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Fix Power Automate Disconnecting from Linked Excel Files

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to fix a recurring issue where a quarterly Power Automate flow loses its connection to an Excel file, resulting in broken path and table references.

Product: Microsoft Power Automate, Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Running a quarterly automated flow that relies on an Excel workbook for data reference or input.
Observed behavior: The connection drops, displaying infinite loading icons or replacing the correct file path with incorrect, random characters.

Before you start

Ensure that the linked Excel file has not been moved, renamed, or deleted from its original SharePoint or OneDrive location before troubleshooting the flow.

Solution 1Recommended

Consult the Microsoft Power Platform Community

Since this involves advanced Power Automate connector behavior and dynamic identifiers, seeking specialist advice from the official community is the most effective approach.

Power Automate utilizes complex internal IDs for Excel files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. When these identifiers drift or encounter server-side authentication drops, the file path may appear corrupted in the flow interface.

Gather Issue Details

Document the exact error messages, capture screenshots of the loading icon behavior, and note the instances of incorrect path characters.

Visit the Community

Navigate to the official Microsoft Power Platform Community forums via your web browser.

Post Your Question

Create a new thread detailing the Excel connector references, connection settings, and file or table identifiers you are currently using. Specialists can investigate the root cause.

Provide Detailed Context: When posting, specify whether the Excel file is stored in OneDrive for Business or a SharePoint Document Library to get the most accurate assistance.

Solution 2

Re-establish the Excel Connection in Power Automate

Manually refreshing or recreating the connection can resolve temporary authentication glitches and restore broken file paths.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Power Automate change my Excel file path to random characters?

This usually happens when the file is stored in SharePoint or OneDrive. The connector uses unique internal GUIDs (Global Unique Identifiers) instead of the readable folder path. Reselecting the file from the folder picker can temporarily resolve this display issue.

Do I need to keep the Excel file closed while the flow runs?

Yes. If an Excel file is locked for editing by a user or another background syncing process, Power Automate may fail to read or write to the specified table, causing the flow connection to time out.

How do I ensure my Excel table is recognized by Power Automate?

Ensure your data is explicitly formatted as a Table in Excel (Insert > Table). Power Automate cannot read raw worksheet ranges; it strictly requires a named Table to execute row-based actions.

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