Unable to Sign in Power Bi desktop

Here are some troubleshooting steps and temporary workarounds to get you signed into Power BI Desktop if Authenticator/MFA is failing:

Steps to Fix / Bypass Power BI Desktop MFA Issues
Use Alternative Auth Method

On the sign-in screen, click “Use another method” if available.

Try SMS or email instead of the Authenticator app.

Clear Cached Credentials

In Power BI Desktop:
File → Options and settings → Data Source Settings → Clear Permissions

In Windows Credential Manager, remove any saved Power BI/Microsoft account credentials. 

Disable WAM (Windows Authentication Manager)

Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Power BI Desktop
Create a DWORD named UseWAM and set its value to 0. This switches Power BI to legacy authentication. 
Disable Single Sign-On Requirement

In Power BI Desktop:
File → Options → Global → Security
Uncheck “Require user authentication for single sign-on”.

Authenticator App Recovery / Reset MFA

If you lost access to Authenticator, use any backup or recovery feature built into the app.

If none, contact your Azure/Office 365 tenant admin to reset your MFA or issue a Temporary Access Pass (TAP). 

Repair or Reinstall Power BI Desktop

Fully uninstall Power BI Desktop, delete related registry keys (like Power BI Desktop under HKCU Software), and reinstall the latest version. 

Use Default Browser for Authentication

In Power BI Desktop:
File → Options and settings → Options → Security → Authentication Browser
Enable “Use my default web browser”. This helps if WebView2 is blocked or broken.

Hi james321, 

Below are some fixes you can try:- 

1. Clear Power BI Desktop credentials

   • In Power BI Desktop go to:
     File → Options & settings → Data source settings

   • Choose Clear Permissions for all connections.

   • Close and restart Power BI Desktop.

2. Clear Windows credentials cache

   • Open Windows Credential Manager.

   • Remove any entries related to Power BI, MicrosoftOffice

   • Restart Power BI Desktop and sign in again.

3. Use Web View 2 (Edge)

   • Newer Power BI Desktop builds use WebView2 for authentication.

   • Go to File → Options → Preview features and check if “Modern authentication” or “WebView2” is enabled.

   • Restart and retry sign-in.

4. Check sign-in settings

   • In Power BI Desktop → File → Options → Global → Security → Sign-in options.

   • Ensure it’s set to Organizational account.

5. Reinstall Power BI Desktop

   • If nothing else works, uninstall Power BI Desktop.

   • Download the latest version (from Microsoft Store or MSI).

Sign in fresh.

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