Microsoft KB Archive/141261

= PRJ: How to Interpret Message Received When You Open .mpx File =

Article ID: 141261

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Project 2000 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 98 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 4.1 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 3.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 3.0a
 * Microsoft Project 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 3.0 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Project 4.0 for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q141261



SUMMARY
If Microsoft Project comes across invalid data when you attempt to open an .mpx file, you receive error messages similar to the following:

An error occurred during import (line #32)

Work not valid

Select Yes to continue, No to continue without error messages, or Cancel to stop import.

-or-

Row 3 Column 6

Rate value not valid

Choose Yes to continue messages, No to stop messages, Cancel to stop import.

NOTE: Row and column messages are generated for Task and Resource records only (record 70 for a Task and 50 for a Resource). Line messages are generated for the remainder of the .mpx file records.



MORE INFORMATION
Each line in an .mpx file starts with a record number except for the first line. Within each record are fields that contain the information for the project. A description of the records can be found in the following documents:

 Mpxfile.wri (Windows)

-and-

 MPX File Format (Macintosh)

If Microsoft Project generates a message indicating a Line number when you open an .mpx file, such as:

An error occurred during import (line #32)

Work not valid

Select Yes to continue, No to continue without error messages, or Cancel to stop import.

The first line of this example message indicates that the .mpx file's 32nd line contains invalid data. The line number correlates with the number of lines from the top, when you view the .mpx file in a text editor that does not wrap text. In this example, assume that line 32 starts with the record number of 75. Using the .mpx description document, you can determine that record number 75 is a Resource Assignment Record.

If you receive an error message indicating a row and column, the meaning for the Row will be different depending on your version of Microsoft Project.

You can determine whether the row and column message is referring to a task or resource by the second line of the message: for example, "Rate not valid," relates to a resource, while "Duration not valid" relates to a task.

If You Are Using Microsoft Project 4.0 or 4.1
If you receive a message indicating a Row and Column in Project 4.0 or 4.1, such as:

Row 3 Column 6

Rate value not valid

Choose Yes to continue messages, No to stop messages, Cancel to stop import.

Row 3 in this example is identifying the third resource or a record number of 50 with an ID number of 3. To locate the line in the .mpx file that is generating this message, open the .mpx file in a Text editor and find records that start with "50" that identifies it as a Resource record and then the ID number 3, such as 50,3,2,Bob,

If You Are Using Microsoft Project Version 3.0
In Microsoft Project 3.0 opening the same .mpx file would generate the message below:

Row 20 Column 6

Rate value not valid

Choose Yes to continue messages, No to stop messages, Cancel to stop import.

Microsoft Project 3.0 is identifying a specific line or row in the .mpx file (you can see this line if you view the file in a text editor such as Windows Notepad). In this example, the 20th line or row down from the top is where the error would be found.

Column 6 in both examples can be identified by looking at record 40 (or 41, or 70/71 for a Task) which is the Text Resource Table Definition--this record lists the resource fields, in order, that are being imported or exported.

