Microsoft KB Archive/108407

Project Err Msg: Cannot Resolve Overallocation of X…

PSS ID Number: Q108407 Article last modified on 10-20-1995

3.00 3.00a | 3.00

WINDOWS | MACINTOSH

The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Project for Windows, versions 3.00 and 3.00a - Microsoft Project for the Macintosh, version 3.0

SUMMARY

When Microsoft Project cannot solve an overallocation problem for a resource during a specific time period, any task using that resource during that period, whether moveable or not, will not be leveled. A time period is equivalent to one minute.

When Microsoft Project cannot delay the tasks involved in an overallocation of a resource during a time period, you will receive the error message:

Cannot Resolve Overallocation of <resource> on <date> at . Continue?

MORE INFORMATION

This error message alerts you that Project cannot delay the tasks it needs to, in order to complete the leveling process. Some possible causes for this error message include:

• The tasks involved have constraints, such as Must Start On and Must Finish On. These constraints will not allow Microsoft Project to move the tasks, and thus cannot be delayed through leveling.
• The tasks involved have actual dates, such as an Actual Start date and an Actual Finish Date. When an actual value is entered for a task, Microsoft Project will not move it.
• Leveling is set to Delay Only Within Slack. From the Options menu, choose leveling, and look at the Delay Only Within Slack check box. If this item is selected, then Microsoft Project can only delay tasks within the amount of slack for each task. If the task does not have any slack time available, then the program will be unable to delay it, and the error message will occur.
• The project is using Finish to Start Scheduling. From the Options menu choose Project Info, and look to see which button is highlighted, Start or Finish. If the project is using Finish scheduling, then Microsoft Project will schedule those tasks as late as possible. Thus, leveling will not work because the tasks cannot be delayed past the project finish date.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. From the Options menu, choose Leveling and select Manual.
2. From the File menu, choose New.
3. Create two tasks with names task1 and task2, respectively.
4. Assign the same Resource to both tasks.
5. Change the percent complete for task1 and task2 to 10%.
6. From the Options menu, choose Level Now.

REFERENCES

“User’s Reference,” version 3.0, pages 217-221

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00a

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1995.