Import Locale Changed Automatically for Production PBIX file

[abksharma]

HI MSFT 

I have a strange problem which caused data error in all our dashboards. Locale for Import was Set to [ENGLISH-INDIA]

But after either Power BI software update or Power BI access on new formatted PC it changes to ENG-US.

our dashboard had errors due to it. Can some one explain why it happened Please?

Thanks 
Abk

[Anonymous]

Hi @abksharma ,

In my testing, I did not reproduce your problem.

Since the computer's region format affects Power BI's date and number formatting.

The tests and results are as follows:

1. I updated Power BI Desktop on both region English(India) and non-English(India) computers and the Locale for import setting does not change, it remains English(India).
2. When I open a pbix file on new computers in English (India) and non-English (India) regions, the locale for import doesn't change, it's still English (India).

If this issue is important to you, it is recommended that you submit a support ticket for further support.

The link of Power BI Support: Microsoft Fabric Support and Status | Microsoft Fabric

For how to create a support ticket, please refer to: How to create a Fabric and Power BI Support ticket - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Best Regards,
Dengliang Li

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[abksharma]

HI MSFT team
I am able to reproduce this in my local enviornment. 
Windows 11 Enterprise / Dell Latitude 3430 / Power BI Version: 2.139.2054.0 64-bit (January 2025)

- Save the Import locale [en-US] and system datetime settings [en-US] Region [en-US]
- Save and do not [apply changes], Save & Close Pbix file
- Restart Computer

- Change the Computer setting [en-Singapore] and system region settings [en-Singapore]

- Open Pbix file the Import locale changes to Singapore (instead of US format) - BUG

Thanks

[abksharma]

Please can you raise it internally. 🙏 🙏 🙏

it may have happened in September or October 2024 Power BI rolling Update. Can MSFT do some more testing around it. 

[Anonymous]

Hi @abksharma ，

I still have not reproduced your problem.

I tested the Power BI Dekstop update for each month from September to the latest version on two Windows 10 computers with the region English (India) and non-English (India).
The os version of both computers is Windows 10 Enterprise N 22H2.
The results show that the locale for the import does not change due to the update.

Does this issue only happen on the September and October updates?
Does the problem still occur with subsequent updates up to the latest version of the update?

Best Regards,
Dengliang Li

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[abksharma]

Hey Man 
Thanks for Testing it out ❤️

I am not sure the RCA of why it happened since it can be due to file curruption.

Some other Bug related to dark theme rollout.

Thanks I am marking it as answer.

[abksharma]

I am looking for an official reply from MSFT on this. This is major bug.
-Thanks

[Muratkhan]

The problem with locale changes can happen under certain conditions, especially if there’s a mismatch between the environment where the file was last saved and the one where it’s being opened now.

Power BI’s locale settings are often tied to the system’s regional settings or the configuration within Power BI itself. If you recently updated Power BI or accessed the file on a newly formatted PC, it’s possible that the default regional settings of the system or the new Power BI installation (ENG-US) overrode your original [ENGLISH-INDIA] setting. This might explain why the errors appeared in your dashboards.

To prevent this issue from recurring, you can check the regional settings in Power BI. Go to File > Options and Settings > Options > Regional Settings and verify that it’s set to [ENGLISH-INDIA]. If it’s displaying ENG-US, you’ll need to manually change it back. Additionally, the operating system's regional settings should match your preference to avoid conflicts.

If this happened after a Power BI update, there’s a slight chance that the update reset certain configurations, which could include locale settings. Though this is uncommon, you could try rolling back to the previous version of Power BI to see if the locale behaves as expected. If you’re opening the file on multiple devices, ensure all of them are set to [ENGLISH-INDIA] to maintain consistency.

To fix the current dashboards, you can manually adjust the locale settings in Power BI and refresh the data. If specific columns are affected, such as date or number formats, you might need to enforce the correct locale settings directly in Power Query.

[Muratkhan]

The problem with locale changes can happen under certain conditions, especially if there’s a mismatch between the environment where the file was last saved and the one where it’s being opened now.

Power BI’s locale settings are often tied to the system’s regional settings or the configuration within Power BI itself. If you recently updated Power BI or accessed the file on a newly formatted PC, it’s possible that the default regional settings of the system or the new Power BI installation (ENG-US) overrode your original [ENGLISH-INDIA] setting. This might explain why the errors appeared in your dashboards.

To prevent this issue from recurring, you can check the regional settings in Power BI. Go to File > Options and Settings > Options > Regional Settings and verify that it’s set to [ENGLISH-INDIA]. If it’s displaying ENG-US, you’ll need to manually change it back. Additionally, the operating system's regional settings should match your preference to avoid conflicts.

If this happened after a Power BI update, there’s a slight chance that the update reset certain configurations, which could include locale settings. Though this is uncommon, you could try rolling back to the previous version of Power BI to see if the locale behaves as expected. If you’re opening the file on multiple devices, ensure all of them are set to [ENGLISH-INDIA] to maintain consistency.

To fix the current dashboards, you can manually adjust the locale settings in Power BI and refresh the data. If specific columns are affected, such as date or number formats, you might need to enforce the correct locale settings directly in Power Query.
Hopes this help