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Anonymous's avatar
Anonymous
Not applicable
1 year ago
Solved

Unable to open report file,

Hello!

People in my organization are having trouble opening report files. We have a workspace with apps published to coworkers, and recently some reports started showing this error:

“Unable to connect."  Looks like we’re unable to access the semantic model. Please contact the owner of the semantic model.”


This also happens when I download the report from the workspace and try to open the file. However, the reports still work fine in both the app and the workspace itself.

 

Has anyone else encountered this issue, and do you know how to fix it?

Thanks in advance!

 

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Tips and Tricks
  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    1 year ago

    We are not sure why this happens, but we found a workaround:

    1. Connect the workspace to Git and clone the branch.

    2. Re-publish the reports that had the issue.

    3. Download the re-published file from the workspace.

    4. The user should then be able to open it successfully.

3 Replies

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    Not applicable
    1 year ago

    We are not sure why this happens, but we found a workaround:

    1. Connect the workspace to Git and clone the branch.

    2. Re-publish the reports that had the issue.

    3. Download the re-published file from the workspace.

    4. The user should then be able to open it successfully.

  • danextian's avatar
    danextian
    Icon for Super User rankSuper User
    1 year ago

    I encounterd this before I  connected to a semantic model via direct query but the report users didn't have access to it.

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    Not applicable
    1 year ago

    Hi Anonymous ,

    This error happens when the report you downloaded is connected to a semantic model (dataset) in the Power BI Service. The PBIX doesn’t actually contain the data – it only points to the dataset. When you open it in Desktop, the connection can’t be established unless you have the right permissions.

    Things to check/try:
    Check if the report is using a shared dataset

    Open the PBIX in Power BI Desktop.

    Go to File - Options & Settings - Data Source Settings.

    If the source is Power BI Service (semantic model) - the PBIX does not contain the data, it only points to a published dataset.
    Verify permissions on the dataset

    In the workspace where the dataset lives, click the …(More options) - Manage permissions on the dataset.

    Make sure the user has at least:

    Read + Build permissions.

    Without Build, Desktop can’t reconnect to the dataset.

    Reconnect to the dataset manually (if needed)

    In Desktop, go to Home - Get Data - Power BI Datasets.

    Log in and select the correct dataset from the workspace.

    Save the PBIX – now it should reconnect.

    If you need the full PBIX with data

    Downloading from Service will only give you the report definition if it’s built on a shared dataset.

    Ask the dataset owner for the original PBIX file (the one used to publish the dataset).

    Workaround if you only want to edit visuals

    Open the report directly in the Service.

    Click Edit - Edit in Power BI Service.

    Make changes and republish/update without using Desktop.

    This error happens because the downloaded PBIX is a report-only file pointing to a semantic model in the Service. To fix it, ensure Build permission is granted on the dataset and reconnect, or get the original PBIX with data.