Easy Tech TutsHow to Change Excel Data Source Path in Power BI (Fix Broken Links) Easily 2026
By Impran M NLast checked against official docs
Reports built on an Excel file break the moment that file moves, gets renamed, or lands in a new folder, and Power BI won't reconnect on its own. This guide covers finding the broken connection in Data source settings, updating its path so the report reconnects, and the one thing that trips people up even after the path looks fixed: the dialog has two tabs, and only one of them lists the source you're looking for. It's a short fix for anyone who's opened a report to find the visuals still there but the numbers frozen and refusing to refresh.
01See why the path breaks, and how it shows up in the report
Excel-based sources in Power BI reference an exact file path recorded the moment you first connected, something like c:\users\pc\downloads\sample.csv. Move that file, rename it, or push it to a shared drive, and Power BI has no way to follow it: the connection stops resolving.
Because the report still displays its last successful data pull, tables and charts like the ones here keep showing numbers even though the connection underneath them is dead. A manual refresh either errors out or does nothing, and the figures stay frozen at whatever they were the last time the file was reachable. Visuals present, data stale: that combination is easy to miss unless someone is actively watching for it.
02Open Data source settings, on the right tab
From the ribbon, go to File > Options and settings > Data source settings (Home > Transform data > Data source settings opens the same dialog). It lists every source the report has ever connected to, split across two tabs.
Data sources in current file shows only what this report uses; Global permissions shows every source Power BI has saved credentials for on your machine, across every file you've ever opened. The broken Excel connection is almost always on the first tab. Scan for the specific file causing the error instead of assuming it's the top row.
03Use Change Source to point to the file's new location
Select the broken entry and click Change Source at the bottom of the dialog. A file browser opens; navigate to wherever the Excel file lives now, whether that's a different folder, a renamed file, or a shared drive.
Confirm the selection and Power BI rewrites its stored path to match. If the file also moved from a local drive onto OneDrive or SharePoint, Power BI treats that as a different kind of connection and prompts you to sign in again. That prompt is expected, not an error.
04Refresh, and check for a sheet or table mismatch
Trigger a manual refresh from the Home ribbon. A straightforward move or rename resolves the moment the refresh completes cleanly.
If it still errors, the workbook's structure probably changed too, not just its location: a renamed sheet or a renamed named table. Power Query stores a reference to that specific sheet or table, not only the folder path, so Change Source alone won't fix a renamed sheet. Open Power Query Editor, check the query's Source step or the Navigator, and repoint it to the sheet or table's current name.
05Move the file somewhere that won't break again
A local Downloads folder is the single most common source of these errors, since it's exactly where files get renamed, reorganized, or deleted without anyone remembering a report depends on them. Moving the source file to a stable, shared location like OneDrive or SharePoint keeps the path constant even as people on the team come and go. Do this once and the fix above stops being something you repeat every few months.
When it doesn't work
Refresh still fails after Change Source
Why: The workbook's sheet or table name changed along with its location, and Power Query stores a reference to that specific sheet or table, not just the file path.
Fix: Open Power Query Editor and check the query's Source step or Navigator; repoint it to the sheet or table's current name.
Can't find the broken source in the list
Why: Data source settings opens two tabs. Global permissions lists every source you've ever connected to from that machine, not this report's connections.
Fix: Switch to Data sources in current file and look there instead.
Power BI asks for sign-in again after Change Source
Why: Moving the file from a local folder onto OneDrive or SharePoint changes the connector type, so Power BI treats it as a new source that needs its own credentials.
Fix: Sign in when prompted. It's a one-time step for that source, not a sign that something went wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I fix a broken Excel data source in Power BI?
Go to File > Options and settings > Data source settings (or Home > Transform data > Data source settings), select the broken connection on the Data sources in current file tab, and click Change Source.
Why does my report break every time I move the Excel file?
Power BI stores the exact file path used when you first connected. Move, rename, or relocate that file and the stored path no longer resolves, so the connection needs to be updated by hand.
Why do my charts still show numbers if the connection is broken?
Power BI keeps showing the last successfully loaded data even after a source stops resolving. Visuals won't update until you fix the path and refresh successfully, so a broken connection can sit unnoticed for a while.
I changed the source but refresh still fails. Why?
The file's structure probably changed too. Power Query stores a reference to a specific sheet or named table, not just the file's location, so a renamed sheet has to be fixed separately in Power Query Editor.
Does fixing the data source path affect my existing visuals?
No. Updating the path just reconnects Power BI to the right file. As long as the data's structure hasn't changed, visuals and measures stay intact.
Sources and last check
Click path and screens come from the original recording. The two-tab layout of Data source settings (Data sources in current file vs Global permissions), what Change Source, Edit Permissions, and Clear Permissions do, and the sheet-or-table caveat were checked against Microsoft's official Power Query documentation in September 2026. The tab distinction and the OneDrive/SharePoint re-authentication behavior were added because the earlier version of this guide mentioned neither.
About the author
Impran M N
I've been hooked on technology for as long as I can remember — especially the new tools and AI apps that seem to land every other week. Easy Tech Tuts is where I write up whatever I've just worked out: I do the task in the real product, record the screen, and turn it into the guide I wish I'd found first.
