Forum Discussion
missing data
We have a machine with multiple sensors and the data from these devices go into SQL, where it can be accessed by PowerBi. We have data on the server going back 5 years, yet when I open a table in PowerBi I only see data from 2025 and 2026. Why is this happening and how can I access data prior to 2025?
Thanks,
1) Incremental Refresh
If the dataset uses Incremental Refresh, Power BI will only load recent years by design.
Typical setup:
Store historical data in SQL (5+ years)
Power BI model configured to keep only:
last 1–2 years in the dataset
older data is not imported
How to check
In Power BI Desktop:
Go to Transform data
Select the fact table
Check if it’s filtered using parameters like:
RangeStart
RangeEnd
If yes → Power BI is intentionally loading only recent data.
2) Date table filtering
Your Calendar / Date dimension may only cover 2025–2026.
If visuals are using the Date table (most do), any fact data outside that range is silently excluded.
How to check
Open your Date table
Verify the earliest and latest dates
Check for filters like:
CALENDAR ( DATE(2025,1,1), DATE(2026,12,31) )
3) Hidden filters (report / page / visual)
Filters can exist even if you didn’t explicitly add them.
Check:
Visual-level filters
Page-level filters
Report-level filters
Slicers (especially date slicers)
Look specifically for:
“Last 1 year”
“After 2024”
Relative date filters
4) SQL view or query already filters the data
Even if the base table has 5 years, Power BI might be using:
a SQL View
a custom SQL query
a stored procedure
that includes something like:
WHERE Date >= '2025-01-01'
5 Replies
- Cookistador
Super User
When you mentionned data in Power BI
Do you mean Power BI or Power Query ? (are you in the place where you can drag and drop the visual to build a report or you can transform your data)
If you are in Power Query, You need to click on close and apply to load your whole dataset in Power BI
Power Query only loads 1000 thousand raw to avoid too much waiting time during data transformations
- MasonMA
Hi,
You likely applied a fitler somewhere either in Power Query or Power BI.
If in Power Query, check if there's a step like 'Filtered Rows', 'Keep Rows' or Date >= Date.AddYears(Today(), -2)
If in Power BI, a report-level, page-level, or visual-level filter on Date in the filter pane Or some slicers synced across pages are sometimes ignored by users. To check these, i'd always hover the mouse over the Filter icon to see what fitlers are applied. - cengizhanarslan
1) Incremental Refresh
If the dataset uses Incremental Refresh, Power BI will only load recent years by design.
Typical setup:
Store historical data in SQL (5+ years)
Power BI model configured to keep only:
last 1–2 years in the dataset
older data is not imported
How to check
In Power BI Desktop:
Go to Transform data
Select the fact table
Check if it’s filtered using parameters like:
RangeStart
RangeEnd
If yes → Power BI is intentionally loading only recent data.
2) Date table filtering
Your Calendar / Date dimension may only cover 2025–2026.
If visuals are using the Date table (most do), any fact data outside that range is silently excluded.
How to check
Open your Date table
Verify the earliest and latest dates
Check for filters like:
CALENDAR ( DATE(2025,1,1), DATE(2026,12,31) )
3) Hidden filters (report / page / visual)
Filters can exist even if you didn’t explicitly add them.
Check:
Visual-level filters
Page-level filters
Report-level filters
Slicers (especially date slicers)
Look specifically for:
“Last 1 year”
“After 2024”
Relative date filters
4) SQL view or query already filters the data
Even if the base table has 5 years, Power BI might be using:
a SQL View
a custom SQL query
a stored procedure
that includes something like:
WHERE Date >= '2025-01-01' Hi Shobokobo,
I would also take a moment to thank cengizhanarslan , for actively participating in the community forum and for the solutions you’ve been sharing in the community forum. Your contributions make a real difference.
I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.
Regards,
Community Support Team.Hi Shobokobo,
I hope the above details help you fix the issue. If you still have any questions or need more help, feel free to reach out. We are always here to support you.
Regards,
Community Support Team.
