SSRS Error: The Report preview failed because the report could not be built

Question

I am creating a new report in SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 R2. When I click on the "Preview" tab an error message is displayed reading:

The report preview failed because the report could not be built. Read the errors, warnings, and messages in the Error List window for specific build failures.

However, there are no errors, warnings, nor messages in the Error List window. Furthermore, the Build Output shows:

Build complete -- 0 errors, 0 warnings
========== Build: 1 succeeded or up-to-date, 0 failed, 0 skipped ==========

I have checked to make sure the report in the build directory is not read only. I have closed/restarted Visual Studio. I have closed/reopened the report file.

Answer 1

I renamed [Project Folder]/bin/Debug folder, build.obj to build.test re-opened the project and recompiled files all started working

Answer 2

In my case I got the gold when read the list message on reporting services, I was leaving a old name for at least one column on my tablix when I already had changed it on the script sql; then if the script's column name and the tablix's column name do not are the same thus RS cann't build the report......this was my experience. I hope had help u.

Answer 3

I got this error when moving pieces of an SSRS project out of a project built w/ VS 2008 into a project built w/ VS 2016. I had to go in and manually set it to "SQL Server 2016 or later". Under Project Properties.

Answer 4

A special file in my [Project Folder]/bin/Debug folder, build.obj, has become marked as Read-only. When I remove the read-only flag on this file, the report is now able to be previewed.

Answer 5

Right-click on the report in the project explorer and choose 'Run' - this is a workaround for a Visual Studio flaw.