PRJ4: Actual Start is Reset to NA

In Microsoft Project, the task actual start date will be reset to NA when you change the duration on a task that has the following characteristics

• it has an actual start date
• it is 0-percent complete
• it has a new resource assigned to it

In Microsoft Project the actual start of a task is calculated as NA if the % complete is 0 and a new resource is applied to the task.

NOTE: This behavior is different from Microsoft Project 3.0. In Microsoft Project 3.0, when the % Complete and the % Work Complete fields for a task are set to 0, the Actual Start for that task is not cleared.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

The Actual Start date field will be reset to NA under the following conditions:

• When a task has an actual start date and is 0-percent complete, removing actual task work or resource work from a task or resource that has actual work > 0 will cause the Actual Start field to be reset to NA.
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  Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. Display the Work table and insert the Actual Start field.
  2. Enter a task and set Actual Start to the current date.
  3. Assign a resource to this task.
  Actual Start will be reset to NA.
  -or-
• When the Actual Work is set to zero on a task with 0 % Complete, the Actual Start field is reset to NA. However, the Start and Finish dates are not recalculated until some future action forces a recalculation.
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  Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. Start Microsoft Project and display the Tracking table.
  2. Enter a 1d task and assign a resource to the task.
  3. Set the Actual Start date to 1 week later than the current date.
  4. From the Window menu, choose Split.
  5. Click in the bottom pane. From the Format menu, choose Details, and choose Resource Work.
  6. Set the Actual Work equal to 4h in the lower pane and choose OK.
  7. Set Actual Work equal to 0h in the lower pane and click OK.
  The Actual Start is set to NA but the Start and Finish fields for this task are still one week later.
  -or-
• When a task is 0 % Complete, and the % Work Complete for a task is set to 0, the Actual Start will be reset to NA.
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  Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. Start Microsoft Project, and choose the Task Sheet view.
  2. Enter a task and assign a resource.
  3. Display the Tracking table and add the % Work Complete field to table.
  4. Set % Work Complete to 5% (Note this sets an actual start date).
  5. Set % Work Complete to 0%
  The Actual Start field is reset to NA.