How to export MS Project to XML or Excel

The free Project Health Check reads Microsoft Project plans saved as XML or exported to Excel. The XML format also carries the baseline, so you see milestone slip from a single file.

XML (recommended)

1. If you use baselines: set one first (Project → Set Baseline).
2. File → Save As, choose the file type XML Format (*.xml).
3. Open the Project Health Check and drop the .xml file into step 1.

Excel

Use File → Export → Save Project as File → Microsoft Excel Workbook and include the columns Name, Start, Finish, % Complete, Resource Names, Milestone and Baseline Finish.

.mpp files cannot be read in a browser. Menu names can differ between versions.

What the tool uses

• Summary tasks become groups; milestones flagged in Project are detected automatically.
• Baseline finish (baseline 0) is used as the baseline. Without it, the earliest export you load is the baseline.
• Resource names become owners; % complete becomes the status.