Forum Discussion
Dax Studio is constantly disconnecting
A few things worth trying before you dig into the log file (which support is right to ask for, but these often fix it without needing that):
1. Elevation mismatch - this is the most common cause of this exact symptom. If Power BI Desktop is running elevated (as admin) and DAX Studio isn't, or vice versa, Windows won't let the local Analysis Services connection stay open and you'll get constant reconnect prompts. Make sure both applications are running at the same elevation level (ideally neither running as admin, unless you have a specific reason to).
2. Antivirus/VPN/endpoint security - some endpoint protection tools inspect or kill local loopback TCP connections after a short idle period, which looks exactly like "constant disconnects". Try temporarily disabling any VPN/AV and see if the problem goes away; if so, add msmdsrv.exe (the local SSAS engine Power BI Desktop spins up) and DAX Studio to your exclusions list.
3. Windows power/efficiency throttling - if Power BI Desktop loses focus for a while, Windows can throttle it under "Efficiency Mode"/background app limits, which can suspend the local engine and drop your DAX Studio connection. In Task Manager, right-click the PBI Desktop process and make sure Efficiency Mode isn't being applied, and check Settings > Apps > Background apps.
4. Update DAX Studio - there have been several GitHub issues logged for frequent disconnects that got fixed in more recent releases, so if you're not on the latest version it's worth updating first.
If none of those help, it's worth going ahead and capturing that log file for support - with a live repro they'll be able to pinpoint whether it's the connection timing out, the model reloading, or something else entirely.