Forum Discussion
An error occurred while loading to the model. - without any details
- 1 year ago
PBI-Newbie
Here's a checklist of what might be going wrong and how to fix it:1. Corrupted Model or Power Query Steps
Sometimes, transformations or schema changes in Power Query get out of sync with the data model.
Fix:
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Go to Power Query Editor in the affected
.pbix -
Check each query for errors (especially ones with merge/join or custom steps)
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Remove or isolate complex queries to test
Try deleting a problematic query (copy it to Notepad first), then reload.
2. Model Relationship Inconsistency
An invalid relationship (like cardinality mismatch or a missing key) can block loading to the model silently.
Fix:
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Open Model view
Review all relationships – delete or disable any that could be failing due to changes in column types or values
3. Hidden Auto-Date Tables or Metadata Issues
Auto-generated date tables sometimes cause corruption when columns are renamed or deleted.
Fix:
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Go to File > Options > Data Load, uncheck Auto Date/Time for new files
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Save, close, and reopen the file – retry load
4. External Tool Interference (e.g., Tabular Editor, ALM Toolkit)
If someone used an external tool and made a change that’s invalid (like renaming or removing a measure used in a visual), the model might break silently.
Fix:
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Try opening the
.pbixon another machine (fresh install) to rule out local corruption
Check external tools history, if available
5. Backup & Strip Down
If nothing works:
Fix:
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Open the broken
.pbix -
Remove all tables from the model
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Try loading just one query – if it works, add others back incrementally
Or, copy all report pages and Power Query steps into a fresh
.pbix.Suggestion:
Use Performance Analyzer (under View tab) and watch what’s loading when it breaks. Sometimes even visuals trying to reference deleted fields can trip things up.
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Just for posterity, I also had this issue and was resolved by disabling automatic relationship detection. In case trying the 5 points above still doesn't work and Microsoft still insist that you don't need any information whatsoever on the errors their own programs are throwing to developers
Thanks! For me it was either time intelligence or the disabling automatic relationship detection. It worked fine afterwards.