Errors reported but no errors found

[IanDavies]

I have a large report which I have inherited and one of the pages lists the various data and when that was last refreshed.

There are four queries that match files names to data types, three pull in the files names, the other is a table that matches the file names to data types and pulls the last modified date.

I have recently moved the whole report into sharepoint and so instead of opening the files locally on my machines it now filters for them in Sharepoint ... the final query data looks identical to me.

However, when I refresh the report, I get a warnign that four queries had errors and I get a view errors link, if I click this, it opens Power Query with a transform allegedly showing the errors:

But there are NEVER any errors to show ... and the data is updated on the page as expected

How can I troubleshoot this to find whatever makes the refresh think there are errors in this data ?

[v-kpoloju-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi  @IanDavies,

Thanks for sharing the details. Also thanks to @danextian, @ajaybabuinturi, @rohit1991, for those inputs on this thread.

It sounds like you're running into a confusing issue you are getting error messages during refresh, but when you go into Power Query, everything looks fine and the data is loading as expected. I can see how that would be frustrating, especially after moving the report to SharePoint.

From what you have described, this may be caused by errors that happen temporarily during refresh, but Power BI still flags them even if the data ends up loading properly. This can happen with:

• Queries that merge or join data where some rows do not match,
• Steps that silently remove errors (like "Removed Errors"),
• Or even small connection hiccups when accessing files on SharePoint.

Here are a few things you can try to resolve the issue:

1. In Power Query, check each of the queries with a warning message and expand the Applied Steps panel on the right.
2. If you see a step called "Removed Errors", try deleting it just temporarily sometimes this step hides the real error rows from view.
3. If you’re doing any merge/join steps, double-check that the keys used to match the data aren’t missing or mismatched.
4. You can also use a Power Query trick to catch any errors without stopping the refresh. This tells Power BI to continue even if something goes wrong in a specific row.
5. If everything still works and the visuals look good, the warning might just be cosmetic. You can enable Diagnostics tracing (under File > Options > Diagnostics) to dig deeper, but it’s optional.

Kindly refer to the below mentioned documentation links for better understanding:
M Language Error Handling - Power Query M | Microsoft Learn

Let me know what you find after giving these steps a try happy to help you investigate this further.

Thank you for using the Microsoft Community Forum.

[danextian]

Hi @IanDavies 

These errors are detected at refresh time, so when you check for them in the Query Editor—based on the current state of the data—they no longer appear.

[ajaybabuinturi]

Hi @IanDavies,
When Power BI refreshes, any transient issue (e.g., file not found for a millisecond, access lag in SharePoint, empty folder return, etc.) during refresh might trigger a momentary error, even if the data loads fine afterward. Power Query logs it, and you see "View Errors",  but by the time you inspect it, everything looks clean.
Possible Issues:

1. File lock/read timing: SharePoint sometimes delays file reads.
2. Missing files intermittently: If your query looks for files in folders and a file isn’t immediately found, this can throw a warning.
3. Query evaluation difference: When moved to SharePoint, sometimes File.Contents() or SharePoint.Files() behaves differently on refresh compared to preview.

Try these troubleshoots: 

1. Check whether the query with Kept Errors has any records. 
2. Review error details in Power BI Desktop. After refresh, check “Refresh Errors” under: File > Options & Settings > Options > Diagnostics > Enable Tracing

Thanks,
If you found this solution helpful, please consider giving it a Like👍 and marking it as Accepted Solution✔. This helps improve visibility for others who may be encountering/facing same questions/issues.

[rohit1991]

Hi @IanDavies 

This is a common issue after moving files to SharePoint — Power BI may still carry over old error-handling logic even if errors no longer exist.

Here's what's likely happening:

• Your query probably includes a step like “Kept Errors” or an applied transformation that previously captured errors (e.g., missing files).

• After the SharePoint switch, these errors no longer exist, but Power BI still triggers the "view errors" warning during refresh.

What you can do:

• Go to Power Query, and look for any step named “Kept Errors” or similar.

• If that step returns an empty table, it's safe to delete it — along with any related custom error steps immediately after.

• Then refresh again. If there are no actual errors now, the warnings should stop appearing.

This should clean up any false error triggers left over from earlier file structure or schema changes.