Fix Microsoft Project Task Spanning Two Days Despite One-Day Schedule
Question details
The user needs to prevent a one-day task from being split across two working days after modifying the project schedule calendar.
- Product
- Microsoft Project
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Customizing the project working calendar to run from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM with a one-hour lunch break.
- Observed behavior
- A task with a one-day duration is split, utilizing seven hours on the first day and spilling over one hour to 7:00 AM on the next working day.
Verify your current default working hours in the Microsoft Project calendar settings and note your exact intended project start and end times.
Align Project Start Time with Custom Calendar Hours
Resolve the issue by matching the default project start time to your custom calendar start time so the required hours fit entirely into a single day.
By default, Microsoft Project assumes a one-day duration equals 8 hours of work. If your calendar starts at 7:00 AM but the project start time defaults to 8:00 AM, the task will only log 7 hours on the first day (8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, minus a one-hour lunch). The remaining 1 hour automatically spills over to 7:00 AM the next day.
Go to File > Options. Under the General tab, locate the 'Date format' dropdown menu and temporarily select a format that displays both the date and the time. Click OK.
Navigate to the Project tab on the ribbon and click on the 'Project Information' button.
In the Project Information dialog box, locate the 'Start date' field and change the start time from 8:00 AM to 7:00 AM. Click OK to apply the changes.
Go back to File > Options > General and change your 'Date format' back to your preferred display that hides the time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Microsoft Project default a day to 8 hours?
By default, Microsoft Project is configured for a standard 40-hour work week, which equates to 8 hours per day, 5 days a week. You can adjust this conversion rate by navigating to File > Options > Schedule and modifying the 'Hours per day' setting.
How do I change the default working times for the whole project?
To change default working times, go to the Project tab, select 'Change Working Time', click the 'Work Weeks' tab, select '[Default]', and click the 'Details' button to set custom working hours for specific days.
What happens if I increase the 'Hours per day' setting to 9 hours?
If you increase the 'Hours per day' to 9 without also adjusting your actual calendar working hours to match, a 1-day task will require 9 hours of calendar time to complete, which could further push tasks into the following day.
Can I set a different start time for specific tasks in Microsoft Project?
Yes, you can manually type a specific start time in the Start column for an individual task. However, this requires your date format to be set to display times via File > Options > General.
