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Symptoms

You linked (linking: In a project, establishing a dependency between tasks. Linking tasks defines a dependency between their start and finish dates. In OLE, establishing a connection between programs so that data in one document is updated when it changes in another.) your tasks (task: An activity that has a beginning and an end. Project plans are made up of tasks.), but now they aren't linked correctly.

Cause

• Are you sure that you linked your tasks?   Placing tasks in a hierarchical order does not automatically link the tasks.
• Are you trying to link to a summary task?   Summary tasks (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.) cannot be successors (successor: A task that cannot start or finish until another task starts or finishes.) in finish-to-finish or start-to-finish 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].). You can link summary tasks only in finish-to-start or start-to-start task dependencies. Similarly, summary tasks cannot be predecessors (predecessor: A task that must start or finish before another task can start or finish.) in start-to-start or start-to-finish task dependencies. You can link from summary tasks only in finish-to-start or finish-to-finish task dependencies.
• Did you recently rearrange the tasks in your outlined schedule?   After you rearrange the linked tasks in your outlined (outline: A hierarchical structure for a project that shows how some tasks fit within broader groupings. In Project, subtasks are indented under summary tasks.) schedule, the task dependencies that you set previously may no longer be relevant, and you may need to update them.