Skip to main content
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Join us for an expert-led overview of the tools and concepts you'll need to become a Certified Power BI Data Analyst and pass exam PL-300. Register now.

Reply
dataisdnewtoil
Frequent Visitor

Load limit for an Excel data source limits data in the PowerBi Service too

My data source is a huge local Excel file. I use a power query parameter to limit the data load locally but when I publish, only the loaded data seems to get published. As a result, it makes no difference when I update the parameter and refresh data in the PowerBI Service.

 

Short of moving the file to Sharepoint (or similar), is there a solution? Is there a way to make the PowerBI Desktop publish the full dataset?

6 REPLIES 6
christinepayton
Super User
Super User

How big are we talking? The swapping parameters like that is a technique that people use to make changes locally without stressing their computer / taking a long time, then refreshing in the service. If it's too big to refresh locally, it's likely going to be too big in the service also, and SharePoint will not make it faster either. If it's a truly large file, putting it in a database (SQL) is your best option. 

It's actually not that huge: 65K rows in a 40MB file. Yet PBI Desktop struggles forever while an R script handles it with ease on the same laptop. 

It really shouldn't be having a problem with that size unless you are doing a bunch of wild transformation on it, or perhaps your computer is lacking resources (Power BI uses a lot of system resources). It might help if you posted the advanced query text so people can see what's going on in the query. 

dataisdnewtoil
Frequent Visitor

The full dataset is too huge to load locally. PowerBi Desktop dies trying. 

Jihwan_Kim
Super User
Super User

Hi,

I am not sure if I understood your question correctly, but have you tried changing the parameter in the workspace, and then refresh the semantic model in the workspace?

 

Edit parameter settings in the Power BI service - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

 

 


If this post helps, then please consider accepting it as the solution to help other members find it faster, and give a big thumbs up.


Click here to visit my LinkedIn page

Click here to schedule a short Teams meeting to discuss your question.

And yes, I have tried changing and refreshing it in the PowerBi workspace but since it never publised the full excel file from my laptop (that's my inference), it doesn't make a difference.

Helpful resources

Announcements
Join our Fabric User Panel

Join our Fabric User Panel

This is your chance to engage directly with the engineering team behind Fabric and Power BI. Share your experiences and shape the future.

June 2025 Power BI Update Carousel

Power BI Monthly Update - June 2025

Check out the June 2025 Power BI update to learn about new features.

June 2025 community update carousel

Fabric Community Update - June 2025

Find out what's new and trending in the Fabric community.