This is my process for fixing SureTrak files, it is a section in my updated SureTrak book due out soon:

SureTrak has a tendency to occasionally corrupt large project files and by experience the author has found this is more frequent with those saved on a server with a slow connection. The schedule will do strange things such as not displaying logic links or changing logic links. These may be simply fixed by one or more of the following techniques after the project has been backed up:

1. Delete an offending Layout with explorer and recreate a Layout if one layout is causing issues.

2. Run the programme PFXW.EXE which is found in the SureTrak program file directory on your computer, usually at C:\Program Files/SureTrak, with the options selected below. The project must be saved in Program Group or Concentric (P3) format for this function to work.

3. Delete the ****STW.P3 (for exampleA000STW.P3) file. This will delete all SureTrak specific data such as the filters, reports and print setting but often resolves corrupt file issues. These data items will have to be re-established by transferring from another project or recreating them.

4. If the above techniques fail then the schedule may be Batched using the program “Batch”, details of this are available from the Primavera web site www.prinamvera.com. This programme takes the data into text format and then recreates the file again.

Paul E Harris
Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia
Planning and Scheduling Training Manual & Book Publishers & Consulting
www.eh.com.au

Sue, i had encountered such an error in my schedule in suretrak. I know you cannot click on the activity sometime. If you try it selects a number of activity together and not let you create links. do this: try your arrow keeys on the keyboard to reach that activity but you still cannot connect links. So you can refresh the screeen either by changing the layout or changing the filter and you can get back on it. and I am very sure that suretrak can handle more then 2000 activites, well actually 10,000. Cause I have a schedule in suretrak with almost 8000 activities.

Hi

What about moving the project onto another PC preferably running NT or 98, or even reloading SureTrack software on your PC - desperate measures time.

John

Hi Ron

My apologies for doubting - it is 10K, I was under the impression that the new version was using the limits of the old version i.e. my 750 activities.

I am not impressed with the new 32 bit stuff either, a bit more thought could have made a lot better product.

Looking at the brochure, I see it runs on the operating systems NT/95/98, I wonder what Sue is running it on.

Regards

John

Once and for all, SureTrack has a 10,000 activity limit. I have used it for 10 years. I know this to be a fact. Once you get near the 10,000 activity limit, there is a chance of lost data. Yes, SureTrack is a great deal. That is why we are so dissapointed with the newer Contractor (the look-alike software to P5) which DOES have a 750 activity limit.

If you have corruption problems with SureTrack (which can happen to any scheduling software) then try copying the project and use the copy. Perform a Chkdisk on your hard drive. Look for computer viruses. Good luck!

Hi Ron

Most interesting Suretrack with a 10k limit

- I wonder why we use P3 and pay four times the amout for a licence?


John