When you copy a file from the Modern Project CD onto your disk drive, you may not be able to enter new data into the tools in the file because the file was copied from a read-only device (the CD). What is causing the problem is that the file is marked as a read-only file instead of a read-write file by the Microsoft file management system.

To change this, first select the file by clicking on it while you are in Microsoft Windows Explorer and then click on the "File" control button on the menu bar at the top of the window. Next select the "Properties" option (by clicking on it). This will cause the Properties window to appear. Now look at the "Read only" attribute at the bottom of the window. If it has a check mark in the box in front of it, click on the box to remove the mark. Finally, click on the "OK" control button at the bottom of the Properties window. You should now be able to open the file and write data into it.

Why don't I get the same results as shown in the book when I try to display charts like the Earned Value Chart?

We have had reports from readers outside the U.S. that when they try to display charts, they do not get the same results as shown in the book. This is because Version 1.0 of the Modern Project toolset was developed under Microsoft Windows with the Regional Settings set to "English(United States)". If your Regional Settings for Microsoft Windows are set to some other country such as "English(United Kingdom)" it will cause the date format to be different than what is customarily used in the U.S. which causes the time-phasing algorithms to work incorrectly. Version 2.0 corrects this problem by translating all date formats to a common format before doing the time-phasing. Version 2.0 not only corrects this problem, it also provides additional capabilities as described in the Products Web page. Click on the "Products" button at the top of this page to learn about how to get Version 2.0.

To make Version 1.0 display the charts as shown in the book you must change your Regional Settings to "English(United States)". This is easy to do, but you need to know that for versions of Microsoft Windows prior to Windows 2000, it requires rebooting your computer before the change in settings takes place. With Windows 2000 you can toggle back and forth between settings without rebooting.

To change your Regional Settings to "English(United States)" just click on the "Start" button at the bottom left corner of your screen. A pop-up menu will appear. Select the "Settings" option by clicking on it. Then select the "Control Panel" option. This will cause the Control Panel Window to appear. Now double-click on the "Regional Settings" icon (it is the icon in the window that looks like planet Earth). This will cause the Regional Settings Properties Window to appear. If the "Regional Settings" tab has not already been selected, click on the "Regional Settings" tab at the top of this window. You will now see what your Regional Settings are currently set to, and you can scroll through the window to select other settings. Next scroll through the settings until you find "English(United States)" and select this setting by clicking on it. Finally click on the "OK" button at the bottom of the window. Your Regional Settings should now be set to "English(United States)". You may have to reboot you computer before the change in settings goes into effect. After the new settings take effect you should be able to get the same results as shown in the book when you display charts.