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.
More Information
The following steps will cause an Auto_Open macro to be executed when you start Microsoft Project by double-clicking the Microsoft Project shortcut icon or by double-clicking the Microsoft Project file which contains the Auto_Open macro.
In Project 2013 and 2010 use the following steps:
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Create a new project. Note: for this example, the project is named as STARTUP.MPP, but you can use any valid filename.
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From the View menu, choose Macros, and click View Macros.
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Begin to type a new name for the macro called "Auto_Open" and click Create. Microsoft Visual Basic For Applications window will launch.
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In the VBA editor, enter the code that you want to be run each time Microsoft Project is started.
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From the editor's File menu, choose Save STARTUP.MPP, from the File menu click Close and Return to Microsoft Project.
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Save the plan and Close Microsoft Project. The next time you open this plan the Auto_Open macro will run if you answer Yes to enable macros.
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" -
Create a shortcut on your desktop for Microsoft Project. The executable is called WINPROJ.EXE.
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Right click the shortcut and click Properties. In Target, append the path to your saved plan STARTUP.MPP. For example: c:\winproj\winproj.exe c:\data\Startup.mpp. click OK.
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".
Follow these steps for earlier versions of Microsoft Project
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Create a new project. NOTE: For this example, the project is named as STARTUP.MPP, but you can use any valid filename.
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From the Tools menu, choose Macros, and choose the New button. Choose Options, and under Store Macro In, select Current Project File.
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In the Macro Name box, type Auto_Open and Choose OK.
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Follow steps 4 through 8 above.
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"
