Power BI is turning 10, and we’re marking the occasion with a special community challenge. Use your creativity to tell a story, uncover trends, or highlight something unexpected.
Get startedJoin 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.
Hi, I have installed PowerBI Desktop using the App Store on Windows 11, and I'm trying to install a custom connector.
AppStore apps appear quite different from regular apps, as they install themselves in C:\Program Files\WindowsApps which is protected. However looking inside, you find PowerBI Desktop is installed in C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftPowerBIDesktop_2.108.997.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
And it seems that you can't create a Custom Connectors folder in there, as it's also read only, and I'm sure I shouldn't need to "break in" to get this working?
Could you share how/where to put the custom connector in the AppStore version? Or do I need to uninstall this version and install the Desktop version please?
Thanks, Kevin
Solved! Go to Solution.
Hi @kevinxbrown ,
You can review the following links and check if they can help you solve the problem.
I've found out what the issue was by myself.
I had my custom connectors in the folder [Documents]\Microsoft Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectorsand PBI desktop saw them without problem.
Once I installed a third-party connector it created a folder without the 'Microsoft' word: [Documents]\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors. After that PBI Desktop takes a custom connectors from this folder and ignores my connectors. All I did is copied my connectors into that new folder and now it works well.
To me, looks like a bug as in according to documentation connectors must be placed in the [Documents]\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors folder...
Why does PBI desktop get a connectors from other folder?
Custom Connectors path unavailable
Best Regards
Thanks for taking the time to respond, yes, effectively Win 11 App Store also looks in the same place as Desktop app in DOCUMENTS folder not in Program files. Sorry I had earlier followed some incorrect instructions on the net.
Hi @kevinxbrown ,
You can review the following links and check if they can help you solve the problem.
I've found out what the issue was by myself.
I had my custom connectors in the folder [Documents]\Microsoft Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectorsand PBI desktop saw them without problem.
Once I installed a third-party connector it created a folder without the 'Microsoft' word: [Documents]\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors. After that PBI Desktop takes a custom connectors from this folder and ignores my connectors. All I did is copied my connectors into that new folder and now it works well.
To me, looks like a bug as in according to documentation connectors must be placed in the [Documents]\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors folder...
Why does PBI desktop get a connectors from other folder?
Custom Connectors path unavailable
Best Regards
This is your chance to engage directly with the engineering team behind Fabric and Power BI. Share your experiences and shape the future.
Check out the June 2025 Power BI update to learn about new features.
User | Count |
---|---|
9 | |
8 | |
4 | |
2 | |
2 |
User | Count |
---|---|
4 | |
3 | |
3 | |
3 | |
2 |