Fixing pbix with "Required properties are missing from object"

[chipchidster]

I've recently started to encounter the below error when opening pbix files:

Required properties are missing from object: name. Path 'filterConfig.filters[0]', line 120, position 7.

Looking on this forum, I found a suggestion that renaming the pbix to zip, extracting and then finding the problem file and adding the information should fix the issue.  So far so good.  However, when I then save everything, rezip and rename to pbix, I am getting the following error:

This file is corrupted or was created by an unrecognized version of Power BI Desktop. It can't be opened.

I've tried changing text editors and zip tools incase it was something like that.  I have also tried removing the offending page from the file in case it was the filter name that i'd added that was causing the problem, but each time I hit the same issue.

Can anyone point out where I am going wrong?  Is there another file that needs updating when I add the missing property in?  I've spent most of today trying to work through this, but I keep hitting the same issue.

[coverturfLSH]

I'm experiencing the same issue. Curious if you're using the preview feature for "Store reports using enhanced metadata format (PBIR)"? I've never had issues before, but it's happening after I enabled that feature. 

[chipchidster]

As a follow up to this, the error I get when I try to open the reconstituted file is below.  Any help interpreting it would be great - it doesn't have anything useful I can see in terms of what is upsetting PBI.

Feedback Type:
Frown (Error)

Timestamp:
2025-01-23T12:07:17.6908582Z

Local Time:
2025-01-23T12:07:17.6908582+00:00

Session ID:
5fe234ca-184e-45a0-8985-3000166fb65f

Release:
December 2024

Product Version:
2.139.1678.0 (24.12)+2a034ab280bddf891eb7bb9ebfe6996f9c3a3196 (x64)

Error Message:
This file is corrupted or was created by an unrecognized version of Power BI Desktop. It can't be opened.

Stack Trace:
at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Storage.FileOpenError.HandleError(IWindowService windowService, LocalizedString title)
at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.CommandLineFileService.TryOpenOrCreateReport(IPowerBIWindowService windowService, IExceptionHandler exceptionHandler, Boolean forceCreate)
at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Program.<>c__DisplayClass7_0.<RunApplicationLegacy>b__0()
at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.IExceptionHandlerExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass3_0.<HandleExceptionsWithNestedTasks>b__0()
at Microsoft.Mashup.Host.Document.ExceptionHandlerExtensions.HandleExceptions(IExceptionHandler exceptionHandler, Action action)

Stack Trace Message:
This file is corrupted or was created by an unrecognized version of Power BI Desktop. It can't be opened.

Invocation Stack Trace:
at Microsoft.Mashup.Host.Document.ExceptionExtensions.GetCurrentInvocationStackTrace()
at Microsoft.Mashup.Client.UI.Shared.FeedbackErrorInfo..ctor(String message, Exception exception, Nullable`1 stackTraceInfo, String messageDetail)
at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.PowerBIUnexpectedExceptionHandler.HandleKnownExceptions(Exception e)
at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.PowerBIUnexpectedExceptionHandler.HandleException(Exception e)
at Microsoft.Mashup.Host.Document.ExceptionHandlerExtensions.HandleExceptions(IExceptionHandler exceptionHandler, Action action)
at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Program.RunApplicationLegacy(String[] args)
at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Program.Main(String[] args)


OS Version:
Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19045.0 (x64 en-US)

CLR Version:
4.8 or later [Release Number = 528372]

Peak Virtual Memory:
70.1 GB

Private Memory:
271 MB

Peak Working Set:
718 MB

IE Version:
11.3636.19041.0

User ID:
5c0d1e86-76d7-4107-8059-03eab9e57828

Telemetry Enabled:
True

PowerBINonFatalError_ErrorCode:
MashupValidationError

DPI Scale:
200%

Supported Services:
Power BI

[bweithers]

Chip, I have recently been encountering the same error. I am also unable to manually edit the JSON and stitch back together something that doesn't throw the 'Encrypted or Corrupted' error.

More bizarre, I have a published version of this report that works fine, but when I download that .pbix and try to open with PowerBI desktop I get the missing property error.

Hopefully this bug is soon addressed; we should not be digging through the malformed JSON ourselves.

[chipchidster]

Absolutely agree.  After spending a few days digging around the lower depths of the internet it seems the general consensus is that PBI signs the files when you save it, so there is no way to crack open a PBIX and fix it - as the signature is then wrong.  For now I will be steering a wide berth around using the new metadata feature, its increadibly frustrating to lose a report simply because PBI desktop can't save it properly - this is now the 3rd time it's happened.

[chipchidster]

Thanks for the reply @rajendraongole1 - sadly no previous versions of the broken pbix, but I did use another to compare.  I'm pretty sure the edit is right, but clearly i'm missing something when it comes to putting the pbix back together.

[rajendraongole1]

Hi @chipchidster  - few things from my end,  If you have a previous, working version of the file, use it as a base and reapply recent changes manually.Use a reliable tool like 7-Zip, WinRAR, or the built-in Windows extraction tool to extract the contents.Search for the problematic section mentioned in the error using notepad++ (Json). Look for missing or malformed properties, such as name, and ensure they match the expected JSON structure. You can reference a working .pbix file’s Layout for comparison.

Tools like Tabular Editor or Power BI Helper can sometimes help identify and fix issues in .pbix files. still issue exist final option should be contact Microsoft support to assist with the corrupted file.

Hope the above details helps.