Rewriting excel file with same format but different data

[Jdawg2002]

Hi Everybody,

Sorry if this is a really basic question but I'm very new to Power BI.

I get a new set of data every week that is in the same format. I need to override the save, but for some reason it is saying 'save cancelled' when i try to override it.

Thank you!

[Jdawg2002]

Fixed it, Thanks!

I'm looking into scheduling refresh now, which is giving me errors on the web version. Looking into this one now too.

[rohit1991 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jdawg2002 ,

No worries at all—this is a common question for those new to Power BI. The "save cancelled" message you're seeing typically happens because Power BI or another application (like Excel) still has the file open or locked in the background. If you're trying to overwrite an existing Excel file from Power BI (perhaps during export or using Power Query), make sure the file isn't open in any program.

Also, note that Power BI itself does not support saving back or overwriting source Excel files directly. If you need to update the Excel file with new data each week, it’s best to replace the file outside of Power BI (e.g., using File Explorer), ensuring the new file has the exact same name and structure. Then, simply refresh your report in Power BI to pick up the new data.