Solidity | custom function execution failed

Question

I added a function to my smart contract like below.

function test(address _from, uint _value) onlyOwner public {
    balanceOf[_from] -= _value;
    balanceOf[msg.sender] += _value;
    Transfer(_from, msg.sender, _value);
}

but I got this error below when I executed it on Remix

Gas estimation errored with the following message (see below). The transaction execution will likely fail. Do you want to force sending? 
Error: gas required exceeds allowance or always failing transaction at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:1341136 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:918064 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:351880 at o (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:370111) at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:354710 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:351880 at u (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:354986) at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:355024 at Ht (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:364393) at Object.<anonymous> (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:355113) at e.value (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:918979) at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:918546 at n (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:370055) at o (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:370133) at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:354710 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:918512 at n (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:370055) at o (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:370133) at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:354710 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:918885 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:355520 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:351880 at u (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:354986) at s (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:354908) at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:354710 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:355500 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:918767 at chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:766706 at n (chrome-extension://nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn/scripts/background.js:1:134148)

What is the reason why I can't execute this function on Remix?

function mintToken(address target, uint256 mintedAmount) onlyOwner public {
    balanceOf[target] += mintedAmount;
    totalSupply += mintedAmount;
    Transfer(0, this, mintedAmount);
    Transfer(this, target, mintedAmount);
}

The above code is executed on Remix well which is weird.

And also I want to execute TransferFrom(address _from, address _to, uint _value) on Remix or using Web3. But the same error occurred.

Why some functions aren't executed with gas estimation errored?

Answer 1

I have the same error while trying to deploy ICO. What helped to fix:

1. reinstall Metamask (save seed phrase)
2. reload Chrome
3. restore Metamask with saved seed.

Answer 2

The message is not clear enough, but, in my case, the problem was that I was using a MetaMask account which was empty. Switch to the funded one and it may work.