Stuck in a corner

[Anonymous]

I currently have some projects that I can't access in Power BI Desktop anymore.  The sequence that follows is not the most brilliant and I would love to pretend that it wasn't me that followed this path but....

1.  Create project with data model and publish to Power BI (datamodel.pbix)

2.  Create a new project that consumes that data model from the Power BI Service 

3.  Make brilliant reports (stunningreports.pbix)

4.  Stay up late and clean out Power BI Workspace holding multiple versions of the data model.

5.  Realize that I deleted the wrong data model (datamodel.pbix), start to panic but remember that I still have the project for that data model.

6.  Open datamodel.pbix on my dev machine and republish it to the Power BI Service.  Pat myself on the back.

7.  Try to open those reports to gaze upon their awesomeness.  Get error:

We encountered an error while trying to connect.

Details:"Looks like we are unable to access the dataset. Please contact the owner of the dataset."

Retry, Edit, cancel

8.  Realize that I am the owner of the data set and feel the icy fingers of panic then realize I can just open the project and change the data source to point to my new data source that I created in #6.

9.  Select Edit to make the change in the project and the project fails to load with this error:

Unable to Open Document

Object reference not set to an instance of an object

10.  Use mad troubleshooting skillz and realize that the new project has a new Initial Catalog GUID and PbiModelDatabaseName in the Connections file in the pbix file.  Again, back patting.

11.  Try all sorts of psuedo-hackery on the connections file - create a new one, change values in it, etc.  Each time when i zip the content back up and make it a .pbix, I get the following when i try to open it:

Unable to open document

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

12.  Admit defeat, recreate reports with newly created data set.

I still have some projects that I can't open to change the dataset and would love to find out if anyone has run into this and resolved it. 

I would classify it as a bug - expected behavior would be for PBI desktop to complain that it couldn't get to data set and then allow you to choose another dataset in the Power BI Service.  I know consuming data models from the PBI Service is a newer feature - maybe it just needs a little better exception handling in this area?

[v-chuncz-msft]

@Anonymous,

You may take a look at the following threads.

• https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Service/Restore-the-connection-to-the-service/td-p/165766
• https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Integrations-with-Files-and/Power-BI-Service-connection-change-from-dev-to-production/td-p/224578

[Anonymous]

For the life of me, I can't seem to be able to create a zip file that Power BI Desktop will accept.  I have tried the built in compression as well as 7zip and Total Commander.

Has this capability been shut down in later versions or is there something that I am missing?  Can you be explicit with those instructions on how and what to change?

[v-chuncz-msft · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous,

In short, this is still one of the Limitations and considerations.

[Anonymous]

Understood, I led with the fact that this was a stupid move on my part.  Doesn't change the fact that a nifty workaround would be really nice at this point, supported or not.

[v-chuncz-msft]

@Anonymous,

By the way, you may also create a support ticket.

[Anonymous]

I created it as an idea, thanks for the suggestion.