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PRJ: Running a Macro Automatically When You Start MS Project

Article ID: 128622

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q128622

SUMMARY

To make a macro run automatically whenever the Microsoft Project icon is used to start Microsoft Project, edit the command line for the icon's properties so that a project containing an Auto_Open macro is opened automatically at startup. On the Macintosh, open the file which contains an Auto_Open macro.

MORE INFORMATION

The following steps will cause an Auto_Open macro to be executed only if you start Microsoft Project by double-clicking the Microsoft Project icon or on the Macintosh, double-clicking the Microsoft Project file which contains the Auto_Open macro.
  1. Create a new project.

    NOTE: For this example, the project is named as STARTUP.MPP, but you can use any valid filename.
  2. From the Tools menu, choose Macros, and choose the New button. Choose Options, and under Store Macro In, select Current Project File.
  3. In the Macro Name box, type Auto_Open and Choose OK.
  4. In the Module Editor, enter the code that you want to be run each time Microsoft Project is started.

    NOTE: The Auto_Open macro can also run other macros. For example, if there is only one macro in GLOBAL.MPT called "MyStartup," and if it takes no arguments, then Auto_Open can run it using: Macro "MyStartup"
  5. From the File menu, choose Save to save changes to STARTUP.MPP, and quit Microsoft Project.
  6. Note: This step is for Microsoft Windows only. In Program Manager, select the Microsoft Project icon and from the File menu, and choose Properties. Edit the command line such that STARTUP.MPP is included in the command line. The command line should resemble the following:

    c:\winproj\winproj.exe c:\data\Startup.mpp

  7. Choose OK.


If you do not want the Auto_Open macro in STARTUP.MPP to be run, press and hold the SHIFT key when you start Microsoft Project.

Microsoft Project does not automatically create a blank Project1 when the icon is set up to automatically open a project. To create a new project, you can use the FileNew method in the Auto_Open macro in STARTUP.MPP.

If want to close STARTUP.MPP after you start Microsoft Project, add code to the Auto_Open macro to close it. For example, the following lines activate STARTUP.MPP and then close it without saving changes: 
   Projects("Startup.mpp").Activate
   FileClose save:=pjDoNotSave
For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

126105 "Auto_Open and Auto_Close Macros"

Keywords: kbcode kbhowto kbprogramming KB128622


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