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Fix Access Pass-Through Query Not Showing in Power Query or Power Pivot
Question details
The user is unable to use an Access pass-through query as a table source in Power Query or Power Pivot.
- Product
- Microsoft Access and Power Query
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Trying to connect Power Query or Power Pivot to an Access database using a pass-through query to pull data.
- Observed behavior
- The pass-through query does not appear as a usable source, which results in a table-not-found error during the connection process.
Ensure you have the exact error message, connection method, and query structure ready before seeking advanced technical support, as pass-through query issues are highly specific.
Seek Specialized Guidance in the Power Query Community
Since pass-through queries involve specific backend connection parameters and are often unsupported natively by default data connectors, getting help from Microsoft community experts is the most effective way to find a workaround.
Access pass-through queries send commands directly to an ODBC database server. Because they bypass the Jet/ACE database engine's standard query processing, they often do not expose the required metadata for Power Query or Power Pivot to recognize them as standard tables or views.
To resolve this, you will need specialized help depending on your specific ODBC driver and database backend.
Collect your exact Access query structure, the connection method you are using (e.g., OLE DB, ODBC), the exact error message, and any required security restrictions or firewall rules.
Open your web browser and go to the official Microsoft Power Query community at https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Query/bd-p/PA_PowerQuery.
Create a new topic detailing your issue. Be sure to include the details gathered in the first step so the community experts can provide a tailored solution.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Power Query say 'table not found' for my Access query?
This typically happens because pass-through queries in Access are not native tables or standard select queries. The data connector fails to retrieve their schema metadata, making them invisible to Power Query.
Can I use standard Access queries in Power Query?
Yes, standard select queries built within Access generally appear as usable sources in Power Query, unlike pass-through queries which send SQL commands directly to an external ODBC database.
Is there a workaround to get pass-through query data into Excel?
A common workaround is to use an Access Make-Table query to execute the pass-through query and save the results into a temporary local table in Access. You can then connect Power Query directly to that local table.
