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Error and warning messages

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Error and warning messages

This content is no longer actively maintained. It is provided as is, for anyone who may still be using these technologies, with no warranties or claims of accuracy with regard to the most recent product version or service release.

When you open a VDX, VSX, or VTX file in Microsoft Visio, any error or warning messages that might result appear in message dialog boxes and then are saved in a log file named "ErrorLog.txt".

The log file includes details on why a problem has occurred and the action Visio has taken in response to the problem, and, if possible, the line number where Visio has detected a problem in the document.

By default, the ErrorLog.txt file is stored in the following path: \Document and Settings\UserID\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Visio\ErrorLog.txt.

An example of errors and warnings in the ErrorLog.txt file

Note The Show XML file save warnings or Show XML file open warnings check boxes must be selected on the Save tab of the Options dialog box in Visio (Tools menu) for warning and error message dialog boxes to appear.

When Visio encounters invalid, ambiguous, or incomplete XML it tries to preserve as much information as possible and continue on. If you're editing or generating your own XML for Visio, as a general rule, try to mimic the XML that Visio would generate to avoid creating errors and warnings.

  • Validation problems
  • Parser initialization problems
  • Empty, invalid, inappropriate, or unexpected elements, attributes, or values in attributes
  • Duplicate elements when only one element can exist
  • Elements in the wrong order (where order is important)
  • Elements that are missing required data, subelements, or attributes
  • Element or attribute data that is valid but inconsistent with the rest of the file (often occurs when formula attributes are syntactically legal but have unresolved cell references)
  • Unknown XML or solution XML that is not well-formed
  • Invalid references, including invalid master references and invalid or circular style references
  • References to nonexistent text property rows, or a text property rows that are not referenced from the shape's text

When MSXML is unable to parse or validate the file, it stops trying to load the file, displays an error message like the following, and records the error in the log file.

An example of an error message that could be displayed when Visio attempts to load an XML for Visio file

Typically this type of error is caused by one of the following:

  • A file that contains XML that isn't well-formed or does not coincide with the XML for Visio schema.
  • The MSXML.dll file has become corrupted or has been uninstalled.

When Visio encounters a file with XML that it does not understand (for a variety of reasons), but can still load, it displays the following dialog box:

An example of a warning message that could be displayed when Visio attempts to load an XML for Visio file

To see the line number and details of the warning message, click Show log file. (By default, this log file is stored in the following path: \Document and Settings\UserID\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Visio\ErrorLog.txt.)

After you click OK or Show log file, Visio finishes loading the file.