"Dimension Value DEPARTMENT - ADM is blocked."

The dimension value used on the line has its Blocked field switched on, so Business Central rejects the whole dimension set and stops the posting. A blocked value is normally a retired code that should no longer be used on new entries. Replace it with the current value on the line and on whatever default dimension keeps feeding it, or ask an administrator to clear Blocked on the value if it is still valid.

Why Business Central raises this error

Every dimension value card has a Blocked switch. When a document or journal is posted, Business Central validates each entry of the dimension set attached to the line, and any blocked value makes the whole set invalid, no matter where the value came from. The value can be typed on the line, inherited from a default dimension on a customer, vendor, item or G/L account, or copied from another document. Entries that were posted before the value was blocked keep it and stay perfectly valid, because blocking only prevents new use.

• The code was retired by switching on Blocked, but it is still set as a default dimension on a customer, vendor, item or G/L account that the line touches.
• A document, journal batch or recurring journal created before the block still carries the old value and is only being posted now.
• The value arrived through a copy operation, a reversal or a correction based on an older document that predates the block.

How to fix it

1. Note the two codes in the message: the first (DEPARTMENT) is the dimension code, the second (ADM) is the dimension value code.
2. Search for Dimensions (Alt+Q), open the dimension named in the message, and choose Dimension Values to see its list of values.
3. Look at the Blocked field on that value. If the code is genuinely retired, leave it blocked and identify the replacement value that should be used instead.
4. On the failing document or journal line, open the dimensions with Shift+Ctrl+D and replace the blocked value with the current one.
5. Track down the source of the value: on the customer, vendor, item or G/L account involved, open Dimensions from the record's actions and update or delete the default dimension that still points at the blocked value, otherwise the next document will fail again.
6. If the value should still be usable, an administrator can clear the Blocked field on the dimension value card, after which the document posts normally.

How to avoid it in the future

Before blocking a dimension value, look for the master records that still use it as a default dimension and update them in the same session, and check that no unposted documents or journal batches are carrying it. Announce a cut-off date so nobody creates new documents with the old code in the meantime. Blocking rather than deleting is the right approach: posted entries must keep their historical dimension values, and Business Central will not let you delete a value that has been used.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Dimensions, Tags applied to BC transactions for multi-dimensional analysis, such as department, project, or cost center.
• Chart of Accounts, The structured list of general ledger accounts in Business Central that categorizes all financial transactions.
• How to Set Up Dimensions in Business Central
• How to Use Dimensions on Purchase Orders in Business Central

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• "Posting Date is not within your range of allowed posting dates in Gen. Journal Line Journal Template Name='GENERAL',Journal Batch Name='DEFAULT',Line No.='10000'."
• "The VAT Date is not within the range of allowed VAT dates."
• "Posting Date must have a value in Sales Header: Document Type=Credit Memo, No.=1005. It cannot be zero or empty."
• "Select a Dimension Value Code for the Dimension Code DEPARTMENT for G/L Account 6110."