SharePoint: This service isn't available right now. User has Empty Lookup Column

 

The following screen captures are from SP 2013. SP 2010 behaves in the same way except for the error message.

 

Scenario:

• You grant Contribute or Edit permissions to a user to a list or library, but not to the site.
• When they visit the list/library, one column is blank that should have data.
• When they edit an item the field is blank and the dropdown is empty.
• When they click LIBRARY, Quick Edit, and then click the dropdown for the column the get the following error: (Clicking the link does nothing.)
     
     Note: SP 2010 just displays an empty dropdown in the Datasheet View with no message about a "service" or other error.
  
  when they should be getting this:
     

The issue? It's a look up column, and the user does not have at least Read permissions to the lookup list. (Convenient that I named it "Lookup" huh?)

Other interesting side effects of not having permissions to the lookup list:

• If the lookup column is Required, then the user cannot edit anything in the list/library.
• If the lookup column is not Required, then when the user edits the item, the data in the lookup column is deleted!

 

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