THIS appendix describes system requirements, procedures, and guidelines for installing and activating the standalone desktop editions of Microsoft Project 2010.
This appendix also includes system requirements for implementing Microsoft Project Server 2010 for enterprise project management. It includes general guidelines to consider when planning an enterprise project management installation and provides resources for more detailed information.
You can install Microsoft Project Standard 2010 and Microsoft Project Professional 2010 as your standalone desktop project management solution. Project Professional 2010 has certain additional features for team planning and collaboration beyond the features included in Project Standard 2010.
Note
For details about the new features in Project Standard 2010 and Project Professional 2010, see What’s New in Project 2010.
When Project Professional 2010 is connected to Project Server 2010, additional features are made available to facilitate enterprise project management.
Note
See Issues for Project Server 2010 Setup for more information.
Before you install Project Standard 2010 or Project Professional 2010, be sure that your system meets the minimum requirements. Table A-1 shows the minimum system requirements for a computer running Project Standard or Project Professional.
Table A-1. Minimum System Requirements for Project 2010
Requirement or specification | |
|---|---|
Processor speed | 700 MHz or higher |
Random access memory (RAM) | 512 MB or more |
Hard disk space | 2.5 GB available disk space |
Media drive | DVD drive |
Monitor display | 1024 × 768 pixel resolution or higher |
Graphics | DirectX 9.0C–compatible graphics card with drivers dated 11/1/2004 or later; required for graphics hardware acceleration |
Operating system | One of the following:
|
Internet | Internet access and a web browser such as Windows Internet Explorer 7 or later; needed to use Internet functions such as Office.com or online activation and registration |
Table A-2 shows the minimum system requirements for using certain features of Project Standard or Project Professional.
Table A-2. Project 2010 System Requirements for Specific Features
Feature | Requirement or specification |
|---|---|
Visual reports | Before installing Project 2010 to use visual reports with Office 2010, you must install:
|
Visual reports feature with Excel PivotTables | |
Visual reports feature with Visio PivotDiagrams | Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007 or later |
Import Outlook Tasks | Microsoft Outlook 2003 SP2 or later |
Save to SharePoint (Std) or SharePoint synchronization (Pro) | Windows Server 2008 with SP2 (64-bit) or later running Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 |
SharePoint synchronization (Pro) | Microsoft Access 2010 or Microsoft Visio 2010 |
Certain online functionality, such as participation in Microsoft Project forums | Windows Live ID |
To set up Project Standard or Project Professional on your computer, follow these steps:
Insert the Project Standard or Project Professional DVD in your computer’s DVD drive.
The AutoPlay window appears. Click Run SETUP.EXE. Then click Continue in the next security alert that appears.
If the Project Setup program does not start automatically, click the Windows Start button, and then click Run. Type X:setup.exe (where X is the name of your DVD drive), and then click OK. An alternative method is to use Windows Explorer to open the contents of the DVD, and then double-click the setup.exe file.
If a message asks to confirm that you want to make changes to this computer, click Yes.
The Microsoft Project 2010 window appears, asking for your 25-character product key.
Type your product key. It is either on the DVD case or provided as part of your license agreement.
You do not need to enter the dashes, but it doesn’t matter if you do. After you type the final digit, the key is validated.
Click Continue.
Read the Microsoft software license terms, and then select the check box labeled I Accept The Terms Of This Agreement. Click Continue.
On the next page, choose the type of installation you want.
If no previous version of Microsoft Project is present on your computer, the choices are Install Now or Customize. If you click Install Now, installation begins immediately.
If you are upgrading from a previous version of Microsoft Project, the choices are Upgrade or Customize. If you click Upgrade, installation begins immediately.
If you click Customize, a window with five tabs appears. The Upgrade tab gives you a choice between removing or keeping the previous version of Microsoft Project on your computer. The Installation Options tab lets you specify which individual features should be installed. The File Location tab lets you specify the location where the project program files should be installed. The User Information tab provides fields for you to enter your name, initials, and organization. The Platform tab specifies your choices having to do with 32-bit and 64-bit applications on Windows. When you are finished with the customized settings, click Install Now.
The Installation Progress window shows the progress bar for the installation of Project 2010.
When the installation process is complete, a window appears telling you how to start the program.
Click Close.
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project 2010.
The Welcome To Microsoft Office 2010 window appears.
Choose the option you prefer regarding updates and downloads, and then click OK.
If you had a previous version of Microsoft Project installed, a Planning Wizard appears, asking whether you want to copy your previous global settings to your new project global template.
Select the option you prefer regarding your previous global settings, and then click OK.
Project 2010 opens.
After installing Project 2010, you can use it with full functionality for a period of time before it requires activation. After this activation grace period expires, Project 2010 transitions to reduced functionality mode, in which it operates like a viewer. You cannot create new projects or save changes to existing project files. When you obtain and enter your product key and activate Project 2010 after the grace period expires, you can restore it to full functionality again.
The activation process is designed to verify that your installation of Project 2010 is properly licensed. It also checks that your product key is not in use on more computers than are permitted by the software license.
Until you activate Project 2010, the Activation Wizard appears each time you open Project 2010. This wizard guides you through the activation process, which takes just a minute or so. You can activate Project 2010 over the Internet or by phone.
To activate Project 2010, do the following:
Start Project 2010. The Microsoft Project 2010 Activation Wizard appears each time you start Project 2010 until you have activated it.
You can also click File, Help to open the Help Backstage view.
If you see an Activate Product Key button, you need to activate Project 2010.
If you do not see this button, and if the Help Backstage view says Product Activated in the right pane, no further action is needed.
Follow the steps in the wizard to activate Project 2010. Select whether you want to activate over the Internet or by telephone. Click the Next button and follow the instructions.
On the next page, click Register Now to register your copy of Project 2010.
Registering Project 2010 is an optional step. It is recommended, however, so that you can be notified of any important patches or other product information.
Click Close to finish activating Project 2010.
After Project 2010 has been installed successfully, you can add or remove optional features, repair any program files that might have become corrupted, or remove the entire application.
To add or remove Project 2010 features, do the following:
Insert your Project 2010 DVD into your computer’s DVD drive.
In the AutoPlay dialog box that appears, click Run SETUP.EXE, and then click Yes if necessary.
In the Microsoft Project 2010 window, select the Add Or Remove Features option, and then click Continue.
The Installation Options window appears.
To add a feature, click the plus sign next to the feature name—for example, Microsoft Project. Then change Run All From My Computer, Installed On First Use, or Not Available.
Installed On First Use makes the feature available. The setup program uses your Project 2010 DVD to install the added feature.
Run From My Computer installs the feature on your computer’s hard disk.
To remove a feature, click the arrow next to the feature you want to remove and change the Run From My Computer or Installed On First Use setting to Not Available. This will remove the feature from your setup.
Click Continue.
The Configuration Progress window shows the current status of the changes that are being made.
When the changes are complete, click Close.
If you notice that Project 2010 isn’t running as well as it should, or if a particular feature has stopped working correctly, you might need to repair some Project 2010 program files. To repair Project 2010 files by reinstalling them, follow these steps:
Insert your Project 2010 DVD into your computer’s DVD drive.
In the AutoPlay dialog box that appears, click Run SETUP.EXE, and then click Yes if necessary.
In the Microsoft Project 2010 window, select the Repair option, and then click Continue.
The Configuration Progress window shows the status of repairs to the Project 2010 files. The setup file detects any problems with the files and replaces those files, as needed.
When the repairs are complete, click Close.
In some cases, your system might need to be restarted to make the repairs take effect. In the message that appears, click Yes to restart your computer.
Use the Project 2010 DVD again if you ever need to uninstall Project 2010. To do this, follow these steps:
Insert your Project 2010 DVD into your computer’s DVD drive.
In the AutoPlay dialog box that appears, click Run SETUP.EXE, and then click Yes if necessary.
Select the Remove option, and then click Continue.
In the message that appears, click Yes to remove Project 2010.
The Configuration Progress window shows the status of Project 2010 files being removed from your system.
When Project 2010 has been completely removed, click Close.
In the message that appears, click Yes to restart your computer. This completes the uninstall process.