The server could not complete your request. For more specific information, click the Details button – SharePoint 2010

One of my user has reported an error that he is facing some problem while publishing the workflow. I probe this issue further and got the following details:

OS: Windows 7

IE version: 9,32-bit

Workflow type: reusable

Publishing at which level: Subsite

SP version: SharePoint 2010

Problem description: Trying to make a custom Publishing Approval workflow for a document library but whenever I try to make a copy I get this message ”The server could not complete your request”

Error message:

This workflow is read-only. Would you like to make a copy of this workflow to open or edit?

After pressing the yes button I get the following error message:

The server could not complete your request. For more specific information, click the Details button.

Details:

Below is the message that the server returned. For more information, contact your Internet service provider or web server administrator.

Troubleshooting done:

1)   Tried publishing the workflow at the root site- worked.

2)   Tried publishing on different site collection as well as in development environment- worked

3)   Checked the managed blocked file types by means of Central Administration-security- for the files .xoml & rules but there were not there.

4)   Checked in IIS by means of request filtering for the extensions .xoml and rules but there were not a part of it.

5)   Checked the OOTB workflow and no problems with the same.

Its been pretty much clear that it’s only occuring at the subsite level and using SharePoint Designer.

Resolution:

Million thanks to this Microsoft technet thread who helps me to understand the issue and design nature of this functionality.

Please refer this: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/sharepoint/en-US/1a241b83-56fc-499e-b4a3-be57b50da204/sp-designer-workflow-error-message-subsites-only

As per this thread- This is by design that we can only copy and modify the OOB global Reusable workflows from the top site. And it is because there is a limitation to create global reusable workflows from a subsite in SharePoint 2010, so we can't create and edit a global reusable workflow from subsites.

Thank you. Hope this article will helps you to get the insight on this issue.