Access Database Engine Error

[DashboardEMECH]

Hi,

I have created a Power BI Report which reads an email from the Outlook, extracts the Excel attachment and performs the query function on the excel data.  New emails are sent every day and Power BI Report reads the latest email and updates the report.

All these works perfectly fine on PowerBI Desktop app.  However, when I schedule the auto refresh setting through PowerBI service, the auto refresh throws the following error:

• Processing errorExcel Workbook: The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine. The 64-bit version of the Access Database Engine 2010 Access Database Engine OLEDB provider may be required to read this type of file. To download the client software, visit the following site: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=285987.

Just to be sure, initially the same error was shown by PowerBI Desktop App.  Hence I downloaded the client software as suggested in the error and the refresh option in the Desktop App works fine.  However, the PowerBI service throws the same error while auto refreshing.

Any idea why this might happen?

[lbendlin]

Don't use .xls files.  Migrate to .xlsx file format.

[DashboardEMECH]

Well that's an ideal solution, but the reports which are getting extracted in excel is from legacy IT system and doesn't supports xlsx format. 

[lbendlin]

Power BI service does not support .xls - period. Nothing you can do about it. Except maybe use Powershell or Power Automate to convert the Excel file from your legacy system to the "new" format (introduced in 2007!!!).

[DashboardEMECH]

What if I use csv format instead of xls. Will that help? 

Also will try to see if Power Automate helps in converting an attached in the email from xls to the new format.

[lbendlin · Accepted solution]

yes, CSV is much better. It also loads quite a lot faster into Power BI compared to Excel.

[DashboardEMECH]

Tried with CSV file but the error continues 🙁

[lbendlin]

Be more specific. What is the error now?

[DashboardEMECH]

The same error as the one which was getting reflected with excel file.  Reproduced below again for reference:

• Processing errorExcel Workbook: The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine. The 64-bit version of the Access Database Engine 2010 Access Database Engine OLEDB provider may be required to read this type of file. To download the client software, visit the following site: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=285987.

[DashboardEMECH]

Converted the attachment to csv and the issue is resolved. 

[lbendlin]

Check your other data sources. You seem to have more  .xls based ones.

[DashboardEMECH]

Yes.  In the same report, I have few more excel datasources, but all of them are .xlsx files.