Share this article
Improve this guide
Fix connection errors in Power BI with 6 easy solutions
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
Share this article
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more
Key notes
A crucial part ofPower BIis aninternet connection. This way, you can share data and communicate with others about the project. However,Power BIhas many connection issues.
In this article, we will describe them and we will show you how to fix the connection errors in Power BI.
Many people can’t save modifications on the server and they’re getting anerror message. One userreportedthe following on the official forum:
I had no problem loading the entities, or creating the conections. The report seems to be fully functional as well, but when trying to refresh fromPower BIDesktop, the followingerror messagepops up.
So, the problem appeared when the user tried to refresh fromPower BIDesktop because there’s not enough memory to complete the operation.
Another issue refers to a firewall error, as one userreportedon the forum:
when I try to refresh it I get the following error: Formula.Firewall: Query Est Review Effort (step Merged Queries1) references other queries or steps, so it may not directly access a data source. Please rebuild this data combination.
So, the problems are with the data combination selected, and with accessing a data source.
Quite a few users encountered an issue inPower BIReport. Simply put, the service is not available, as one userreportedon the official forum:
When I run either report I see Service Unavailable. HTTPError503. The service is unavailable. with the loading data image.
Also, the restart didn’t fix the error.
The invalid connection credentials is another severe issue ofPower BI, as one usersaid on the forum:
The following occurs when I referesh the data: Something went wrong Invalid connection credentials. Please try again later or contact support.
So, the problem appears when the user refreshed the data.
Sometimes, errors can be unexpected. A userdescribedthe following issue:
Trying to save aPower BIfile and getting Unexpected Network Error. Have tried doing a save as and that has failed as well. Tried to local drive as well as to the network. I can save/export toPower BItemplate, but that is not much use.
Therefore, trying to save aPower BIfile was unsuccessful because of an unexpected network error.
Probably the most severe issue is that the program was unable to start, as a userdescribed:
I downloaded PBI on 24th June 2018. I am unable to start the application. My system information is following listed. OS – Windows 7 Ultimate (64 Bit). RAM – 8 GB
So, thePower BIDesktop won’t start, because the program wasn’t able to connect to the model. Today we will show you how to fix these connection problems in Power BI.
How can I fix network issues in Power BI?
1. Failed to save modifications to the server error
For this, there is a very simple solution. Remove the report and publish it again. After that, you can schedule a refresh without any issue.
2. Firewall error
You can solve the problem with a few changes in Power BI.
Alternatively, you can solve the error by following the steps below.
Open the Options menu like in the solution above.
3. The service is unavailable
This issue appears whenPower BIDesktop is on one computer and the client connects toPower BIReport on another server. You should keep everything on the same server if you want to avoid this problem.
4. Invalid connection credentials
You can test the network connectivity with this PowerShell script:Test-NetConnection -ComputerName watchdog.servicebus.windows.net -Port 9350
5. Unexpected network error occurred
This problem appeared to an older version of Power BI. Remember to update your program to avoid errors such as this.
Your Power BI is outdated? Install the latest version from here!
6. We weren’t able to connect to the model error
To solve the issue, try the 32-bit version ofPower BIDesktop, as the 64-bit version can cause problems for some users.
Conclusion
As you can see, the problems are not as severe as they seem. Connection errors are usually caused by some faulty option or an outdated program. Set yourPower BIproperly and keep the program updated for maximum performance.
Did our solutions work for you? Let us know in the comments section below!
[wl_navigator]
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
User forum
0 messages
Sort by:LatestOldestMost Votes
Comment*
Name*
Email*
Commenting as.Not you?
Save information for future comments
Comment
Δ
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
