Error when saving to the Power BI Report Server

[Joelllp]

Hi all,

I have Power BI Desktop RS and Power BI Report Server installed. I now have version September 2025, but I also removed everything and installed May 2025. I have an issue when I want to save from PBI RS desktop or Upload in the Report server a new empty Power BI file. 

This is what I got when I save the report from the client to the server (localhost):

I do see the folders, but unable to save my report.
And this is what I got when I upload a PBI file to the reportserver:

I have checked the logs and got the following errors:

The remote server returned an error: (403) Forbidden.| RequestID = s_818e2464-bf36-4980-b55a-c3428d883fd1 2025-11-12 13:40:02.6925|INFO|7|Sending response. Response code %USER% 422

Throwing Microsoft.ReportingServices.Diagnostics.Utilities.AccessDeniedException: , Microsoft.ReportingServices.Diagnostics.Utilities.AccessDeniedException: The permissions granted to user %USER% are insufficient for performing this operation.;| RequestID = s_1e5f76c1-652a-4b06-9b86-7ad7d79a1f0d

I am sure my authorization is correct. Can anyone please help me with this?

[Joelllp]

@Zanqueta thank you for your prompt response. Unfortunately still no results. I added myself individually:

Even my colleagues that has been assigned to a group with access, they get the same error..

[benjaminb]

Hi @Joelllp

To help us troubleshoot the error when saving to Power BI Report Server, could you please confirm:

PBIRS version and the Power BI Desktop for RS version you are using.
Try this quick test: Save the report locally as a .pbix file and upload it via the PBIRS web portal. Let us know if you encounter the same error during the upload.

[Joelllp]

Hi @benjaminb,

Thanks for your response. 

The version I now have is:
Client: September 2025 - 2.147.1088.0 64bit
Server: September 2025 - 1.24.9392.34333

I also tried May2025 on another server, same issue. I downloaded the client version via the Power BI Report Server Portal using the download icon.

If I follow your steps I get the following error:

log:

Throwing Microsoft.ReportingServices.Diagnostics.Utilities.AccessDeniedException: , Microsoft.ReportingServices.Diagnostics.Utilities.AccessDeniedException: The permissions granted to user %USER% are insufficient for performing this operation.;| RequestID = s_1e5f76c1-652a-4b06-9b86-7ad7d79a1f0d

[Joelllp]

For the current reports that we migrated I get the following error: 

2025-11-25 08:44:52.6695|ERROR|146|OData exception occurred: System.Net.WebException: The remote server returned an error: (403) Forbidden.
at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse()
at Microsoft.ReportingServices.Portal.ODataWebApi.Utils.PbixReportHelper.ShouldReShred(PowerBIReport entity, Uri basePortalUrl, ILogger logger, IPrincipal userPrincipal, String reportServerHostName)
at Microsoft.ReportingServices.Portal.ODataWebApi.Common.CatalogItemControllerHelper`1.GetItem(String key)
at Microsoft.ReportingServices.Portal.ODataWebApi.Common.CatalogItemControllerHelper`1.GetAllowedActions(String Id)
at lambda_method(Closure , Object , Object[] )
at System.Web.Http.Controllers.ReflectedHttpActionDescriptor.ActionExecutor.<>c__DisplayClass6_2.<GetExecutor>b__2(Object instance, Object[] methodParameters)
at System.Web.Http.Controllers.ReflectedHttpActionDescriptor.ExecuteAsync(HttpControllerContext controllerContext, IDictionary`2 arguments, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
at System.Web.Http.Controllers.ApiControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeActionAsyncCore>d__1.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
at System.Web.Http.Controllers.ActionFilterResult.<ExecuteAsync>d__5.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)

[v-nmadadi-msft]

Hi @Joelllp ,
Thanks for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum.

The issue might have occurred because someone in your organization may have received that PBIX file and opened it in the Microsoft Store version of Power BI Desktop. After making updates, they attempted to upload it to Power BI Report Server and encountered an error. Since the Store version uses a newer file format, the PBIX was automatically upgraded, making it incompatible with the Report Server version of Power BI Desktop.

If possible, create a new report in Power BI Desktop RS and upload it to the Power BI report server to see if the issue is with the specific pbix file or the report server.

I hope this information helps. Please do let us know if you have any further queries.
Thank you

[Joelllp]

Unfortunately this is still not the solution. I downloaded Power BI Desktop for RS from the link that is provided in the Power BI Report Server Portal (browser). We have this issue on two servers (Acceptance & Production).

I performed a re-install, deleted everything, used multiple servers but still no solutions :(. 

[v-nmadadi-msft]

Hi @Joelllp ,
Sorry to know it didn’t help. Please consider reaching out to Microsoft Support. You can provide them with all the troubleshooting steps you've already taken, which will help them understand the issue better and provide a resolution. They might be able to identify something specific about your admin account setup or provide a solution that isn't immediately obvious. 

Below is the link to create Microsoft Support ticket:

Create a Fabric and Power BI Support Ticket - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Regards

[Joelllp]

Hi,

Unfortunately still no solution. I will create a Microsoft Support Ticket and will let you know the outcome..

[Joelllp]

Thank you for your help! I will!

The odd thing is that on the same machine I have SSRS 2019 installed. And there I am able to upload a .pbix file.

Anyway, will reach out to Microsoft and If we found the solution together I will share it here..

[v-nmadadi-msft]

Hi @Joelllp ,

Could you please confirm if the issue has been resolved after raising a support case? If a solution has been found, it would be greatly appreciated if you could share your insights with the community. This would be helpful for other members who may encounter similar issues.

Thank you for your understanding and assistance.

[Zanqueta]

Hi @Joelllp,

If I'm not wrong the error you are seeing when saving or uploading to Power BI Report Server is caused by insufficient permissions for the user account performing the operation. The log confirms this with:

AccessDeniedException: The permissions granted to user %USER% are insufficient for performing this operation.

Even though you believe your authorisation is correct, this usually happens because the account is not assigned the proper role in the Report Server security model.

How can you fix It:

Check Report Server Roles

Power BI Report Server uses role-based security. To publish or save reports, the user must have at least the Publisher role.

• Open Report Server Web Portal (e.g., http://localhost/reports).
• Go to Site Settings → Security.
• Ensure your user account is added with the role Publisher or Content Manager.

 

Check Folder-Level Permissions

Even if you have site-level permissions, you also need permissions on the target folder:

• Navigate to the folder where you are saving the report.
• Click Manage → Security.
• Add your user with Publisher or Content Manager role.

Why This Happens

When you reinstall or downgrade versions (e.g., from September 2025 to May 2025), the security configuration may reset. The error (403) Forbidden combined with AccessDeniedException means the server is rejecting the request because the user lacks the required role.

If this response was helpful, I’d appreciate a 👍 — just like the joy of seeing a DAX measure work on the first try without needing another FILTER.

Please mark it as the correct solution. It helps other community members find the right path (and saves them from another infinite loop 🌀).