Automatically deletes all my existing report pages

[HPS1RT]

Hello everyone,

I'm encountering a strange issue in Power BI Desktop and would appreciate your insights.

I have a report with multiple pages built on a Power BI semantic model. Now, I want to add a local Excel file as an additional data source. However, when I attempt to do so, Power BI forces me to switch to DirectQuery mode. If I choose the option to add a local model, it automatically deletes all my existing report pages.

Has anyone else experienced this behavior? Any suggestions on how to handle this without losing my existing work?

Thanks in advance!

[v-sathmakuri]

Hi @HPS1RT ,

I hope the information provided is helpful. Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or would like to discuss this in more detail. If responses provided answers your question, please accept it as a solution so other community members with similar problems can find a solution faster.

Thank you!!

[v-sathmakuri]

Hi @HPS1RT ,

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. If the responses has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it.

Thank you!!

[v-sathmakuri]

Hi @HPS1RT ,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Fabric Community.

Thank you @rohit1991  for the prompt response.

May I ask if you have resolved this issue? If so, please mark the helpful reply and accept it as the solution. This will be helpful for other community members who have similar problems to solve it faster.

Thank you!!

[rohit1991 · Accepted solution]

Hi @HPS1RT ,
In Power BI Desktop, you're seeing an issue where trying to add a local Excel file to a report built on a Power BI semantic model causes all your existing report pages to be deleted. This happens because your report is using a live connection to the semantic model, which doesn’t allow adding other data sources directly. 

When you try to add the Excel file, Power BI forces you to upgrade to a composite model by switching to DirectQuery mode. This switch breaks the live connection and removes all visuals based on it, effectively clearing your report pages. To avoid losing your work, you can use one of these workarounds:

(1) Start a new report, connect to the published semantic model, then import your Excel file—this supports composite models without deleting visuals. 

(2) Save a backup of your original file, then manually recreate or copy visuals after switching to a local model. 

(3) Use advanced tools like Tabular Editor or ALM Toolkit to manage and merge models more safely. In the future, it’s best to plan ahead and start with a composite model if you know you’ll need multiple data sources.