Setting Up Microsoft Project 2000

Article
02/20/2014

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Applies to:
Microsoft Project 2000 SR-1

Overview

Use the information in this document for setting up Microsoft® Project 2000, including setting up Microsoft Project in a networked environment.

Before installing Microsoft Project as a stand-alone installation or on a network, read the License Agreement and complete the Registration Card. Reading and complying with the License Agreement ensures that you're operating Microsoft Project legally. Returning your completed Registration Card guarantees that you can receive phone support and product update information.

To learn about installing Microsoft Project Central, and how to use it to set up a communication center for project managers and team members, read Setting up Microsoft Project Central 2000.

General Setup Considerations

Microsoft Project 2000 requires Microsoft Windows® 95 or 98, Windows NT® Workstation version 4.0 (SP3 or later), or Windows 2000 Professional.

New shared components of Microsoft Project 2000 will be installed in the folder \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared. If you already have some shared components, from an earlier version of Microsoft Project or a version of Microsoft Office earlier than Office 97, the Setup program will leave the old files in the \Windows\Msapps folder and install the Microsoft Project 2000 shared files to the new location.

If you're installing Microsoft Project 2000 on Windows NT 4.0, you need to obtain the updated files found in Service Pack 3 (or later), a cumulative build of all fixes to Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server 4.0.

For World Wide Web access:

Connect to the Microsoft Web site for Windows NT update information.
Follow the instructions at the top of the page.

Disk Space Requirements

Microsoft Project 2000 has the following disk space requirements based on the type of installation chosen:

Typical	Complete
107 MB	204 MB

All numbers are in megabytes (1 MB = 1,024K).

These numbers represent the maximum amount that will be installed. Many of the required files may already reside on the system from an installation of Microsoft Office 2000, or if you are running Windows 2000.

Set up Microsoft Project from a Network Server

The most common method of deploying a customized version of Microsoft Project 2000 to a large number of users is to create a central copy of Microsoft Project on a network server. Then users can install Microsoft Project on their computers over the network. This method provides a number of advantages over having users install Microsoft Project individually from the Microsoft Project 2000 CD:

You can manage one set of Microsoft Project files from a central location.
You can create a standard set of Microsoft Project features and options for all users.
You can take advantage of flexible installation options, such as setting features to be installed on first use.
You have more control when you upgrade Microsoft Project in the future.

When you install Microsoft Project from a network server, you first create an administrative installation point and customize your version of Microsoft Project Setup. Then you run Setup on users' computers.

Create an Administrative Installation Point

The administrative installation point is a server share that contains all of the Microsoft Project files. Users connect to the share and run Setup to install Microsoft Project on their computers.

To create an administrative installation point for Microsoft Project

Create a share on a network server for the administrative installation point. The network share must have at least 550 megabytes (MB) of available disk space.
On a computer running Microsoft Windows 95/98, Microsoft Windows NT, or Windows 2000 that has write access to the share, connect to the server share.
On the Start menu, click Run, and then click Browse.
On the Microsoft Project CD in the CD-ROM drive, select setup.exe and click Open.
On the command line following setup.exe, type /a install.msi and click OK.

For example:

e:\setup.exe /a install.msi
When prompted by Setup, enter the organization name that you want to define for all users who install Microsoft Project from this location.
When prompted for the installation location, enter the server and share you created.

Setup copies all the files from Microsoft Project 2000 CD to the network server, creating a hierarchy of folders in the root folder of the share. Setup also modifies the Windows installer package for Microsoft Project (install.msi), identifying the network share as an administrative installation point. After you create the administrative installation point, you make the share available to users by providing them with read access.

If you need multiple administrative installation points from which users can install Microsoft Project, then you can run setup again for each administrative installation point. Alternatively, you can copy the complete folder hierarchy and files from one administrative installation point to multiple servers. If you copy the folders, then each new administrative installation point you create has the same default organization name that you specified in Setup.

When users run Setup to install Microsoft Project, any Microsoft Project features that are installed to run from the network use this administrative installation point as the source of Microsoft Project files, and Microsoft Project runs the features over the network from this server. Similarly, for features that are set to be installed on first use, Microsoft Project copies files from this server when needed. If you install features in one of these two states, then you must keep this network server available to your users.

Customize Setup

Before users run Setup to install Microsoft Project, you can modify the administrative installation point to customize the installation process and default settings. You have three options for customizing Setup:

Create a custom command line.
Edit the Setup settings file.
Create a Windows installer transform (MST file) by using the Microsoft Custom Installation Wizard.

Create a custom command line

Setup command-line options allow you to define properties that Setup uses to control the installation process. You can also specify whether Setup runs interactively or in quiet mode (without user interaction). Users install Microsoft Project on their computers by running Setup with your command-line options.

You have several options for distributing command-line options to users:

You can document the command-line options and have users enter them on the command line when they run Setup.
You can create a batch file that runs Setup with the options you choose.
You can run Setup for your users (for example, through a network logon script or through a systems management service) and specify your own command-line options.

For example, you can run Setup in quiet mode, specify a unique organization name, and restart when the installation is complete by entering the following command line:

setup /qn REBOOT="Force" COMPANYNAME="Northwind Traders"

Edit the Setup settings file

The Setup settings file (Setup.ini) is a text file in which you enter properties and values. You can edit the Setup settings file to specify the same properties as you do on the Setup command line — every command-line option has a corresponding setting in the settings file.

The advantage of modifying the Setup settings file is that your custom values are used whenever a user runs Setup from the administrative installation point with no command-line options.

For example, you can run Setup quietly, specify a unique organization name, and restart when the installation is complete by adding these lines to the settings file:

[MSI] 
MSI=Data1.msi 
[Display] 
Display=None 
[Options] 
REBOOT=Force 
COMPANYNAME=Northwind Traders

You can create more than one settings file with different values, and then you can specify which settings file you want to use with the /settings command-line option. For example:

setup.exe /settings newsetup.ini

Create a transform by using the Custom Installation Wizard

The Custom Installation Wizard allows you to specify the same property settings that you can define on the command line or in the settings file, but the wizard also allows you to make many more customizations.

For example, you can select the Microsoft Project features that you want to install, modify shortcuts, customize options for Microsoft Internet Explorer 5, and even add your own custom files to the installation. The wizard saves your selections in a transform.

When you run Setup, you need to specify the transform that you want Setup to use. You can specify an MST file on the Setup command line, or you can set the TRANSFORMS property in the Setup settings file.

For example, this command line specifies the transform Custom.mst:

setup.exe TRANSFORMS="Custom.mst"

In the settings file, these lines specify the same transform:

[Options] 
TRANSFORMS=Custom.mst

Caution: Do not alter anything in the administrative installation point other than editing the settings file or adding a transform. Setup relies on the folder hierarchy and files to remain as they are when the administrative installation point is created.

Run Setup on users' computers

After you create and customize the administrative installation point, users can install Microsoft Project by running Setup from the root folder of the server share. Users can run Setup themselves by using the command-line options, settings file, or transform that you have chosen. For a more controlled installation, you can run Setup for them through a network logon script or systems management software, such as Microsoft Systems Management Server.

Installation Issues

There are a few things to consider when you install Microsoft Project in a shared environment.

Install Microsoft Project in shared Windows for the first time

The first time Microsoft Project is installed to a user's computer in a shared Windows environment, Setup will attempt to copy a few of the Microsoft Project files into the shared Windows folder. Although users normally have read-only access to the shared Windows folder, the first client installation of Microsoft Project requires write access to copy these files.

After the first installation is completed, the user's access rights to the shared Windows folder can be set back to read-only. Subsequent users installing Microsoft Project only need read-only access to the Windows folder because the needed files will already be present and Setup won't attempt to copy them again.

Install Microsoft Project when Microsoft Office is shared

If Microsoft Project is being installed to a machine that is running Microsoft Office from a shared network location, the first user installation must have write access to the Microsoft Office folder. Microsoft Project shares some common files with Microsoft Office and Setup must be able to write any necessary files to the Microsoft Office folder.

After the first installation is completed, the user's access rights to the Microsoft Office folder can be set back to read-only. Subsequent users installing Microsoft Project need only read-only access to the Microsoft Office folder because the needed files will already be present and Setup won't attempt to copy them again.

Install the Workgroup Message Handler

If you don't want to use the Web to communicate project information with team members, you can use a MAPI-based Microsoft Project 2000 Workgroup Message Handler to communicate project information across e-mail. The Workgroup Message Handler in Microsoft Project is responsible for formatting, retrieving, and sending information to and from resources that are working on a project. Every manager and resource who will be receiving MAPI workgroup messages must also have the Workgroup Message Handler installed on their computer.

The Workgroup Message Handler in Microsoft Project 2000 supports the following client mail systems:

Microsoft Exchange running on Windows 95, Windows NT, or Windows 2000.
Microsoft Mail for Windows NT.
Lotus cc:Mail 7.0 or later for Windows 95, Windows NT, or Windows 2000.
Lotus Notes 4.5a or later for Windows 95, Windows NT, or Windows 2000.
Microsoft Outlook® 97 or later.

Note: The Workgroup Message Handler cannot work with Microsoft Mail running under Windows 95. Users in this situation must update their mail system to use Microsoft Exchange client that ships with Windows 95 for the Workgroup Message Handler to function properly. For more information about installing Microsoft Exchange for use with a Microsoft Mail post office, see your Windows 95 or Windows 98 documentation.

Note: You may reproduce and distribute an unlimited number of copies of the Workgroup Message Handler which is comprised of those files designated in the SOFTWARE PRODUCT as: wgsetup.stf, wgsetup.lst, wgsetup.exe, mfc42.dll, msvcrt.dll, openmail.exe, olmenu.ecf, opml32.dll, olmenu.dll, msflxgrd.ocx, olepro32.dll, regwiz.exe, oleaut32.dll, stdole2.tlb, extract.exe, setup.ini, prj98_ca.dll, acmsetup.exe, msetup.dll, acmsetup.hlp; provided that each copy shall be a true and complete copy, including all copyright and trademark notices.

After the manager installs the Workgroup Message Handler and sends the workgroup message in Microsoft Project 2000, then all resources must run the Workgroup Message Handler setup program to be able to respond to those workgroup messages.

All resources should run the WGsetup.exe program to install the Workgroup Message Handler. This program is available from the WGsetup folder of the Microsoft Project CD. You can make the Workgroup Message Handler Setup program available to resources in two ways:

Copy the entire WGsetup folder from your Microsoft Project 2000 CD to a network location and ask your resources to run WGsetup.exe from the network.

-or-
Copy the files from the WGsetup folder of your Microsoft Project 2000 CD to two floppy disks.
- Copy the following files to disk 1:
  
  Extract.exe, Prj2k_1.cab, Setup.ini, WGsetup.exe, WGsetup.inf, WGsetup.lst, and WGsetup.stf
- Copy the following file to disk 2:
  
  Prj2k_2.cab
After you have copied all files to the floppy disks, send your resources these two disks and ask them to run WGsetup.exe from disk 1.