Microsoft Office Project provides several options for copying data within and across projects.
You can copy:
- Entire tasks or resources.
- Specific tasks, resources, or project data.
- Project elements (such as fields, calendars, and filters).
What do you want to do?
Copy a task or resource
Although you can copy or move a task (task: An activity that has a beginning and an end. Project plans are made up of tasks.) or resource (resources: The people, equipment, and material that are used to complete tasks in a project.) at any time, it's best to do so before you establish task dependencies (task dependencies: A relationship between two linked tasks; linked by a dependency between their finish and start dates. There are four kinds of task dependencies: Finish-to-start [FS], Start-to-start [SS], Finish-to-finish [FF], and Start-to-finish [SF].). When you copy or move a task or resource, Project, by default, reestablishes task dependencies.
- In the ID field, select the task or resource that you want to copy or move:
- To select a row, click the task or resource ID number of the row.
- To select a group of adjacent rows, hold down SHIFT, and then click the first and last ID numbers of the group.
- To select several nonadjacent rows, hold down CTRL, and then click the ID numbers.
- To move the task or resource, click Cut Task or Cut Resource
.
To copy the task or resource, click Copy Task or Copy Resource 
.
- In the ID field, select the rows where you want to paste the selection.
- Click Paste
.
If there is information in the destination row, the new rows will be inserted above the destination row.
Notes
- When copying a task within the same project, the task's ID numbers (ID number: The number that Project assigns to each task, resource, or assignment as you add them to the project.) are regenerated. If you want to move a task within a project, drag and drop the task in the task list to maintain the task's unique ID numbers.
- Project copies or moves the following associated information with the task or resource: notes (note: Explanatory text that you can attach to a task, resource, or assignment.), linked or embedded objects (embedded object: Information [the object] inserted in a file [the destination file]. Once embedded, the object becomes part of the destination file. When you double-click an embedded object, it opens in the program it was created in [the source program].), and subtasks (subtask: A task that is part of a summary task. The subtask information is consolidated into the summary task. You can designate subtasks by using the Project outlining feature.), if the selection is a summary task (summary task: A task that is made up of subtasks and summarizes those subtasks. Use outlining to create summary tasks. Project automatically determines summary task information [such as duration and cost] by using information from the subtasks.).
- You can set Project to not reestablish task dependencies when moving a task or resource. On the Tools menu, click Options, click the Schedule tab, and then clear the Autolink inserted or moved tasks check box.
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Copy specific data to multiple cells
If you have entered information about one task or resource and you want to duplicate the information for several other tasks or resources, you can easily copy the information to all selected fields at one time. For example, if you manage a large resource pool (resource pool: A set of resources that is available for assignment to project tasks. A resource pool can be used exclusively by one project or can be shared by several projects.) for a project, and several resources use the same rate of pay, you can enter the pay rate for one resource, and then copy it to each of the remaining resources at one time.
- Hold down CTRL and click the field associated with a single task or resource that you want to copy, and then click the fields you want to fill or paste into.
- On the Edit menu, point to Fill, and then click the direction you want.
- If you click Down, the value in the first field you clicked will be copied to each selected field.
- If you click Up, the value in the last field you clicked will be copied to each selected field.
- If you click Right, the value in the first field you clicked will be copied to each selected field to the right of the first value. If you have selected fields to the left of the first value, the value will not be copied to any cells.
- If you click Left, the value in the first field you clicked will be copied to each selected field to the left of the first value. If you have selected fields to the right of the first value, the value will not be copied to any cells.
You can also copy information and repeat patterns by using the fill handle (fill handle: The small square in the corner of the selection in a sheet. When you point to the fill handle, the pointer changes to a black cross. To copy contents to adjacent fields or to repeat selected information, drag the fill handle.). Select the information you want to copy. Click the fill handle at the lower-right corner of the selected information, and then drag to include the fields where you want to repeat the selection.
Notes
- The information you fill or paste must be the same type as the field into which you are pasting. For example, you can paste names into a text field (text field: A type of field whose content is text. Examples include the Task Name and Email Address fields. This field can contain up to 255 characters.) and costs into a currency field (currency field: A type of field whose content is expressed as a cost. Examples include the Actual Cost and Fixed Cost fields. The maximum value allowed in this field is 999,999,999,999.99.).
- You can fill or paste into only those fields that accept entered (entered field: A field in which you may type or edit information. This is in contrast with a calculated field, in which Project calculates and enters information.) or default values (default value: The value that Project assigns to a field automatically, if you do not supply your own value.). You cannot fill fields with information that contains calculated (calculated field: A field in which the value is determined by Project based on information in other fields. Project may recalculate the value automatically or when you specify, depending on your choice of calculation settings.) values, such as a variance (variance: The difference between baseline and scheduled task or resource information, they usually occur when you set a baseline plan and begin entering actual information into your schedule. Variances can occur in work, costs, and schedule.) field.
- On the Edit menu, under Fill, the Right and Left options are available only in the timephased (timephased: Task, resource, or assignment information that is distributed over time. You can review timephased information in any available time period in the fields on the right side of the Task Usage and Resource Usage views.) portion of the Resource Usage and Task Usage views.
- On the Task Usage and Resource Usage views, you can only copy rows of the same type by using the fill handle.
- Use caution when pasting dates in scheduling fields, such as Start, Finish, Actual Start, or Actual Finish. You may set an unintended constraint (constraint: A restriction set on the start or finish date of a task. You can specify that a task must start on or finish no later than a particular date. Constraints can be flexible [not tied to a specific date] or inflexible [tied to a specific date].) on your schedule.
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Copy an element across projects
You can copy project elements (including fields (field: A location in a sheet, form, or chart that contains a specific kind of information about a task, resource, or assignment. For example, in a sheet, each column is a field. In a form, a field is a named box or a place in a column.), groups (group: To combine or rearrange tasks or resources in a project according to specific criteria, for example, task duration, priority, resource overallocation, or finish date; do not confuse this with the Group field, which is a resource field.), calendars (calendar: The scheduling mechanism that determines working time for resources and tasks. Project uses four types of calendars: the base calendar, project calendar, resource calendar, and task calendar.), toolbars (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options used to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, point to Toolbars on the View menu, and then click the toolbar you want. To see more buttons, click Toolbar Options at the end of the toolbar.), maps (map: A format that's used to transfer information between programs when importing or exporting data. A map helps ensure that information is placed into the proper fields in the destination file.), forms (form: A type of view that gives you detailed information about an individual task or resource.), tables (table: A set of columns that shows specific information about tasks, resources, and assignments in a sheet view.), filters (filter: Specifies which task or resource information should be displayed or highlighted in a view. For example, when you apply the Critical filter, only critical tasks are displayed.), views (view: The combination of one or more views [Gantt Chart, Resource Sheet, and so on] and if applicable, a table and a filter. Use views to work with information in a variety of formats. There are three types of views: Charts or graphs, Sheets, and Forms.), reports (report: A format in which you can print schedule information that is appropriate for the intended recipients. You can use the predefined reports provided by Project or create custom reports.), and modules (module: The location in which macros are stored. Macros stored in modules in the Global.mpt file are available from any project and can be used to organize related modules.)) between the global file (global file: A Project file [Global.mpt] that contains information you can use for different projects. Information in a global file can include views, calendars, forms, reports, tables, filters, toolbars, menu bars, macros, and options settings.) and the active project file, or between two project files.
Tip If you have an element in a project that you think might be applicable in other new projects, you can copy the element to the global file to make it available in any new project created on your computer. You cannot copy elements to the enterprise global template (enterprise global template: A collection of default settings, such as views, tables, and fields, that are used by all projects across the organization. These settings exist within a special project in Project Server.).
- Open the file that contains the element, and then open the file(s) to which you are copying the element.
- On the Tools menu, click Organizer.
If you want to change the enterprise global template, you need to open this template before you can change elements using the Organizer.
- Click the tab for the type of element that you want to copy.
- Select the file that contains the element that you want to copy from the available in list on the left side of the Organizer dialog box.
- Select the file to which you want to copy the element from the available in list on the right side of the Organizer dialog box.
- Click the name of the element that you want to copy in the list box on the left side of the Organizer dialog box.
- Click Copy.
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