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AndreB's avatar
AndreB
Copper Contributor
Sep 27, 2025

Automatic overwriting "Task name", after saving

Hello Community,

I am asking assistance for an easy issue but so annoying: when I save a MS Project file, the row modified loses its Task Name, overwriting itself, with apprarently no reason. It is so crucial to not overwrite because I lose my work team references.

Here a breakdown:

  1. I have create a MS Project file named "PROJECT MASTER PLANNER".
  2. I have imported SubProjects on the rows.
  3. I modify one or more SubProject directly on "PROJECT MASTER PLANNER".
  4. I click "Save to All" or just "Save".
  5. The SubProjects modified lose their Task Name, overwiritng automatically with "78.25_rev01".

 

78.25_rev01 was my first MS Project ever imported on "PROJECT MASTER PLANNER", that i do not use anymore.

 

Below a couple of screenshot.

Many thanks to whom will help me, it is blowing my mind !

AndreB.

SCREENSHOT 1/2

 

SCREENSHOT 2/2

 

1 Reply

  • John-project's avatar
    John-project
    Silver Contributor
    Sep 29, 2025

    AndreB,

    In a dynamic master file each inserted subproject is shown as a summary line. The subproject Task Name is the subproject's Project Summary Line Task Name, also known as the Project Title. Apparently at some point you manually changed the Task Name in the master file but that doesn't change the subproject Title or it's Project Summary Task name.

    Here is an example of a master file with three inserted subprojects. The first subproject Title (Project Summary Line) is "Slack1". I changed the Task Name of that subproject's summary line insertion point to "First File" and saved all. Note that it did not change the Title of the first subproject.

    Hope this helps your understanding.

    Upon re-reading your post you mention that "78.25_rev01" was a subproject you originally had in your master file but don't use anymore. Did you delete it from your master and if so, how?

    In a dynamic master file subprojects are not actually part of the master, rather, the master contains pointers to each individual subproject making it a linked structure that unfortunately is prone to corruption if rigorous file maintenance is not followed. Inserted subprojects must never be moved, renamed, overwritten or "saved off" to another location. Doing so will create a broken link structure (i.e. file corruption).

    I suspect the "78.25_rev01" was not properly unlinked from the master and it is therefore still present as a link fragment in the total link structure.

    John

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