Forum Discussion
Power BI Desktop Locking up
Hi LindseyT,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum. Thank you rohit1991, for your inputs on this issue.After reviewing the details you provided, I have identified few workarounds that may help resolve the issue. Please follow these steps:
It seems your issue stems from a combination of system resource overload and background processes in Power BI, like the WebView2 engine and Power Query evaluator, getting stuck. Too many WebView2 processes or complex queries can cause performance issues or freezes. Other factors might include autosave, preview features, or a corrupt PBIX file.
To uninstall WebView2 Runtime: Navigate to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features and uninstall Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. For a fresh installation of WebView2: Download the latest Evergreen Standalone Installer from Microsoft, install it, and reboot your system.
To disable Preview Features in Power BI Desktop: Open Power BI Desktop. Go to File > Options and settings > Options. Under Preview features, uncheck all options and restart Power BI Desktop.To adjust Power BI Memory & Background Settings: In Options > Data Load, uncheck Enable parallel loading of tables and enable Auto date/time only if necessary. In Options > Diagnostics, disable Allow crash dumps to be collected (optional). In Options > Current File > Data Load, uncheck Background data preview and temporarily disable Auto recovery.
For Environment Variable Fix: Open System Properties > Environment Variables. Under System variables, click New and set Name: DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT and Value: 1. Click OK and reboot.
To test for Clean PBIX and File Corruption: Open a blank Power BI file, manually add one table from a small Excel/CSV file, and test applying Power Query changes and saving. If no issues arise, the original PBIX file may be too large, contain problematic M queries, or have embedded visuals causing the crash. Suggestion: Open the problematic PBIX with Performance Analyzer turned on to analyse queries. Remove all non-Microsoft certified visuals from the problematic PBIX and test again.If this post helps, then please give us ‘Kudos’ and consider Accept it as a solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
Thank you for using Microsoft Community Forum.
Hi LindseyT ,
Here are a few things that have actually helped either myself or others in this situation:
1. Clear Power BI’s cache: Fully close Power BI Desktop, then go to:
C:\Users\<your_username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Power BI Desktop\AnalysisServicesWorkspaces
Delete everything in that folder (it’s safe—Power BI will recreate it). Sometimes a corrupted cache is the culprit.
2. Turn off Preview & Background Features: Go to File > Options and settings > Options. Under Preview features, disable anything you’re not actively using. Under Data Load, turn off “Enable parallel loading of tables. Under Diagnostics, disable extra logging or “data chasm dumps” if you see it. In Current File > Data Load, disable “Background data preview” and “Auto Recovery.”
3. Uninstall and Reinstall WebView2: Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, uninstall “Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime.” Download and install the latest version from Microsoft’s website, then reboot.
4. Run Power BI Desktop as Administrator: Sometimes this resolves weird background process or permission issues.
5. Temporarily disable antivirus/security software just to see if it’s interfering (especially right after updates).
6. If you’re on a corporate network: Sometimes a change in security policy, proxy, or firewall can cause this—worth checking with IT if anything changed recently.
7. If all else fails, consider rolling back to a previous version of Power BI Desktop (if your IT allows it), or keep an eye out for hotfix updates—these freezing issues are usually high-priority for the product team.
If you’re still getting the lockups after all this, I’d definitely escalate it to Microsoft Support, especially since it sounds like you’re not the only one affected.
Thank you for your reply! Maybe I am overlooking it, but I do not see any AnalysisServicesWorkspaces folder in my AppData directory. This would be under C:\Users\<your_username>\AppData, right? I have disabled all of the preview features that I can, although it seems that we are using several of them. I will also follow your other instructions and if it keeps happening I will definitley escalate the issue. Appreciate your insight!