Default Approval Workflow 'This task could not be updated at this time'

Question

I have set up the default 2010 approval workflow on our 2013 systems.

The workflow works perfectly apart from an error which is given when a document is approved/rejected. When a user accepts from within a document opened locally they receive the error at the top of the window in a yellow bar.

'This task could not be updated at this time'

The users response, however, is communicated with the server as the workflow moves correctly onto the next stage. My issue is more down to user experience, if they are seeing this error they are going to think the workflow has failed, which is actually not the case.

Any information on this issue?

Answer 1

It may be related to the permissions on the task list associated with the workflow. Workflows have two related lists: one for tasks, one for workflow history. If the list you have the approval workflow is not inheriting permissions from the parent, check the permissions on these two lists.