Frequently Asked Questions
Skip to Section: Licensing — System Requirements — Office Integeration Troubleshooting — Ordering — Obfuscating a Project File
FAQ: Steelray Project Analyzer
Does SPA change my project file?
In Microsoft Project, SPA uses the Marked column to perform its filtering, but this has no impact on your project schedule. Other than that, SPA won't change the project file in any way. In Primavera, a filter is added to support the filter link feature.
What versions of Microsoft Project does SPA support?
Microsoft Project 2000, Project 2002, Project 2003, and Project 2007. Project Server 2003 and 2007 is supported as well.
What versions of Primavera does SPA support?
Currently, Primavera P6 is the only supported version of Primavera.
Does SPA run on Linux? Unix? Mac?
No, SPA only runs on Windows.
Is SPA available in languages other than English?
Not at this time, but multi-language support is planned in future releases.
In version 1, my score button is missing. What do I do?
Upgrade to version 2. If you cannot upgrade and must stay on version 1, visit this page: Troubleshooting a Missing Score Button.
It's taking a long time to read tasks in Project 2003.
Make sure that the latest Microsoft Project 2003 service pack (SP3) is installed. SP3 addresses this problem.
In version 2, build 360 or later, SPA doesn't read my Project File What do I do?
You may try to use the old version of our task reading technology, visit this page: Project File Compatibility Help.
How many licenses do I need?
One license is required for each user that will be using the product. It's okay to install a second copy (for example, on a laptop), as long as it's the same person who uses the product.
Will my license ever expire?
No. A full license entitles you to use the product perpetually.
Included with the license is a one year service period, which entitles
you to technical support and new versions of the product.
At the end of the one year, your service period expires.
You may purchase an upgrade license to extend your service period.
Can we get a single key for multiple users?
Yes. Request a single key when you place your order.
Do you sell site licenses, enterprise licenses, etc.?
Yes. We have several different types of licensing programs. Contact Sales for more information.
Can multiple people share a license?
A full license is required for each user.
What are the system requirements for Project Analyzer?
System Requirements:
Prerequisites: Microsoft .NET Framework v3.5 SP1 (Note: Administrator privileges are required for this prerequisite.)
- Available Disk Space for Analyzer and Prerequisites: 500MB
- Processor Speed: 1Ghz or better
- Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP SP2 or greater, Vista, Windows 7
- Project Version: Project 2003 SP3 or greater
- Memory: 512MB Required, 1GB recommended
- Display Resolution: 1024x768 or higher.
FAQ: Office Integration Troubleshooting
I get "The RPC server is unavailable. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x800706BA)" error when trying to score a Project file, what does this mean?
This is an error from Project. While cryptic and uninformative, it means that Project has stopped allowing us to communicate with it for unknown reasons.
Here are a list of things to consider.
- There is a prompt in Project. Project will not allow us to communicate with it if a prompt is up, clear the prompt and try again.
- The operation took too long. If you're opening a large file or Project is responding slowly, Project may return this error to us. Try opening the file manually and retry your operation.
- Communication between SPA and Project has been broken. Try closing SPA and Project, start Project, then SPA.
When generating an Excel report, I get the error "Not enough storage is available to complete this operation. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007000E (E_OUTOFMEMORY))", what does this mean?
Excel will only consume a fixed amount of memory. This cannot be controlled by SPA. Here are some suggestions to work around this.
- Turn off task sheet generation.
- Turn off formatting and colors.
- Score a smaller subset of tasks.
How can I order?
You can order from our online order form, by phone, by purchase order (see below), or through a reseller.
How do I order with a purchase order?
You can email it to po@steelray.com or fax it to +1 404 806 6245.
Can I order your software from <Insert Reseller Here>?
Yes. We sell through every major reseller, and if we aren't already in the catalog of your reseller, let us know and we'll make it happen so you can order from them.
Do you offer volume discounts? How much does your product cost?
Yes, we offer volume discounts, starting at 10 licenses. For prices, visit our Order Page.
How long will it take before I get my license key?
If you order online, your order is processed immediately, and your key is generated for you immediately. A copy of your license key is sent to you via email as well.
Do you sell site licenses, enterprise licenses, etc.?
Yes. We have several different types of licensing programs. Contact Sales for more information.
When we're unable to reproduce an issue you may be having with one of our products, it helps if we can use the same project file you're using to reproduce the issue. We understand that your project files contain sensitive information, so it becomes necessary to obfuscate (disguise) the contents of the project file. We've created a utility in Microsoft Project Visual Basic to obfuscate the file.
Instructions for Advanced Users Only
If you're comfortable importing and running macros in Microsoft Project, run the code at the bottom of this page on a copy of your project file.
Detailed Instructions
- Right click here and choose "Save Target As" or "Save Link As" to download and save the source code as "obfuscate.bas".
- Important: Make a copy of the Microsoft Project file that you wish to copy. The obfuscator will overwrite critical information in the file, so you don't want to run it on your master copy.
- Open the copy you made of the project file.
- In Project: Tools → Macro → Visual Basic Editor.
- File → Import File
- Select the obfuscate.bas file that you downloaded and click Open. A new Module Folder and new module will be added in the pane on the left.
- Open the new module by double-clicking on it. You should see the source code to the obfuscator.
- Run the code by selecting Run → Sub/UserForm from the menu.
If the module was imported successfully, you'll see the following dialog box:
- Click the "Yes" button to proceed.
- If the obfuscation was successful, you'll see the following confirmation:
Make sure the project file is significantly obfuscated, and send it to us.
This is the source code to the obfuscator, if you prefer to create the module yourself:
Sub Obfuscate()
Dim prompt As String
Dim answer As String
prompt = "The Obfuscator will rename all task and resource names in this file." & vbCrLf & _
"You should either obfuscate a backup copy of your project file or " & vbCrLf & _
"save this file as a copy after the obfuscation (using Save As)." & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & _
"Are you sure you wish to proceed?"
answer = MsgBox(prompt, vbYesNo, "Project Obfuscator")
If answer = vbNo Then
Return
End If
nextTaskNum = 1
nextResourceNum = 1
For Each t In ActiveProject.tasks
If Not t Is Nothing Then
If t.ExternalTask = False Then
t.Name = "Task " + Str(nextTaskNum)
nextTaskNum = nextTaskNum + 1
If t.Notes <> "" Then
t.Notes = "Note was obfuscated"
End If
'
'If Not t.Notes Is Nothing Then
' If t.Notes.Length > 0 Then t.Notes = "Note was obfuscated"
'End If
End If
End If
Next t
For Each r In ActiveProject.Resources
If Not r Is Nothing Then
r.Name = "Resource " + Str(nextResourceNum)
nextResourceNum = nextResourceNum + 1
End If
Next r
MsgBox ("Obfuscation is complete.")
End Sub