Sign-in & Login Problems

How to Fix Excel Cannot Sign In to Power BI Data Connections

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users are experiencing permission errors and missing login prompts when trying to refresh Excel workbooks connected to Power BI data sources.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Switching between clients and refreshing workbooks connected to Power BI datasets.
Observed behavior: Excel fails to display the login prompt and throws permission errors, preventing users from authenticating and refreshing their Power BI data connections.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, verify your current Microsoft Office version and build number, and ensure you have administrative access to the Microsoft 365 admin center if ticket submission becomes necessary.

Solution 1Recommended

Roll Back Office to a Previous Version

Reverting to an earlier build of Office can restore the missing login prompt and refresh functionality, bypassing bugs present in newer updates.

This issue is frequently tied to a specific bug introduced in newer builds of Microsoft Office, notably version 2409. Reverting to a known stable version is the most reliable workaround until Microsoft releases a permanent fix.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Click the Start menu, type 'cmd', right-click on 'Command Prompt', and select 'Run as administrator'.

Navigate to the ClickToRun folder

In the command prompt window, type 'cd %programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun' and press Enter.

Execute the rollback command

Type 'officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.17830.20166' (which corresponds to version 2407) and press Enter to initiate the rollback process.

Disable automatic updates temporarily

Open Excel, go to File > Account > Update Options, and select 'Disable Updates' to prevent Office from immediately reinstalling the buggy version.

Version Note: The connection bug is particularly prominent in Office version 2409, Build 18025.20104. Rolling back to version 2407, Build 17830.20166 is confirmed by users to resolve it temporarily.

Solution 2

Submit a Support Ticket via Microsoft 365 Admin Center

If rolling back does not work or your organization policies prevent it, escalating the issue directly to Microsoft support is necessary.

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1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and click the free download button.
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3. Open your spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and easily open your existing Excel workbooks to continue your work seamlessly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel fail to prompt for a Power BI login?

This is often caused by a software bug in specific Office updates, such as version 2409 (Build 18025.20104), which prevents the authentication window from appearing when refreshing linked datasets.

Will reinstalling Microsoft Excel fix the Power BI connection error?

According to user reports, completely uninstalling and reinstalling Excel does not resolve the problem if it reinstalls the same affected version. Rolling back to an earlier stable version, like 2407, is a more effective workaround.

Where can I submit a support ticket for this Excel issue?

You can escalate the issue to Microsoft by going to the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigating to the 'Support' section in the side menu, and selecting 'New service request'.

How do I check my current Microsoft Excel version?

Open Excel, click on 'File', select 'Account' from the bottom left, and look under the 'About Excel' section. You will see your current version and build number listed there.

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