Error in visuals from outside - Couldn't retrieve the data for this visual

[MarieKAA]

Hi all,

I am having an issue loading visuals in my report on Power BI Report Server (January 2025). The visuals do not load in first trial but can load eventually by switching report pages multiple times (see below).

The report has 6 unhidden and three hidden pages. Four of the unhidden pages each have a number of visuals (custom column charts) and eleven slicers. My report is build in Power BI Desktop RS (January 2025 version) with import data. The Access database with the full dataset is 333 MB and the PowerBI report on Desktop is 196 MB. 

From the server itself I can open the reports and load the visuals in Power BI Desktop for RS and in Power BI Report Server via a browser without any problems.

From outside the server I can log in and load the first page of the report. I can (often) load the other report pages with the standard filtering. On each page I can filter my results using a number of slicers. The slicers are used on several visuals at the same report page AND synchronized on several report pages. When I try to filter using the slicer, the report server returns an "A network error was encountered Please check your connection to the internet". In "See details" I get: 

"Error fetching data for this visual

Couldn't retrieve the data for this visual. Please try again later.
Please try again later or contact support. If you contact support, please provide these details.

Http Status Code200"

If I try to select another report page (still with the slicer active) the new report page (often) doesn't load either. BUT if I return to the first report page (still with active slicer) then suddenly the visuals loads!!! If I add another slicer, again it will fail, but can eventually load using the above steps.

This tells me that I have access and that the report is able to load, but for some reason it is not able to load in the first trial.

Does any of you know what can cause this, and how to fix it? Any help will be much appriciated!

[MarieKAA]

We finally managed to fix the issue, but I don't have the full overview of the solution. The IT group responded that they "changed the http compliance from 500 to 1000 on the WAF"... And apperantly that fixed it, since now the reports are running without errors. However we found out that the install of the report server was not correct - it was installed on the c-drive, and apparantly it has to be on a D Data and L: Log drive... Hopefully fixing this as well will help us avoid future isssues. 

I will mark a reply about firewall as the accepted solution. 

[v-veshwara-msft]

Thank you so much for sharing this update! It’s great to hear the issue has been resolved.

It’s helpful to know that adjusting the HTTP compliance setting on the WAF and addressing the Report Server installation paths were key to resolving the problem. I hope fixing the installation paths to the appropriate drives also helps prevent future issues.

Thank you again for taking the time to share these details - it’ll definitely help others facing similar challenges.

[v-veshwara-msft]

Hi @MarieKAA ,

Just checking in to see if you query is resolved and if any responses were helpful. If so, kindly consider marking the helpful reply as 'Accepted Solution' to help others with similar queries. 

Otherwise, feel free to reach out for further assistance.

Thank you.

[MarieKAA]

@v-veshwara-msft We haven't solved the problems yet. I have been looking at the logfiles, and are wondering about some of them.

The file "RSHostingService_xxx" only contains this line repeated: "xxx|INFO|xx|Catalog max connection pool size: 500" - is this a problem?

The file "RSPortal_xxx" contains info about "Received request" from my user and  "sending response". But it also once in a while repeats the line "|WARN|xx|Received a request with an unmatched or no authentication scheme. 401" - is this a problem?

Thank you.

[v-veshwara-msft]

Hi @MarieKAA ,
Thanks for sharing these details.

While I'm not directly involved with how the logs are processed, here's some general guidance that might help you and your team investigate further.

For the RSHostingService log repeating the line "Catalog max connection pool size: 500", that usually just indicates a standard configuration setting. I don’t believe that alone would be the cause of visuals not loading.

The warning in the RSPortal log  "Received a request with an unmatched or no authentication scheme. 401"might be worth looking into. A 401 usually means the server received a request that wasn’t authenticated properly. It could happen occasionally and not cause issues, but if it’s happening during filtering or visual loading, it might point to a delay or failure in how the session or credentials are handled, especially for users outside the internal network.

It might help to check with your network or security team whether there are any proxy, firewall, or timeout configurations that could interrupt authenticated requests. If authentication or session tokens are getting dropped or timing out, that could explain some of the behavior you're seeing.

You could also try performing a hard restart of the Power BI Report Server. It can sometimes help clear up temporary glitches or issues with background processes that may be affecting report behavior.

Microsoft often includes fixes in the updates for issues that are tricky to isolate.

In past versions, users with similar issues were able to resolve them by following the guidance shared in this discussion: Solved: Re: Issue: Power BI RS May 2023 release - Child Pr... - Microsoft Fabric Community

You might find the link helpful to review.

If none of the above options help, and your network team has ruled out any blocking or timeout issues, it may be a good idea to raise a support ticket with Microsoft. That way, they can take a closer look at logs and configuration in your specific environment.

Microsoft Fabric Support and Status | Microsoft Fabric

Hope this helps. Please reach out for further assistance.
If this post helps, then please consider to give a kudos and Accept as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Thank you.

[v-veshwara-msft]

Hi @MarieKAA ,

We’re following up once more regarding your query. If it has been resolved, please mark the helpful reply as the Accepted Solution to assist others facing similar challenges.

If you still need assistance, please let us know.

If you have raised a support ticket with Microsoft and received a resolution, please consider sharing the solution details to help others in the community.

Thank you.

[MarieKAA]

Hi @v-veshwara-msft ,

The responses were very helpful and might have narrowed down possible solutions. My network team is now checking for possible improvements on the network side. I will let you now if this solves the issues (and mark the reply as helpful).

Thank you for your help so far 🙂

[MarieKAA]

EDIT: The charts are "Clustered column charts" - not custom...

[v-veshwara-msft]

Hi @MarieKAA ,

Thank you for using Microsoft Fabric Community.

Thanks for the detailed explanation - this looks similar to some other cases we've seen with Power BI Report Server, especially when custom visuals and slicers are used across pages.

In these situations, the problem often happens because custom visuals try to load content from the internet. If the machine running the report can’t reach those resources - like when you're opening the report from outside your network - the visuals might not load right away, or may show an error.

There are a few things you can try that have helped others fix or reduce this issue:

1. Use the environment variable PBI_userFavoriteResourcePackagesEnabled.

2. Even after setting that variable, Power BI might still wait around 20–30 seconds while it tries to reach the internet before falling back to the local copy. So, you might see a short delay before the visuals load.
   You can find detailed guidance here:  Blog: Custom Visuals Failing to Load

3. Try using built-in visuals instead of custom ones in a copy of your report. If the issue goes away, then the problem is definitely with the custom visuals.

You can find more details in these links:

• Community thread on similar issue

• Official Microsoft Docs - Troubleshooting Guide

Hope this helps. Please reach out for further assistance.
If this post helps, then please consider to Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly and a kudos would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[MarieKAA]

Hi @v-veshwara-msft 

Thank you so much for your answer. Unfortunately I wrote a mistake in my question. The charts are not "custom", but "Clustered column charts". So your solutions do not seem fit for me. Would you be able to help on this? Should I create a new updated post with the correct information?

[v-veshwara-msft]

Hi @MarieKAA ,

Thanks for the clarification - no worries at all, and there’s no need to create a new post. We can continue right here.

Since you're using built-in visuals like Clustered Column Charts, the issue is likely not related to custom visuals. Based on your description, it might be due to a few other factors. One common cause is network latency or proxy issues when accessing Power BI Report Server from outside your internal network. Even standard visuals can fail to render properly if there’s a slow or unstable connection, especially during slicer interactions.

Another possibility is that the heavy use of slicers and synced filtering across pages is putting a lot of load on the report engine. With 11 slicers and multiple visuals per page, it can slow things down - particularly if you're connecting over VPN or a slower external network.

In some cases, browser behavior or session timeouts can also cause visuals to not render correctly.

To move forward, you could try a few things. First, check the report from a faster or wired connection outside your network and see if that helps. Then, try reducing the number of slicers on one page temporarily to see if the performance improves. You can also test the report in a different browser or clear your browser’s cache and cookies - sometimes that makes a difference. And if it’s possible, try publishing a simplified version of the report with fewer visuals and slicers just to see if the issue is tied to complexity.

Hope this helps. Please reach out for further assistance.
If this post helps, then please consider to Accept as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly and a kudos would be appreciated.

Thank you.

.

[MarieKAA]

Hi @v-veshwara-msft 

Once again, thank you for your answer. I have tried to minimize the report in a matter of ways: removing sync slicers, deleting slicers, deleting visuals, deleting hierarchy slicers, deleting report pages and nothing works.

It puzzles me, that I cannot load a visual at first try or at first try when filtering, but I can "force" it to load, by choosing another filter or another page. When I am down to one report page, I can load the filter result by: Choosing the filter (cannot load) -> choosing another filter from another slicer (cannot load) -> remove the second filter -> THE FIRST FILTER RESULT LOADS... So kond of the same as when chooing another report page and go back.

Can this help to explain the problem and find a solution?

Best Regards

[v-veshwara-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @MarieKAA ,

Thanks for taking the time to test those changes and for describing your findings so clearly.

Based on what you’ve shared, it does seem like the issue isn't due to report size or complexity. Visuals loading only after changing or removing a filter, or switching pages and coming back, suggests the report server may be slow or having trouble handling requests from outside your network. This could involve how slicer interactions are queued or processed, especially when multiple requests hit the server in quick succession.

Please check whether a proxy, gateway, or firewall in your network setup is affecting the behavior when you’re accessing the report remotely. These can sometimes cause request delays or even partially block content, leading to the kind of  pattern you’re seeing.

You can also try opening the report in a browser, press F12 to open developer tools, and check the Network tab. This can show if any requests are slow or failing when you use filters, which might help explain the issue.

Please feel free to share any findings.

If this post helps, then please consider to Accept as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly and a kudos would be appreciated.

Thank you.