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How to Fix Access Denied Errors in Excel Power Query on macOS
Question details
Users encounter an access denied error when refreshing deleted and regenerated JSON files in Excel Power Query on macOS.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Refreshing a Power Query connected to a JSON file that was recently deleted and replaced with a new file of the same name.
- Observed behavior
- Excel throws an access denied error during the query refresh, even when the application has been granted Full Disk Access in macOS system settings.
Ensure that your Mac's Privacy & Security settings have granted Microsoft Excel 'Full Disk Access', and verify that no other applications currently have the target JSON files open.
Update File Path in Data Source Settings
Use this solution to clear outdated permission associations. When a file is regenerated, its macOS file ID changes, causing Excel to lose access to the new file despite having the same name.
macOS sandboxing requires explicit permission for an application to access specific files. Because Excel associates permissions with the unique file ID rather than the file path, deleting and regenerating a JSON file breaks the permission link.
Launch Excel for Mac, go to the 'Data' tab on the ribbon, and select 'Get Data (Power Query)' followed by 'Data Source Settings'.
In the Data Source Settings window, find and click on the permission entry associated with the problematic JSON file.
Click the 'Change File Path' button and use the file browser to manually select the newly regenerated JSON file, granting Excel explicit access to the new file ID.
Close the Data Source Settings dialog and click 'Refresh' to verify that the Power Query now executes without access errors.
Verify File Permissions in Finder and Restart
Apply this fix if updating the file path in Excel does not work, which indicates a deeper system-level permission issue or file lock.
Looking for a Hassle-Free Spreadsheet Solution?
If you frequently encounter macOS system permission barriers and data connection errors in Microsoft Excel, consider switching to WPS Office. It offers a lightweight, highly compatible spreadsheet environment that makes importing and analyzing data straightforward without the heavy system footprint or complex sandbox hurdles.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the macOS version.
- 2. Open WPS Spreadsheets: Launch the suite and open the Spreadsheets module.
- 3. Import Data Easily: Use the straightforward data import tools to bring in your JSON or CSV data without complex file-path permission errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel show an access denied error even with Full Disk Access enabled?
macOS sandboxing rules link file permissions to a unique file ID rather than the file name or path. When a JSON file is deleted and replaced, the new file gets a different ID, so Excel's previous permission grant becomes invalid.
Is there a way to automate the data source update if my JSON files change frequently?
Due to strict macOS security sandboxing, local files generated with new IDs require manual permission grants. To mitigate this, consider placing the dynamic files in a dedicated folder and using the 'Get Data from Folder' option, which often requires fewer individual file-level permissions.
How do I check if another application is locking my JSON file?
If you cannot modify the file in Finder or Excel cannot read it, another process (like a script, code editor, or cloud sync tool) might have it open. Close your code editors, pause cloud syncing temporarily, or restart your Mac to release the file lock.
