.

Many of the customizations that you can make by using the wizard can also be done in other ways. This increases your flexibility for creating custom installations.

For example, suppose that the only difference between the accounting department's installation configuration and the engineering department's installation configuration is a different organization name for each department to use. You can use the wizard to create a single MST file and then use a different Setup command line to set the COMPANYNAME property for each department.

Record your changes in an MST file

After you click Finish, the Custom Installation Wizard writes all of your changes to the MST file. The original MSI file is never altered — so you can always go back to using the standard Microsoft Project Setup program.

Note Because MST files contain only the changes you want to make to the standard installation, MST files are typically much smaller than MSI files. If you add large files to your custom installation, however, these files are stored in the MST file and increase its size.

For a complete list of Setup command-line options that you can use when you run Setup by using your customized MST file, click Help on the final panel of the wizard. This topic also describes the format of the Setup settings file, which you can use to specify Setup properties or define the level of user interaction that Setup uses.

See also

By using the Profile Wizard, you can customize Microsoft Project options and save them in an OPS file. You can then set these options for your users when you install Microsoft Project on their computers. For more information about using the OPS file during Microsoft Project installation, see "Profile Wizard" in this article below.

Profile Wizard

The Profile Wizard is a new tool for Microsoft Project 2000 that helps you deploy Microsoft Project with specific user profile information.

Overview of the Profile Wizard

Microsoft Project 2000 is highly customizable. Users can change the way Microsoft Project functions by setting options or adding custom templates or tools. For example, the sales department can create a custom template for invoices or a custom dictionary with industry-specific terms.

Users can change everything from the default view to the default file format for saving documents. These user-defined settings can be stored in a user profile. Microsoft Project user profiles can contain most of the customizations that users make to the Microsoft Project 2000 environment.

The Profile Wizard stores and retrieves Microsoft Project 2000 and Microsoft Office 2000 customizations. By using the Profile Wizard, you can create and deploy a standard user profile when you deploy Microsoft Project 2000 so that all of your users start off with the same settings.

The Profile Wizard you use with Microsoft Project is the same one you use with Office, and it can be downloaded from the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox. However, you need to download .ini files for Microsoft Project from the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox to use the Profile Wizard with Microsoft Project.

There are two scenarios in which you would the Profile Wizard. If you are installing Microsoft Project after installing Office 2000, use the ProjProf.ini file. This file contains Microsoft Project-specific settings that will not overwrite Office 2000 settings. It does not store and retrieve any shared Office settings, such as settings for the Office Assistant. Use the Profile Wizard with the following command line syntax to use this .ini file:

Proflwiz.exe [[/s] <settings filename>]
[/i <Projprof.ini>]

where <settings filename> is the name you want to give to the OPS file that the Profile Wizard creates to save your settings.

If you are installing Microsoft Project with Office 2000, use the OffcProf.ini with the Profile Wizard with the following command line syntax. This .ini file captures settings for both Office 2000 and Microsoft Project 2000.

Proflwiz.exe [[/s] <settings filename>]
[/i <Offcprof.ini>]

where <settings filename> is the name you want to give to the OPS file that the Profile Wizard creates to save your settings.

When you save a Microsoft Project user profile, you create a profile settings (OPS) file. You can include your OPS file in a Microsoft Windows Installer transform (MST), and the settings are distributed when Microsoft Project 2000 is deployed. You can also use the Profile Wizard to help back up and restore user-defined settings from one computer to another.

Note If an OPS file contains settings for an application that is not installed, those settings are still written to the registry.

Microsoft Project profiles and multiple languages

Microsoft Project user profiles generated by the Profile Wizard are independent of the operating system — including operating systems in other languages. For example, an OPS file created on Microsoft Windows 95 (U.S. English version) can be restored to a computer with Windows 2000 (Japanese version). However, Microsoft Project user profiles are specific to a particular Microsoft Project language version. For example, if you create an OPS file in the U.S. English version of Microsoft Project 2000, it cannot be restored to a computer with the German version of Microsoft Project 2000 installed. There is some overlap between language families. For example, you can restore a U.S. English Microsoft Project profile to an English or Australian version of Microsoft Project 2000. This Microsoft Project language limitation exists because the different Microsoft Project versions include localized folder names for the folders that contain the Microsoft Project user profile information.

You can customize the Profile Wizard to capture only certain user settings, and not all Microsoft Project 2000 settings on the computer, or to run in quiet mode (without user interaction) as part of the Custom Installation Wizard. You can also run the Profile Wizard from the command line.

When a user receives a new computer, you can use the Profile Wizard to preserve user-defined Microsoft Project 2000 settings from the old computer. Run the wizard on the old computer to create an OPS file, and then store the OPS file on the network. After the new computer arrives, run the wizard again to configure the new computer with the previous settings.

Toolbox For information about installing the Profile Wizard and downloading the .ini files required to use it with Microsoft Project, see the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox.Note The Profile Wizard is not the recommended method of deploying custom COM add-ins. These add-ins should be packaged into installation packages that can be set to automatically run after Microsoft Project has been installed using the Custom Installation Wizard.

See also

Microsoft Project user profiles are different from system user profiles. For information about user profiles in a particular Windows operating system, see the appropriate Windows resource kit.

Distributing a Standard User Profile During Deployment

The Profile Wizard gives you control over which settings are deployed with Microsoft Project 2000. You can create and distribute a default user profile when you deploy Microsoft Project 2000 so that all of your users start with the same settings.

For example, if you are an administrator in a large company, you can install Microsoft Project 2000 on a test computer and then customize the toolbars, option settings, templates, custom dictionaries, and any other options. You then run the Profile Wizard to create an profile settings (OPS) file to capture all of these configuration options.

After testing the lab installation, you run the Custom Installation Wizard and include the OPS file that you created earlier. The OPS file settings are included in the Windows Installer transform (MST file), so the customized settings are installed automatically when Microsoft Project 2000 is deployed on client computers.

See also

The Custom Installation Wizard allows you to control how all the users in your organization install Microsoft Project on their computers. For more information, see the "Custom Installation Wizard" in this article.

Distributing Unique User Profiles During Deployment

You can distribute different user profiles for different groups when you deploy Microsoft Project 2000. For example, a large corporation with several departments might want each department to specify how Microsoft Project is installed on that department's computers. You can configure Microsoft Project with the default corporate settings and then have each department update those settings with a unique user profile.

You can approach this task in two ways:

Create a standard user profile, create separate department profiles, and then substitute the department profiles for the standard profile during deployment.
Or you can create a standard user profile, create separate department profiles, and distribute both profiles during deployment.

The first approach is simpler, but it does involve keeping track of different versions of the customized installation — one customized by the corporate administrator and one customized by each department administrator. The second approach allows the department administrators to deploy Microsoft Project without modifying the corporate installation.

Note There are two scenarios in which you would use the Profile Wizard. If you are installing Microsoft Project after installing Office 2000, use the ProjProf.ini file. This contains Microsoft Project-specific settings that will not overwrite Office 2000 settings. Use the Profile Wizard with the following command line syntax to use this .ini file:Proflwiz.exe [[/s] <settings filename>][/i <Projprof.ini>]where the settings file name is the name of the OPS file you create to store settings.This .ini file does not capture any shared Office settings, such as settings for the Office Assistant; it only captures Microsoft Project-specific settings.If you are installing Microsoft Project with Office 2000, use the default Proflwiz.ini with the Profile Wizard with the following command line syntax:Proflwiz.exe [[/s] <settings filename>][/i <Offcprof.ini>]where the settings file name is the name of the OPS file you create to store settings.This .ini file contains settings for both Office 2000 and Microsoft Project 2000.

Distribute a department-specific user profile

In this scenario, the corporate administrator creates a default profile settings (OPS) file first.

To create a standard corporate user profile

Install and configure Microsoft Project on a test computer, and then run the Profile Wizard to create the default OPS file.
Customize the Microsoft Project installation to include the default OPS file.In the Custom Installation Wizard, the Customize Default Application Settings panel includes this option.

Before Microsoft Project is deployed, the individual department administrators create new OPS files based on the corporate version.

To create a department-specific user profile

By using the corporate transform (MST file), install Microsoft Project on a test computer.
Customize the Microsoft Project environment to suit the department needs.
Run the Profile Wizard to create a new department-specific OPS file.
Customize the Microsoft Project installation to include the new OPS file.
Deploy the customized Microsoft Project installation to all department users.

Distribute both corporate and department settings

In this scenario, the corporate administrator customizes the Microsoft Project installation to point to the Profile Wizard and OPS file with a relative path. Using a relative path allows each department to add the Profile Wizard and a departmental OPS file to their administrative installation point.

To customize the Microsoft Project installation for department-specific user profiles

Install and configure Microsoft Project on a test computer, and then run the Profile Wizard to create a default OPS file.
Customize the Microsoft Project installation to include the default OPS file.

In the Custom Installation Wizard, the Customize Default Application Settings panel includes this option.
Customize the Microsoft Project installation to include the Profile Wizard as an application to be run at the end of the installation, and point to the Profile Wizard and OPS file with a relative path. Use the following syntax:

OPW\Proflwiz.exe /r Department.ops /q

In the Custom Installation Wizard, the Add Installations and Run Programs panel includes this option.
Create separate administrative installation points on the network for each department.
Create an OPW folder at each administrative installation point, and copy the Profile Wizard to that folder.

When Microsoft Project is deployed, the individual department administrators update the Microsoft Project installation with their own customized versions.

To install a department-specific user profile

By using the corporate transform (MST file), install Microsoft Project on a test computer.

If the corporate administrator included an OPS file, this installation includes those settings.
Customize the Microsoft Project environment to suit the department needs.
Run the Profile Wizard to create an OPS file based on the new settings, and name the file Department.ops.
Copy the new Department.ops file to the OPW folder on the department administrative installation point.
Deploy Microsoft Project to department computers.

When Microsoft Project is installed, the settings in the corporate OPS file are included. Immediately after installation, the Profile Wizard automatically runs, and the corporate settings are updated with the department administrator's changes.

Using the Profile Wizard with the Custom Installation Wizard

Although you can run Profile Wizard by itself to capture and restore user profile settings, it is a much more powerful tool when you use it in combination with the Custom Installation Wizard.

The Custom Installation Wizard helps you customize the Microsoft Project 2000 Setup program. When you customize the Microsoft Project installation to include a default user profile, you save a step in your deployment process by distributing the profile during installation.

You have two choices for using the Profile Wizard and the Custom Installation Wizard together. Whichever method you choose, the Custom Installation Wizard uses the profile that you specify to modify the way Microsoft Project is installed.

Including an OPS file in the Custom Installation Wizard

When you add a profile settings (OPS) file to the Custom Installation Wizard, the OPS file is included in the Microsoft Windows Installer transform (MST file). This choice offers a couple of advantages:

With the OPS file included in the MST file, you have only one file to keep track of.
Because the profile is part of the customized Setup, users can install from any administrative installation point.

Setting the Profile Wizard to run after Microsoft Project installation

When you add the Profile Wizard to the list of applications to run at the end of the Microsoft Project installation, your OPS file is independent of your MST file. This option offers a number of advantages:

You can update the OPS file without having to create a new MST file.
If the OPS file is stored in a central place, users can install Microsoft Project from any administrative installation point.

However, running the Profile Wizard separately has some limitations. If the OPS file is stored in an administrative installation point, the administrative installation point must be replicated around the network.

See also

For more information about using the Custom Installation Wizard to add an OPS file or the Profile Wizard to your installation, see "Presetting User Options in an OPS File" in this article.

Running the Profile Wizard from the Command Line

You can run the Profile Wizard from the command line with no loss in functionality. Every option available in the wizard has a corresponding command-line option.

Use the following syntax:

Proflwiz.exe [[/r] [/s] <settings filename>] 
             [/d] [/i <INI filename>] [/q] [/p] [/e]

The following table describes these command-line options.

Option	Action
/r	Restore settings from specified OPS file.
/s	Save settings to specified OPS file.
/d	Reset defaults settings before any restore.
/i	Use specified file instead of Proflwiz.ini. For example, use the Microsoft Project-specific file ProjProf.ini to set and restore settings independent of Office 2000 settings.
/q	Run in quiet mode; suppress error messages and progress bar.
/p	Display progress bars; suppress error messages.
/e	Display error messages; suppress progress bars.
/?	Display syntax.

Note When you use the Profile Wizard to restore the settings from the OPS file, and use the Reset to defaults before restoring settings option, be aware that any customizations you have made to the ResetToDefaults sections of the Proflwiz.ini file are ignored. The settings in the ResetToDefaults section of the .ini files are added to the OPS file when the OPS is written. If you want to use your customized ResetToDefaults settings, use the Custom Installation Wizard to include the OPS file as part of the Microsoft Project 2000 Setup process.

The <settings filename> parameter is required if either the /s option or the /r option is used. If no additional options are used, both progress bars and error messages are displayed.

You can use the /r option and the /d option together.

If the /s option and the /d option are specified in the same command line, the /d option is ignored.

The /p and /e options are mutually exclusive.

To use the Profile Wizard with Microsoft Project, you have to use the /i option and specify either Projprof.ini or Offcprof.ini as the .ini file. Both of these .ini files can be downloaded from the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox. Use the Projprojf.ini file if you are deploying Microsoft Project after deploying Office. This .ini file only captures Microsoft Project-specific settings. It does not capture and store any shared Office settings, such as settings for the Office Assistant.

If you are installing Microsoft Project with Office, use the Offcproj.ini file. This .ini file captures settings for Office as well as Microsoft Project

Customizing the Profile Wizard

You can customize the Profile Wizard to include only the settings you want to track. Customizing the Profile Wizard may be helpful if you are deploying Microsoft Project 2000 with Microsoft Office 2000 and you want to specify exactly which settings are captured and restored.

To customize the Profile Wizard, you edit the .ini files. There are two .ini files provided in the Microsoft Project 2000 Resource Kit Toolbox:

If you are installing Microsoft Project after installing Office 2000, use the ProjProf.ini file. This file contains Microsoft Project-specific settings that will not overwrite Office 2000 settings. It does not store and retrieve any shared Office settings, such as settings for the Office Assistant. For more information, see the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox.

If you are installing Microsoft Project with Office 2000, use the OffcProf.ini. This .ini file contains settings for both Office 2000 and Microsoft Project 2000.

Open one of the files in Notepad or another text editor, and then add or delete references to settings that you want to include or exclude. When you edit the .ini files, you can include or exclude specific applications, such as registry settings or Application Data folders and template files.

Each section of the .ini files contains comments documenting the usage and syntax for entries in that section. The default entries are designed to gather a complete set of user configuration data, including both files and Windows registry values, for Microsoft Project 2000 or Office 2000.

Note Some settings in the Offcprof.ini file are shared among applications in Office 2000. When you customize this .ini file, make sure that you change only nonshared settings or that you set any shared settings to work correctly for all applications before you save the profile settings (OPS) file.

Editing the .ini files

You can edit the .ini files to exclude selected settings when you run the Profile Wizard. You can also edit them to include additional files, folders, or registry subkeys and values when you create the OPS file.

Note If an OPS file is set to include an empty folder, that folder is created when the settings are restored.

The following table describes the contents of both .ini files. For a full description of each section, including examples of syntax, see the .ini files themselves.

INI file section	Contents
[IncludeFolderTrees]	Folders and subfolders in the Application Data tree. Files in these folders and subfolders are included in the user profile.
[IncludeIndividual Folders]	Same as [IncludeFolderTree] but includes only folders, not subfolders.
[IncludeIndividual Files]	Same as [IncludeIndividualFolders] but includes only files.
[ExcludeFiles]	Files excluded from the user profile. Allows exclusion of individual files within included folders.
[FolderTreesToRemove ToResetToDefaults]	Folder trees to be deleted before writing data from OPS file. Every file in the tree is deleted. Use this section with caution.
[IndividualFilesToRemove ToResetToDefaults]	Files in the Application Data tree to be deleted before writing data from OPS file.
[SubstituteEnvironment Variables]	Environment variables to substitute in registry value data of the type REG_EXPAND_SZ.
[IncludeRegistryTrees]	Keys and subkeys in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER root of the Windows registry. Values for these keys and subkeys are included in the user profile.
[IncludeIndividual RegistryKeys]	Same as [IncludeRegistryTrees] but includes only specific keys, not subkeys.
[ExcludeRegistryTrees]	Keys and subkeys in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER root excluded from the user profile. Values and subkeys under these keys are excluded.
[ExcludeIndividual RegistryKeys]	Same as [ExcludeRegistryTrees] but excludes only specific keys, not subkeys.
[ExcludeIndividual RegistryValues]	Same as [ExcludeRegistryKeys] but excludes only named values, not subkeys.
[RegistryTreesToRemove ToResetToDefaults]	Registry trees in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER trees to be deleted before writing custom values. All values and subkeys listed in this section are removed.
[IndividualRegistryValuesToRemoveToResetToDefaults]	Registry values in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER subkey values to be deleted before writing custom values. All values and subkeys listed in this section are removed.

Note When you use the Profile Wizard to restore the settings from the OPS file and use the Reset to defaults before restoring settings option, be aware that any customizations you have made to the ResetToDefaults sections of the .ini files are ignored. The settings in the ResetToDefaults section of the .ini file are added to the OPS file when the OPS is written. If you want to use your customized ResetToDefaults settings, use the Custom Installation Wizard to include the OPS file as part of the Microsoft Project 2000 Setup process.

Using Default Paths in Profiles

The Profile Wizard helps you distribute default settings to your users as you deploy Microsoft Project 2000. Among other types of settings, you can use the OPS file to set default paths for documents, templates, clip art, or other files on your users' computers.

By distributing such settings when you deploy Microsoft Project, you can cut down on support costs, because you'll always know where certain types of files are stored on each user's computer.

Default paths and the ORAPI database

Like previous versions of Microsoft Project, Microsoft Project 2000 uses many path settings to define user-specific configurations. These settings are stored in the Windows registry. However, if there are user-specific paths in the registry, these paths might be recorded literally in the OPS file and your settings might not apply to all users when the OPS file is distributed during Microsoft Project deployment.

To handle path information for Microsoft Windows registry settings with more flexibility, Microsoft Project 2000 stores default paths as part of the Office Registry API (ORAPI) database. The path setting is not written to the Windows registry unless you or the user changes it from the default value. Some of these paths appear in the user interface, and they might even appear to be user-specific. However, because Microsoft Project looks up the default value for each user, these settings function more like variables.

For example, in the Options dialog box (Tools menu) in Microsoft Project, the Save tab includes a File Location setting for projects. The default value is the user's Personal folder (Microsoft Windows NT and Windows 2000) or My Documents folder (Microsoft Windows 95/98).

In versions of Microsoft Project earlier than Microsoft Project 2000, the actual path and folder names were stored in the Windows registry. Microsoft Project 2000 uses the ORAPI database instead, in effect making the value generic for all users. The information is written to the Windows registry only if the user or administrator changes the path or folder name from the default.

This means that even paths visible to the user in the user interface do not need special attention to be generalized for all users, as long as the default setting has not been changed.

Customizing a default path to apply to all users

When you create a profile settings (OPS) file on a test computer, you can customize a default file location, or you can customize any other setting that includes a path. However, you must also customize the actions of the Profile Wizard to generalize this setting so that it applies to all users. To generalize the setting, you use environment variables instead of a literal path.

For example, suppose you want to set the default location for saving projects to a folder called Engineering Documents located in each user's system profile folder. By using the user name AdminM on your test computer, you set this option on the File Locations tab in the Options dialog box (Tools menu). The following path is written to the Windows registry and saved in the OPS file:

C:\Winnt\Profiles\AdminM\Engineering Documents

Because this path points to your user name, this file location won't work for your users. To make the file location work for all of your users, you can replace the specific path with an environment variable, such as the %USERPROFILE% variable for Windows NT and Windows 2000, resulting in the following path:

%USERPROFILE%\Engineering Documents

Note If the Profile folder is part of the desired path, as it is in this example, make sure that system user profiles are turned on for the client computers.

Defining environment variables in Windows 95/98

Windows 95/98 does not create the %USERPROFILE% environment variable automatically. You must create and define this variable manually so that it resolves to the correct location for each user.

To create the %USERPROFILE% environment variable for Windows 95/98 clients, use a Windows NT logon script for your users. The logon script processor does not directly support environment variables, but the Winset.exe utility allows you to create global environment variables from a batch file — including a logon script. When Windows 95/98 clients log on to the network, the environment variable %USERNAME% exists temporarily — long enough for your settings to be installed on users' computers.

Use the following syntax to create the environment variable when you log on:

<path>\Winset.exe USERPROFILE=%windir%\Profiles\%USERNAME%

If user profiles are not enabled on the Windows 95/98 computer, you must also include the commands to create the Profiles folder and the %USERNAME%. In this case, use the following syntax:

cd %windir%
md Profiles
md Profiles\"%USERNAME%"

When the Profile Wizard distributes the settings before or after Microsoft Project installation, they are written to the Windows registry in unexpanded form and retain the type REG_EXPAND_SZ. Microsoft Project 2000 then expands the environment variables whenever it encounters one of these Windows registry values.

Adding environment variables to the Proflwiz.ini file

One of the components of the Profile Wizard is the Proflwiz.ini file. You can customize the INI file to change what is stored in a profile settings (OPS) file. The Proflwiz.ini file includes a section for defining environment variables. You add environment variables to the SubstituteEnvironmentVariables section of the Proflwiz.ini file before you run the Profile Wizard to collect the user profile settings.

This section of the INI file already contains some environment variables, such as the Windows environment variables %USERPROFILE% and %USERNAME%. You can remove the default environment variables from this list. If you remove both %USERPROFILE% and %USERNAME% from the list, and you do not add any other environment variables, then no settings are generalized through environment variables.

When you run the Profile Wizard, it compares any Windows registry values of type REG_EXPAND_SZ with the strings stored in the environment variables listed in the Proflwiz.ini file. If a match is found, the Profile Wizard substitutes the environment variable name for the literal string.

The Profile Wizard checks for the longest possible string that matches the path, starting with the first element in the path, before substituting the environment variable name. If two variables resolve to paths with equal length strings, they are sorted by the order in which they appear in the Proflwiz.ini file.

For example, in the previous example of the Engineering Documents folder, the Profile Wizard matches the string C:\Winnt\Profiles\AdminM with the %USERPROFILE% environment variable. The Profile Wizard then records the value %USERPROFILE%\Engineering Documents instead of the actual path from the test computer. Now you can deploy Microsoft Project 2000 with this setting to any Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 computer with no additional adjustment.

Note If you use environment variables to customize how the Profile Wizard works, you must also ensure that the appropriate environment variables are correctly set on all users' computers.Tip Customize default file locations after performing all of your other Microsoft Project configurations. This step minimizes the risk of inadvertently overwriting a default path with a computer-specific path when you are customizing other Microsoft Project features.

See also

A copy of the ORAPI spreadsheet with all of the default settings for Microsoft Project 2000 will be added to the Microsoft Project Resource Kit Toolbox. For updated information about the ORAPI spreadsheet, check the Toolbox periodically.

You can use a system policy to set a path with environment variables. For more information about environment variables and system policies, see "Using Environment Variables in System Policies" in Part 4 – Management and Support of the Microsoft Project Resource Kit.

Microsoft Project 2000 Resource Kit

On This Page

Customizing Setup

Modifying Setup Options

Resolving conflicting Setup options

Managing the installation process with Setup properties

Specifying Values on the Setup Command Line

How to distribute Setup command-line options

When to use Setup command-line options

Specifying Values in the Setup Settings File

How to distribute the Setup settings file

When to use the Setup settings file

Storing Values in a Windows Installer Transform

How to distribute a transform

When to use a transform

Customizing Feature Installation

Using a Transform with Setup

Create an administrative installation point

Create a custom transform

Run Setup with your custom transform

Selecting Features

Set the installation state for features

Hide features from users during Setup

Customizing Shortcuts

Modify an existing shortcut

Add or remove shortcuts

See also

Adding Files to the Installation

Customizing Options Settings

Customizing User Options

Specifying settings in an OPS file included in the MST file

Setting registry entries in the MST file

Specifying settings in an OPS file and running the Profile Wizard

Migrating user settings

Modifying settings through system policies

Using Global.mpt to roll out customizations throughout the organization

Presetting User Options in an OPS File

Create an OPS file that contains your settings

Create a transform that contains your OPS file

Run the Profile Wizard during Setup

Setting Registry Entries

Add registry entries to a transform

Import a registry file into a transform

The Global File

Overview of Global.mpt

How does Microsoft Project locate the Global file?

Items stored in Global.mpt

Global.mpt on a shared server

Upgrading Global.mpt

Combining contents of previous and current Global files

Automatic Global file upgrade

Manually upgrading the Global file

Cross-language Global file upgrading

Opening any Global file

Forcing Microsoft Project 2000 to open with an old Global file

Using the Global file to distribute customizations to your organization

Using templates to share custom elements

Using the Global file to roll out customizations to your organization

Adding Functionality

Using the Global file to distribute new functionality

Using COM Add-ins to distribute new functionality

Setup Program

Working with Setup Components

Setup.exe bootstrap program

Msiexec.exe Installer program

Creating an Administrative Installation Point

Enter CD key and organization name

Accept end-user license agreement

Specify installation location

Install Microsoft Project

Installing Microsoft Project on Client Computers

Enter name and organization

Accept end-user license agreement

Select installation mode

Enter installation location

Select previous versions of Microsoft Project to keep

Upgrade Microsoft Internet Explorer

Select installation options for Microsoft Project features

Custom Installation Wizard

Deploying a Custom Installation Throughout Your Organization