Issue with Power BI Desktop serverside authentication

Hello Erkko 

Try this

he issue happens because the VM login, the Power BI Desktop sign-in, and the installation account don’t match, which prevents tokens from being stored and forces reauthentication each time. To fix it, you should try to align the account you use to log into the VM with the one you use in Power BI, or at least add your organizational Power BI account in Windows settings under “Access work or school” so tokens can persist. Clearing and resetting credentials in Power BI Desktop and ensuring all data sources use the same account can also help. If Power BI was installed with a service account, reinstalling it under your own profile may resolve caching problems. It’s also worth checking whether Conditional Access or group policies from IT are blocking token persistence. Keeping everything under one consistent account identity is the most reliable solution

Hi Erkko 

This kind of repeated credential prompts in Power BI Desktop especially when working on a VM with different Windows and Power BI accounts is pretty common. Here are a few steps that usually help:

• Integrated Windows Authentication Conflict: Power BI may struggle when your Windows login and Power BI account are different. Go to Internet Options > Advanced on the VM, and try unchecking "Enable Integrated Windows Authentication" (you’ll find this setting under Security)
• Single Sign-On Setting: In Power BI Desktop, go to File > Options > Global > Security and uncheck "Require user authentication for single sign-on".
• Clear Cached Credentials: Sometimes old cached logins cause endless prompts. Go to File > Options and Settings > Data Source Settings, then "Clear Permissions" for any saved connections for your reports.
• Run as Admin: Try running Power BI Desktop as administrator, right-click the shortcut and select "Run as administrator".
• Add Power BI Account in Windows Settings: You can try adding your Power BI email as a "work or school account" under Windows Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
• Keep Power BI Updated: Bugs related to authentication get fixed over time, so always use the latest Power BI Desktop builds.

If these steps don’t help, check with your IT to see if any group policies or security software might be blocking part of the login process. Do let us know if the issue still persists.

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Hi! 

Thanks for quick support! I'll try these.

Also note that the "Save to OneDrive and Sharepoint" feature - still in preview as of Feb 2026 - has been very problematic on my VM. Led to incessent prompts for authentication and errors after lots of spinning. Turning if off has done wonders!