Remove existing DataSource

[majort]

Hi,

if i change a data source for example from one database to another database by editing the M Script, the previous used database connection still exists because when i publish the pbix to powerbi.com then the old database connection i still listed in the data sources.

The problem is that i cannot remove this data source and the impact is that i cannot schedule the dataset because of the old database connection (this was only a development database that does not exists anymore).

So how can i remove a database connection or data source that is not anymore used by any dataset?

thx in advance

[Tribunal]

For future readers, the way I get rid of some data sources is to delete them from the Data pane.  Find the table that belongs to the data source, right-click, and select Delete From Model.  When I did this, I saved and closed/reopened.  The data source was gone from my list after that.

That was just for one table that linked to one Excel document using a Web data source, so not sure if it will work for more complex models. 

[RahulNadkarni]

Deleting the tables related to that data source and recreating is the only solution. Option to change the data source should be provided.

[samsfeb]

Hi Everyone,

I found one solution.

Go to PowerBI Desktop->Home->Transform data-> Data source Settings.

Once the Data source settings Dialog opened. 

select Data sources in current file Radio Button. select each data source that you want to remove and click on change Source button at the bottom, then update the settings as per the required data source and update then automatically powerbi removes the duplicate data sources. Finally you left with one datasource that is required for you. If this resolves your solution then click on Accepted Solution. 

Thanks Everyone

[SDittmannFleet]

That is the only thing that worked for me.

[catiewilliams17]

I was facing the same issue as the OP - and didn't want to break the URL that a lot of our users have bookmarked by deleting and re-publishing. I also couldn't see the additional source anymore in Transform Data > Data Source Settings so changing the source wasn't a viable option. What I tried instead was going to File > Options > Data Load > Data Cache Management Options and I cleared the cache and republished. This removed my extra source that was no longer valid and causing refresh failures.

[Anonymous]

Any true solution? I still face the same issue mentioned above. I use PROD and QA Datasource. I however want to remove the QA Data source from cloud and from PBI desktop. Due to this refresh fails and my datasource is on-prem, so I dont need any gateway.

[Foram]

How to delete one of the data source credentials of sharepoint link from power bi service

i  tried changing data source and clearing the permissions in desktop, but didn't work.

[andylitics]

We recently moved a SQL server, and I updated the location in Data Source Settings screen succesfully in the query.  Everything works fine when i refresh locally from PBI Desktop.

After publishing to Powerbi.com though, similar to the OP, the old data source still shows up in the Data Source Credentials screen, even though i've confirmed my data model doesn't reference it at all.

Tried everything outlinded here, I've deleted the data model, uninstalled and reinstalled the personal gateway, and uploaded the data model via both "get data" as well as "publish" and nothing seems to work.

Now my refreshes can't be scheduled since it thinks there is still some kind of reference to it, but if there was, how could the file refresh locally with no issue?

Any input/suggestions would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Facing the same issue but it only affects some reports.

Looks like this happens when you have a query that references another query (that was originally using the old data source).   The referencing query appears to maintain some link to the old source.

Workaround:

1. open report in Power BI
2. SAVE AS to new report (this step is critical – wont work from the original report)
3. In Advanced Editor, make some minor change to the query string(s) (I generally use custom SQL in my queries). 
4. SAVE and SAVE AS to original report name
5. Publish original report.   Should be ok now.
6. Edit report to undo minor change and republish.

[dipakh]

I have been trying for 1 week to get a previous link removed from the datasource.  This workaround works - Yippe

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@Anonymous wrote:

Facing the same issue but it only affects some reports.

Looks like this happens when you have a query that references another query (that was originally using the old data source).   The referencing query appears to maintain some link to the old source.

Workaround:

1. open report in Power BI
2. SAVE AS to new report (this step is critical – wont work from the original report)
3. In Advanced Editor, make some minor change to the query string(s) (I generally use custom SQL in my queries). 
4. SAVE and SAVE AS to original report name
5. Publish original report.   Should be ok now.
6. Edit report to undo minor change and republish.

---

[sfmike99]

Well I didn't do the "save as" trick but I did delete the old report and dataset from Power BI Service, then re-uploaded it again. New version works fine, however I had to recreate permissions (a pain) and I still have the old data sources listed. Even if "save as" works, it still seems like a bad solution because it is effectively a new report. All this to change a file pointer?

Please add 'delete' options for data sources to Power BI Service!

[Anonymous]

True Solution Found!!

1. Got to Query Editor
2. Open Data Source Settings
3. Select the source to be removed
4. Select "Change Source"
5. change the source to be the same location as one of your other sources. 
   My situation was one source was a local copy of a Sharepoint file, the other was the sharepoint URL.
6. Click OK to accept the change. 
7. Power BI recognised the duplication and removed the duplicate entry. 

I hope this works for you. 

[gilderoylockhar]

This has done it!

[Anonymous]

True Solution Found!!

1. Got to Query Editor
2. Open Data Source Settings
3. Select the source to be removed
4. Select "Change Source"
5. change the source to be the same location as one of your other sources. 
   My situation was one source was a local copy of a Sharepoint file, the other was the sharepoint URL.
6. Click OK to accept the change. 
7. Power BI recognised the duplication and removed the duplicate entry. 

I hope this works for you. 

[mmedina]

To get that to work you need to Edit the Queries directly.

In my case I had connection strings in there, I updated them to a valid one.

Then you need to Publish to Power BI from the Desktop app.

Simply uploading the pbix file will not fix the issue.

[Greg_Deckler]

In Power BI Desktop, File | Options and Settings | Data Source Settings

Highlight the data source and hit "Delete"

[majort]

The problem is that in the data source settings only 1 connection is listed. When i upload the pbix to the service, 3 connections are listed in the data sets schedule settings.

[jeremyfirth · Accepted solution]

had this same issue when I created a link to a file on a mapped network drive initially, then later changed it to the full network path to the file.

Both data connections were showing up when I either published it to PowerBI.com or when I went to PowerBI.com and tried to pull the file instead. 

I ended up deleting it from PowerBI.com, re-downloading and installing Personal Gateway, then pulling the file into PowerBI.com using Get Data.

Kind of a pain, but it worked. It was a solution offered by a Microsoft employee in another thread.

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeremy, 

I hit the same problem.  Can you please share how we can remove the network path from the data source settings.  I selected the path in the data source setting but it only clears the permission.  

[jimmyhaley]

So...this is not a solution, this is a workaround.

The problem remains that if you delete a datasource from your PowerBI Desktop file, it remains (forever, as far as I can tell) in the upload.  Deleting a dataset and reuploading it is a huge pain when you have a minor dataset tweak (such as moving the dataset to new drive or different folder).  This needs to have a true solution before it is marked as solved.