Common Errors and Solutions
This page covers frequently encountered errors in Business Central and how to resolve them.
General Errors
"You do not have permission to..."
Cause: User account lacks necessary permissions
Solution: - Contact your supervisor or IT administrator - Specify which page/action you need access to - Permissions are role-based and must be granted by admin
"The record has been changed by another user"
Cause: Someone else modified the record while you had it open
Solution: - Click OK to see the updated version - Make your changes again - Save your work - Consider communicating with team to avoid conflicts
Page is frozen or not responding
Cause: Browser issue or network connectivity problem
Solution: - Press F5 to refresh the page - Clear browser cache - Try closing and reopening Business Central - Check network connection - Contact IT if problem persists
Sales Process Errors
"Customer is blocked"
Cause: Customer account has been blocked for shipping or invoicing
Solution: - Check customer card for block reason - May be due to credit limit exceeded or overdue payments - Contact accounting to review customer status - Resolve payment issues before processing new orders
Cannot post sales order
Possible Causes and Solutions:
Issue: Order not released - Solution: Click Release before posting
Issue: Quantity to ship is zero - Solution: Enter quantity in Qty. to Ship field
Issue: Item out of stock - Solution: Check inventory. Adjust quantity or order more stock
Issue: Required fields missing - Solution: Review order header and lines for blank required fields
"Quantity available is not sufficient"
Cause: Trying to ship more than available inventory
Solution: - Check item availability - Reduce qty to ship to available amount - Order more stock from vendor - Consider partial shipment
Purchasing Process Errors
"Vendor is blocked"
Cause: Vendor account has been blocked
Solution: - Check vendor card for block reason - May be payment dispute or quality issues - Contact purchasing manager - Resolve issues before creating new orders
Cannot receive more than ordered
Cause: Trying to receive quantity greater than on PO
Solution: - Verify physical quantity received - If more was truly received, update PO quantity first - Or contact supervisor to authorize over-receipt
Purchase invoice already exists
Cause: Duplicate vendor invoice number
Solution: - Check if invoice was already posted - Verify vendor invoice number - Contact vendor if they sent duplicate - Use different invoice number if appropriate
Financial Errors
"The entry is out of balance"
Cause: Debits and credits don't balance in journal
Solution: - Review journal lines - Check that amounts are correct - Verify account numbers - Ensure offsetting entries balance - Use balancing account if appropriate
"Document no. already exists"
Cause: Trying to use a document number that's already been used
Solution: - Use next available number (usually auto-generated) - Check if document was already posted - Don't reuse document numbers
Cannot apply payment to invoice
Possible Causes and Solutions:
Issue: Invoice already paid - Solution: Check invoice ledger entry. Invoice may be fully paid already.
Issue: Currency mismatch - Solution: Payment and invoice must be in same currency
Issue: Wrong customer/vendor - Solution: Verify you're applying payment to correct account
Posting Errors
"Posting date is not within allowed range"
Cause: Trying to post to a closed period or future date not allowed
Solution: - Use current date for posting date - Contact accounting if you need to post to a closed period - Verify your posting date settings
"Dimensions are missing or incorrect"
Cause: Required dimension values not specified
Solution: - Fill in required dimension fields (department, project, etc.) - Check dimension setup for account being used - Contact accounting if unsure which dimensions to use
Inventory Errors
"Item not found"
Cause: Item number doesn't exist in system
Solution: - Verify item number is correct - Search item list to find correct number - May need to create new item if it doesn't exist
"Item is blocked"
Cause: Item has been blocked from transactions
Solution: - Check item card for block reason - Contact inventory manager - May be discontinued or on hold
Print/Report Errors
Report takes long time or times out
Cause: Report pulling too much data
Solution: - Add filters to narrow down data - Select specific date range - Run report for fewer customers/vendors/items - Contact IT if problem persists
Printout doesn't look correct
Cause: Wrong report format or layout
Solution: - Verify you selected correct report - Check page setup/margins - May need different report layout - Contact IT for custom report formats
Login/Access Errors
Cannot login
Possible Causes and Solutions:
Issue: Wrong password - Solution: Use "Forgot Password" link or contact IT
Issue: Account locked - Solution: Contact IT to unlock
Issue: Account expired - Solution: Contact IT to reactivate
Session expired
Cause: Inactive too long
Solution: - Log in again - Unsaved work may be lost - Save work frequently to prevent data loss
Getting Additional Help
If you encounter an error not listed here:
- Note the exact error message - Take screenshot if possible
- Note what you were trying to do - Helps IT diagnose
- Check related documentation in this knowledge base
- Ask a coworker - They may have encountered same issue
- Contact supervisor - For process questions
- Contact IT - For technical issues
Error Prevention Tips
- Save work frequently - Don't lose data if session times out
- Review before posting - Posting is permanent
- Use correct document types - Order vs. Invoice, etc.
- Fill in required fields - Check for red asterisks
- Verify data - Double-check numbers before posting
- Follow processes - Use established procedures
- Ask questions - Better to ask than make costly mistake
Related Topics
- FAQ - Frequently asked questions
- Process-specific documentation for detailed procedures