You get a 'System.ArgumentException: Value does not fall within the expected range" when you try to get the value of an SPListItem. Here is one solution to your problem!

This article will maybe help out some folks, because I didn't find the answer elsewhere.

I wanted to retrieve an SPListItem value, and I got the following error:

System.ArgumentException: Value does not fall within the expected range.
at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFieldMap.GetColumnNumber(String strFieldName, Boolean bThrow)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListItemCollection.GetColumnNumber(String groupName, Boolean bThrowException)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListItemCollection.GetRawValue(String fieldname, Int32 iIndex, Boolean bThrow)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListItem.GetValue(SPField fld, Int32 columnNumber, Boolean bRaw, Boolean bThrowException)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListItem.get_Item(Guid fieldId)

First, I didn't understand why this error was thrown on a such basic operation in SharePoint development.

Then going step by step trying to find a solution, I noticed that on my current SPList I had several field of type "Lookup" and "Person or Group", eleven exactly.

I finally found the solution in the Web Application settings.

Go to the Central Administration > Manage web applications > General Settings > Resource Throttling.

Then take a look to the option named List View Lookup Threshold.

The description says: Specify the maximum number of Lookup, Person/Group, or workflow status fields that a database query can involve at one time.

This option is the solution to our problem!

By default the value is set to 8. Just modify it depending on your needs. For my part I set it to eleven, and the error didn't show up again.

Just be carefull with this option, because it is used for performance reason. Don't raise it too much, just modify it to suit your needs.

Please feel free to comment or contact me if you have any question about this article.

• English

1. Microsoft
2. SharePoint 2010

Comments

• Tuesday, August 16, 2011 8:04 AM - Ivan Pagac

  English

  hi,
  you saved me a lot of time, i was desperate of that situation but your solution works! Thank you!

• Tuesday, September 13, 2011 9:41 AM - romanb

  English

  Sanx a lot!

• Friday, August 10, 2012 3:43 PM - Dima

  English

  Great thanks!

• Wednesday, November 07, 2012 4:26 PM - Nick

  English

  You are a life saver. Thank you.

• Monday, January 07, 2013 5:17 AM - Ho Le

  English

  Thank a lot

• Thursday, January 10, 2013 5:49 PM - Alamo

  English

  Idem. You are our life savers. Thank you.

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