Allow PBIX Files To Open With 'A circular dependency was detected' Error For Troubleshooting

[Matt_Johnson]

I have encountered the "Failed to save modifications to the server. Error returned: 'A circular dependency was detected'" error with a PBIX saved just two months ago and found several other posts with the same error.  The workaround has been to obtain (through independent file-sharing websites) an older MSI of the Power BI Desktop installer to open the PBIX file.

Rather than having this contant issue (there are posts going back to 2016), could Power BI Desktop just open the files to allow real troubleshooting to occur?

Side note is that one such report was published to PowerBI.com and still operated without error online, but when a PBIX was downloaded, it displayed the error mentioned above.

[Matt_Johnson]

For any interested, here is the full error:

Feedback Type:
Frown (Error)

Error Message:
Failed to save modifications to the server. Error returned: 'A circular dependency was detected: Begin Fund Balance[Begin Fund Balance-aa731570-2ad4-484a-b4bd-0e6ecd4e24be], Begin Fund Balance[Location Name], Begin Fund Balance[Begin Fund Balance-aa731570-2ad4-484a-b4bd-0e6ecd4e24be].
'.

Stack Trace:
   at Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.Model.SaveChanges(SaveOptions saveOptions)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Modeler.ModelManager.SaveChanges(String description)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Modeler.ModelManager.InternalTransaction.Commit(Boolean recalc)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Modeling.AsyncModelAuthoringService.ModelAuthoringTransaction.<>c__DisplayClass15_0.<Commit>b__0()
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Modeling.ModelAuthoringExceptionHandler.AddModelChangeResultToExceptions(Action action, ModelChangeResult modelChangeResult)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Modeling.AsyncModelAuthoringService.ModelAuthoringTransaction.Commit(RecalcBehavior recalcBehavior)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.ReportPreparer.<>c.<PerformRecalc>b__18_0(IExtendedModelChangeScope scope)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Modeling.AsyncModelAuthoringService.RunOutOfBandExtendedModelChange(Action`1 extendedModelChange, IAnalysisServicesDatabase analysisServicesDatabase, IModelManager modelManager, Boolean requireASDBToBeUnattached)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.AnalysisServices.AnalysisServicesDatabaseLocal.RunOutOfBandExtendedModelChangeCore(Action`1 extendedModelChange, Boolean requireASDBToBeUnattached)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.ReportPreparer.PerformRecalc(Report report)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.ReportPreparer.Prepare(Report report, PackageValidationResult mashupResult, IPowerBIWindowService windowService, String fileName, Nullable`1 entryPoint, Version pbixFileVersion)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Services.PowerBIPackagingService.Open(FileStream fileStream, IPowerBIWindowService windowService, Nullable`1 entryPoint, PowerBIPackageOpenOptions options, ReportPreparerResult& prepareResult)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Services.FileManager.<LoadFromPbix>d__20.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 Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Services.UIBlockingService.<>c__DisplayClass15_0`1.<<BlockUIAndRun>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Services.UIBlockingService.WaitOnUIThreadForTaskCompletion(Task task)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Services.UIBlockingService.BlockUIAndRun[T](Func`1 asyncMethod)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Services.FileManager.OpenFile(IPowerBIWindowService windowService, IPbixFile fileToOpen, Nullable`1 entryPoint)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Program.TryOpenOrCreateReport(IUIHost uiHost, ISplashScreen splashScreen, IFileManager fileManager, IFileHistoryManager fileHistoryManager, String filePath, FileType fileType)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Program.<>c__DisplayClass2_0.<Main>b__1()
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.IExceptionHandlerExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass3_0.<HandleExceptionsWithNestedTasks>b__0()
   at Microsoft.Mashup.Host.Document.ExceptionHandlerExtensions.HandleExceptions(IExceptionHandler exceptionHandler, Action action)

Stack Trace Message:
Failed to save modifications to the server. Error returned: 'A circular dependency was detected: Begin Fund Balance[Begin Fund Balance-aa731570-2ad4-484a-b4bd-0e6ecd4e24be], Begin Fund Balance[Location Name], Begin Fund Balance[Begin Fund Balance-aa731570-2ad4-484a-b4bd-0e6ecd4e24be].
'.

Invocation Stack Trace:
   at Microsoft.Mashup.Host.Document.ExceptionExtensions.GetCurrentInvocationStackTrace()
   at Microsoft.Mashup.Client.UI.Shared.StackTraceInfo..ctor(String exceptionStackTrace, String invocationStackTrace, String exceptionMessage)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Telemetry.PowerBIUserFeedbackServices.GetStackTraceInfo(Exception e)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Windows.Telemetry.PowerBIUserFeedbackServices.ReportException(IWindowHandle activeWindow, IUIHost uiHost, FeedbackPackageInfo feedbackPackageInfo, Exception e, Boolean useGDICapture)
   at Microsoft.Mashup.Client.UI.Shared.UnexpectedExceptionHandler.<>c__DisplayClass14_0.<HandleException>b__0()
   at Microsoft.Mashup.Client.UI.Shared.UnexpectedExceptionHandler.HandleException(Exception e)
   at Microsoft.Mashup.Host.Document.ExceptionHandlerExtensions.HandleExceptions(IExceptionHandler exceptionHandler, Action action)
   at Microsoft.PowerBI.Client.Program.Main(String[] args)

PowerBINonFatalError_MethodDefDescription:
PFE_XL_CALCCOLUMN_CIRCULAR_DEPENDENCIES

ModelChangeResult:
{"changes":[],"hasQueryImpact":false}

[v-yuta-msft]

@Matt_Johnson ,

This issue should be related to the relationship or measures/calculate column in your model. Please check if the relationship you have built in model is valid. Also check if any measures/calculate columns return this error.

Regards,

Jimmy Tao

[Matt_Johnson]

Thank you, @v-yuta-msft,

The issue here isn't the cause, it's that Power BI Desktop will not allow the PBIX file to be opened in order to troubleshoot and address the underlying cause.

The proposition is to allow the application to open the file without needing to revert to an older MSI install.

[jchudzik]

This is still a serious problem. I can't open my file because of this issue. This is the worst possible type of error and this issue should have been escalated so that it can be resolved immediately. Why would the program be designed in a way not to allow the file to be opened so that the user can fix the error that the program shows as a "user error"? When is this issue going to be fixed? Reverting to an earlier build is annoying because IT policies automatically update software and when they do, this error comes back. Updating software is supposed to fix bugs, not introduce new bugs.