Crap SharePoint Errors, I could NOT be more frustrated with a product right now.

Question

How is it possible when using *#$% MS SPD to completely break all workflows on one site. Even after deleting the last workflow that was created/modified that started to produce the error it continues.

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Answer 1

Apparently if you wait 60+min after deleting the suspect workflow SPF decides this is enough time and it will allow all tasks to the same task list complete without error now?

Hopefully while waiting you have not continued your troubleshooting and change/deleted etc any other things so that there is no way of knowing what was the cause or fix to the problem.

.

Great work MS on this!

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Answer 2

Hi,

Thank you for your post.
I'm trying to involve someone familiar with this topic to further look at this issue. There might be some time delay. Appreciate your patience.

Thanks ,
Entan Ming

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Entan Ming

TechNet Community Support

Answer 3

Sorry for the rant but these are ridiculous bugs. The workflow on the Tasks List that I deleted and suspect to be the issue, was actually not producing any errors and was actually working as expected. But all tasks created by other workflows couldn't be completed and those previously working and unchanged workflows would get Error Occurred. The task would be locked and it didn't matter how long you waited it stayed locked. Only terminating the workflow would resolve/delete the task.

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Answer 4

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you’re experiencing such difficulties.  There are a couple things to mention as a safe guard, just in case it’s applicable here.  There is logical safe guard in workflow’s which prevent circular references which then result in infinite loops. 

For example:
-  List A
-  Has a workflow, set to run automatically every time a new item is created or every time a change is made to an item in List A

-  List B
-  Has a workflow, set to run automatically every time a new item is created or every time a change is made to an item in List B

List A, workflow logic is to make a change to an item in List B, thus initiating List B workflow to run again
List B, workflow logic is to make a change to an item in List A, thus initiating List A workflow to run again
-  This is an infinite loop
-  The workflow will loop and if circular reference is detected, it will be halted so it doesn’t crash the system.

-  In this case add logic to stop the workflow by checking a value, or turn one to manual start

There is also an issue with referencing a column in a workflow that no longer exists in the list (due to name change or column delete).
-  In this case either rebuild the workflow or remove and recreate each reference

Please let me know if either case applies.

Gregg

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MSFT

Answer 5

I am aware of the looping issue and yes both lists A (Custom List) & B (Task List) have workflows that start on create and change. There were 3 secondary workflows, 1 on List A, 2 on List B that would modify the other list. In fact even after deleting the one on List B there still is as workflow on List B that updating the originating list item with changes and that is working fine for 2 separate tracking systems on this Site.

I did however create my own checks to limit these workflows from running in a loop. And these workflows did in fact work from both sides running, completing and making the updates to themselves and the other lists. I had these workflows controlled and not looping. The issue was only related to Completing the task then the originating workflow would Error.

Strange thing is since there are multiple content types in the Task list, one of my first checks was to look for Content type and only run on specific ones. But like I mentioned every other list that used this same Task List (B) for its tasks would break as well even though their content types were excluded from the workflow.

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Answer 6

Also I would like to add this same problem occurred with a workflow on ListA which broke all Tasks for the site as well which was created before the current (deleted) workflow was even started.

And the action that was deleted (which I think fixed it) was a Pause until Version > 2 (of the current item, not the Task list).

Deleted this, as it was the last thing added to a working workflow and shortly after (no other changes) all was fine again.

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Answer 7

I wrote a more simple workflow on the Tasks list that takes the value of a Collect Data column, eg [PreparerTaskStatus] (Choice) and copies this string into a Text column [TaskSummary] on the same Task list only if the values do not match.

I added a 2 min pause if there are changes (read several people suggest this to avoid locking issues), then copy the new value to the [Status Summary] column.

Tested this workflow and it does update the column when the task is "Saved Draft" but once again when this task is completed the originating workflow has a "Error Occurred".

Tested another tracking system that is also using this same task list and it will "Error Occurred" as well. Other than sharing the Task list these systems are unrelated and this Update Task Summary workflow will STOP due to no matching Content Type.

Below is the screenshots from the Task list workflow, called "Update Task Summary". I have not completed all the ELSE IF's just modified the "Prepare A_A Eng" section to see what happens.

Any suggestions, when I add this 2nd workflow to the Tasks list all Collect Data Tasks Error out?

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Answer 8

I went to this workflows settings and unchecked all Start Options. Then created a new list item in the main list "A&A Engagements" and even though the workflow that caused the issues has been basically disabled (as far as I can tell, removing all checkboxes in Start Options does this) my previously working system no errors out on all Collect Data tasks when they are Completed.

I'll try waiting 1hr, as this seemed to correct it last time, but I did delete the suspect workflow last time.

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Answer 9

Hi there,

I’m not aware of all the actions that are occurring in these workflows, but since we’re seeing success when the last workflow was removed, we should begin there. Try recreating the workflow again and this time add back one action and then test the workflow 3 times before adding the next action. If success is seen consistently, add one more action to the workflow, and repeat 3 instance test. Continue until all actions are added.
This should help narrow the cause.
Otherwise, given your design complexity; more research will be necessary to determine the workflow error. I recommend opening a paid support case to investigate further.
Support can be found here:
- http://support.microsoft.com/select/default.aspx?target=assistance&c1=505&
- Choose SharePoint Designer 2010 and follow the onscreen wizard

Gregg

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MSFT

Answer 10

As stated above I did re-create a simplified version of the original workflow and it currently only as a few actions.

1. Check Content type (Contains "A_A Eng")
2. Check Content type (= "Prepare A_A Eng")
3. IF Column Tasks[PreparerTaskStatus] = Tasks[TaskSummary]
4.   THEN Set WF Var = Tasks[PreparerTaskStatus]
5. Set Tasks[TaskSummary] = WF Var

I'll try to remove some of the actions but there really isn't much there now.

Also your link to MS Support is producing an error, (why am I not surprised?) after selecting my country and clicking the Arrow.

Sorry, but we couldn't find the page that you requested.

Please refine your search or try one of the other helpful links that are provided here.

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Answer 11

I deleted the workflow and all other colloct data tasks work again.

I created a new workflow on the task list, didn't add any steps, left it default and published.

• I manually start a workflow that creates a task in this task list and it completed fine.
• I then set the new workflow to Start on Change, repeated step 1 and the orginating workflow "Error Occured".
• Even if I disable the blank workflow all colllect data tasks error out, only have deleting the workflow will the tasks complete. after the original has been terminated and started again.

Looks like I may have to call MS.

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Answer 12

Spoke with MS Support and the SPD devision confirms its not the workflows as far as they can tell.

As I have been thinking its on the server side and likely the Task list its self. They we be passing the case to the SP server support team next and I am hoping if they do say its the list itself that there is a way to move all existing workflows to a new task list. I have 21 workflows on this site with several of them using this task list.

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Answer 13

Figured out the issue with MS Support!

Increase the List View Lookup Threshold value for the web application, below are the steps.

• Go to the Central Administration Site
• Click on Manage web applications
• Select the Web Application hosting the document library (list) that you’ve deployed the workflow to
• Click General Settings in the Ribbon and then select Resource Throttling, set the List View Lookup Threshold value to something high (like 60) instead of 8 (default)

Now all workflows work fine. Not really clear how this causes the 2nd workflow on the Tasks list to fail and allows the 1st to run fine.

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Stunpals - Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties.