Overwriting a .tfl File with Tableau Prep May Corrupt the File

KNOWLEDGE BASE

Overwriting a .tfl File with Tableau Prep May Corrupt the File

Published: 09 Jul 2022
Last Modified Date: 15 Jul 2022

Issue

A .tfl file may become corrupt after trying to overwrite the file using the Save-As function in Tableau Prep. The error will display as follows:

Error: Can't save the file. There was a problem with the flow file. The data may be corrupted.

Environment

Tableau Prep Builder 2021.3.3, 2021.4.4, 2022.1.3, 2022.2.1
Windows
.tfl files

Resolution

The resulting file corruption is irreversible and the file must be re-saved using one of the following workarounds:

Save-As a .tflx file.
Save-As a .tfl with a unique filename.
Save-As to another directory and manually copy the file to overwrite the original.
Use the "Save" feature rather than "Save-As" option.