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mpp files stored in SharePoint open read only in Project Client

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Since I encountered this ever recurring question on our internal community sites and no clear explanation on it, here it is:

Scenario: you have Microsoft Project Client installed and you create a new project. When saving, you decide to store the Project file (.mpp) in a SharePoint document list.

You are able to successfully save the file.

When you are trying to open the file directly from the SharePoint Document library, the project is opened always in read-only mode so you cannot save it back.

The explanation: When a  SharePoint document is opened in the client application, the server will set a "lock " on the file for the specific user so that no other user can edit the file at the same time.

When Microsoft Project opens the file it also gets the information that the file has a lock on it so it will automatically open the file in read-only mode.

The background behind that is that Microsoft Project Client can work with mpp files in two modes:

-Server mode, where the files are stored in a Project Web Application site and can be simultaneously accessed by multiple people at the same time, performing different tasks.
-Client mode where the files are stored on the file system and can be accessed for example via fileshares.

In the case where the user uploads a file to a Sharepoint library, the file remains in Client mode so the Microsoft Project Client application expects the file not to be locked, therefore when Sharepoint sets the lock on the file the client interprets it as the file being opened by somebody else and opens it as Read-Only.

The solution in this case is either use Project Server Web Applications to store the projects and work with them or, choose to sync the document library locally on your computer and open the mpp files from your local copy. This will not set the said lock and you will be able to save the files back to Sharepoint through the sync process.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 13, 2016
    You just helped me tremendously
  • Anonymous
    February 09, 2016
    I found an easier solution. Once you sync MS Project with a list within SharePoint, the file is stored in the Site Assets apps.

    In SharePoint, click on TASKS (you should be looking at the tasks list library that is synced with the file stored at Site Assets).

    Click on the top ribbon on LIST.

    There you'll have the option to OPEN WITH MS PROJECT. The file will open in edit mode, and you'll be able to work normally and sync back to SharePoint.

    I am using MS Project Professional and the hosted version for SharePoint 2013.
  • Anonymous
    February 25, 2016
    Basically what you are saying is the software is completely unusable. Typical.
  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2016
    Missing the point With SharePoint and MS-Project ? Its for sharing a list / gantt chart with the rest of project team! Your solution do not come close. You are actuallt saying that the solution is to re-link ms-Project to a list everytime and store the information? Any old infpormatin will be copied back to MS-Project client and the Complete idee about Collaboration is gone.
  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2016
    @Unuseable: Basically what I am saying is there are constraints in how one can work with Sharepoint and Project ( and Project Client). And if one is aware of the constraints, the solution is fully useable.
  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2016
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    July 01, 2016
    Hi guys,There is an Office 2013 update for thishttps://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/projectsupport/2015/01/06/saving-projects-to-sharepointand-opening-them-again-part-1/We issued a fix in the March 2016 Update for Project Professional 2013 – https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3114843 When you open a Project file from a SharePoint document library, the file is sometimes opened as read-only when it should be read and write. In other cases, the project is sometimes opened as read and write but you can’t save changes. Note To fix this issue, you also need to install March 8, 2016, update for Office 2013 (KB3114816). –