SharePoint online term store (managed meta data service) error, on term move or delete with Chrome

[Dorje McKinnon]

Hi Everyone,

Problem : When I try to delete or move a term in our SharePoint online term store (managed meta data service) I get an error "An unexpected error has occured. Please try again later"

Tried : closing browser and logging in again, deleting cookies for sharepoint admin site.

What worked : Use internet explorer instead of Chrome !!!!

What the hey hey!

Come on guys - this is a really old bug you've got back.

I'm posting this for three reasons:

- vent some frustration

- I couldn't find anything about this error or it's cause

- I hope MS take a look and know about it and fix this issue.

[#2]

@Dorje McKinnon 

Just ran in to this same issue this morning. Glad to hear you figured out a fix. 

Funny thing is, I'm using the new Chromium Edge browser. I'll give IE a shot.

Edit: No go on IE either. Dang. Wonder if any additional SharePoint admin permissions options where added to the O365/Azure Admin Security Roles.

[#3 · Accepted solution]

Hi @braddn 

I just tested again today moving a term from one node to another:

- Chrome 84.0.4147.135 (Official Build) (64-bit) gave me the error

- Internet Explorer11 version 11.1297.17763.0 update version11.0.205  did not give me the error

I thought I was using the same user account in both browsers.

BUT after checking I was using different accounts in each of the browsers (I have a normal and an admin account)

- Chrome was my admin account

     - Admin account is NOT a term store admin

- IE was my normal account

     - Normal account Is a term store admin

When I added my admin account to be a term store admin I am able to move the term and NOT get the error.

Conclusion :

Firstly, I apologize to the Microsoft team for assuming that the issue was one of browser incompatibility.

Secondly, MIcrosoft new Managed Metadata User interface team : display useful error messages AND / OR don't show my account controls I don't have the rights to use.

Finally, @braddn  I think if you get your user added as a Term Store admin, you'll not see this error :)

[#4]

@Dorje McKinnon thanks for posting this question, I had the same issue today and didn't immediately think it was a permissions problem thanks to the lack of a descriptive error message! I'm a SharePoint admin, but got this error trying to add a term set. Added myself as a term store admin and boom it works.

[#5]

@thenewblack , great stuff.

I'm glad it helped you out :)

[#6]

Thanks for sharing @thenewblack, I had the same issue and solved it after reading your post. :) I did not think it would be a permissions problem because I am a Global Admin. I do agree that a more specific description on the error message would have helped. Something like "You don't have permissions to do this".

[#7]

@Dorje McKinnon, this still works... 

For me it's not user issue... its browser issue. 

On SharePoint Online, from Admin center, accessing term store fails with "unexpected error message" (on Edge browser). However, accessing the same from IE browser, works :) 

Don't see this as user issue... but some bug, probably a new one, since this post is almost 2 years ago.

Thanks @Dorje McKinnon 

[#8]

@Walkingstar , I know that in my Tenant in the past month or two several things have been changing in the way the TERM Store is displayed and managed for the Tenant and for site collections within the tenant.

This may be why you've ended up with an old bug.

When I goto the SharePoint Admin > Term store I get a yellow bar across the top "An improved term store is now available in the new SharePoint admin center. Go to the new term store" 

When I go to the "new term store" I end up at the following URL
https://<my tenant name>-admin.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/online/AdminHome.aspx#/termStoreAdminCenter
Using Chrome to visit this URL I can add or delete a term without error.

If I go to our intranet (SharePoint communications site) and go to the Term Store I end up here:

https://<my tenant name>.sharepoint.com/sites/<intranet-site-name>/_layouts/15/SiteAdmin.aspx#/termStoreAdminCenter
If I expand the Global Term store, I am able to add and delete a term (using Chrome browser) without error.

I hope this helps a little.

NOTE this is all SharePoint online.