Suddenly I'm having trouble saving a pbix file. Same dataset I've used before. The size is around 295MB, far smaller than 1GB. I think the only difference now is that I'm using images (PNGs, a couple of kb's each) and trying a different page size (Letter format). I can create the file and it saves fine for a while, but then it starts giving me an error. I can't figure out why but it happens every time I try to make this particular report, I've rebuilt it three times today.

I've also experienced this problem with Version: 2.42.4611.701 64-bit (January 2017) and was able to isolate the issue to a "[" character in the file name of an image I inserted into my .pbix file. I was not able to recover the .pbix file after I deleted the image from the .pbix file. Also, I could not 'Save As' and save the .pbix file to a seperate file, which caused me to lose all my edits. Consequently, I exited the Power BI Desktop application, renamed the .jpg file on my workstation, restarted Power BI Desktop and I could then proceed with inserting the image and saving the .pbix file. Hopefully the development team will refine the error message to instruct to look at image file names and provide a means to successfully save your work as to avoid the fatal loss of all edits.

Hi There, I have got a solution for it. i have faced this issue multiple times and then i tried it inserting proper PNG formatted images and it worked fine. Sometimes even it shows problem with PNG images so i tried this on Windows 10 and it perectly worked. i am using windows 7 currently. what you can do is install Windows 10 as a virtual Machine in your system and try again the same process again and it will work fine. Also you can try it as Exporting as Power Bi Template and open the Power Bi Template again and try saving it. this works too. Thanks and Regards,Rohit Binnani.

Found a solution that worked for me. The error appears if the image name contains special characters (in my case Swedish letter ä). When changing the image name to just use English letters then the report saves without problem. BRMartin

The error is indeed on the special caracters like ç, ã, ä and so on. Same as happened on GTA5 when it was launch.We need to use only USA caracters.But even if the image name is correct and the file cannot be saved, please perform undo (ctrl+z) a couple of times until you can save the file without any image, and then you may insert the image with the correct filename.First you need to get rid of the error and be able to save without any image inserted. Only then you may try and insert the images with correct chars on the filename. I suggest using numbers for the image file name.

I have that problem often with one of my reports. And I don't have special character names or attached pictures.My Solution:Just do a Save-As right on top of the original file with the same name. Then when you re-publish the report it goes to the same place online with the same embed codes.

Unable to save document | Microsoft Fabric Community

23 Replies

dsandberg
Advocate I
9 years ago
I've also experienced this problem with Version: 2.42.4611.701 64-bit (January 2017) and was able to isolate the issue to a "[" character in the file name of an image I inserted into my .pbix file. I was not able to recover the .pbix file after I deleted the image from the .pbix file. Also, I could not 'Save As' and save the .pbix file to a seperate file, which caused me to lose all my edits.

Consequently, I exited the Power BI Desktop application, renamed the .jpg file on my workstation, restarted Power BI Desktop and I could then proceed with inserting the image and saving the .pbix file.

Hopefully the development team will refine the error message to instruct to look at image file names and provide a means to successfully save your work as to avoid the fatal loss of all edits.
rohitbinnani
Advocate III
9 years ago
Hi There, I have got a solution for it. i have faced this issue multiple times and then i tried it inserting proper PNG formatted images and it worked fine. Sometimes even it shows problem with PNG images so i tried this on Windows 10 and it perectly worked. i am using windows 7 currently. what you can do is install Windows 10 as a virtual Machine in your system and try again the same process again and it will work fine. Also you can try it as Exporting as Power Bi Template and open the Power Bi Template again and try saving it. this works too.

Thanks and Regards,
Rohit Binnani.
- brjones
  Advocate I
  8 years ago
  I have that problem often with one of my reports. And I don't have special character names or attached pictures.
  My Solution:
  Just do a Save-As right on top of the original file with the same name. Then when you re-publish the report it goes to the same place online with the same embed codes.
Anonymous
Not applicable
9 years ago
The error is indeed on the special caracters like ç, ã, ä and so on. Same as happened on GTA5 when it was launch.
We need to use only USA caracters.
But even if the image name is correct and the file cannot be saved, please perform undo (ctrl+z) a couple of times until you can save the file without any image, and then you may insert the image with the correct filename.
First you need to get rid of the error and be able to save without any image inserted. Only then you may try and insert the images with correct chars on the filename. I suggest using numbers for the image file name.
vyomesh25
Regular Visitor
7 years ago
I am also facing the same issue. Sinche few hours back only I have saved the report. After saving I have just added 10-12 calculated measures and now I am unable to save this file.
jfifield001
Regular Visitor
3 years ago
I have the same error. I know the path works as I can save other documents to it. I have rebuilt it twice and it still won't save.
Dom_Power
Regular Visitor
1 year ago
I was facing the same issue today with the current version of the Power BI Desktop and the slightly updated error message:
However, I could replicate that error.
In my case I've created two queries in the DAX query view and gave them accidently the exact name.
When I hit [save] or [File > save as] I got the error from above.
After renaming the second query to "Calc Column Q2" the error was gone!
Thus, it seems like a misleading error message.

By the way, my Power BI Desktop is the following:
Release: November 2024
Product Version: 2.138.1004.0 (24.11) (x64)
OS Version: Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.22631.0 (x64 en-US)

Cheers,
Dom
v-qiuyu-msft
Community Support
10 years ago
Hi hammerblue,

From the message, it seems that the path you want to save the .PBIX file in is not valid. Please copy this path in the File Explorer to check if it's available and has sufficient space to store the report.

Also please enable tracing on Power BI Desktop: File –> Options –> Diagnostics –> Enable Tracing to check if you can find the detail message. For more information, please refer to this article: Power BI Desktop Trace Logs Analyser.

If you have any question, please feel free to ask.

Best Regards,
Qiuyun Yu
- hammerblue
  Helper I
  10 years ago
  v-qiuyu-msft
  
  Thanks for the tip! The path itself seems fine, and I've used it before quite a lot. Space isn't a problem either.
  
  I found the trace logs and imported them to the report file you linked, but I'm not getting any smarter about the problem.. Can't tell why it fails to save. Any ideas?
  - v-qiuyu-msft
    Community Support
    10 years ago
    Hi hammerblue,
    
    What's the version of the Power BI Dekstop do you run? Please update it to the latest one then check if you can save the .PBIX file.
    
    Also please check if the issue related to images and letter format page. You can delete the images then save the report. If it can be saved, then add each image separately and save it. If not, please remove the letter format page to see if it can be saved.
    
    Best Regards,
    Qiuyun Yu
Anonymous
Not applicable
10 years ago
We're also having the same issue. I.e. after adding an image the report can't be saved. And not opened either (corrupt).

/Martin
- Anonymous
  Not applicable
  10 years ago
  Found a solution that worked for me.
  
  The error appears if the image name contains special characters (in my case Swedish letter ä). When changing the image name to just use English letters then the report saves without problem.
  
  BR
  Martin
  - hammerblue
    Helper I
    10 years ago
    That could be one of the things causing it, Martin, good catch! My files are all named in english though so it must be something else. But it wouldn't be the first time Microsoft's language preference settings causes bugs..
Anonymous
Not applicable
9 years ago
Just to advise I've encountered this problem as well. Running Version: 2.38.4491.282 64-bit (August 2016) of Power BI desktop. Won't let me save the file to any path. I have removed all images added to the PBIX. Cleared cache. Still no joy. Other open PBIX files are saving ok to the same path. Sent off to Microsoft support to see if any further detail can be determined.
- Anonymous
  Not applicable
  9 years ago
  In further exploration of this it does appear to be due to files with non-english charcters in them. I had an image file with an accented "e" that appears to have caused the issue. The bigger problem is that it appears that even after deleting the image in the PBIX the damage is already done as it still won't save.
wesleyvieira
Helper I
9 years ago
Hello everyone!

I had the same situation here. I use PowerBI in Brazilian Portuguese, and today was unable to save after duplicate one sheet, then I closed without saving and made the sheet from a new one, and it worked to me!

Hope this information be useful to all.

best regards.
- mlmaestro
  New Member
  9 years ago
  I saved the png into jpg and it worked for me.