Error refreshing datasets

[WayneSimms]

After importing a excel workbook from a SharePoint folder in to powerbi desktop, the link address in the data source shows that the file is stored within my individual OneDrive

When another user then tries to refresh the data in their powerbi desktop, they get an error, as the file is shown in my drive, opposed to a sharepoint link.

I have tried to add a sharepoint link, when I do so, it will ask me to sign in as a user, which I do successfully, but the link doesn’t work

[v-karpurapud]

Hello @WayneSimms 

I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you'd like to discuss this further. If this answers your question, please Accept it as a solution and give it a 'Kudos' so others can find it easily.

Thank you.

[v-karpurapud]

Hello @WayneSimms 

I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions. If my response has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it.

Thank you.

[v-karpurapud]

Hello @WayneSimms 

Could you please confirm if your query have been resolved the solution provided by @rohit1991 & @Anonymous ? If they have, kindly mark the helpful response and accept it as the solution. This will assist other community members in resolving similar issues more efficiently.

Thank you

[rohit1991]

Hi @WayneSimms ,

The issue occurs because Power BI automatically converts a SharePoint folder import into a personal OneDrive link, which causes refresh errors when another user attempts to access the dataset. Since the dataset path is tied to your personal OneDrive account, other users lack the necessary permissions, leading to failures. To resolve this, re-import the file using the SharePoint Folder connector rather than linking an individual Excel file. In Power BI Desktop, go to Get Data → SharePoint Folder, enter the SharePoint site URL (not a personal file path), and authenticate using Organizational Account credentials. After importing, ensure the file is referenced using the SharePoint URL rather than a local or OneDrive path by modifying the Source step in Power Query.

If Power BI still prompts for authentication, clear existing credentials in File → Options & Settings → Data Source Settings and re-enter SharePoint credentials with the correct authentication method. Once properly configured, publish the report to the Power BI Service and configure scheduled refresh settings, ensuring that authentication is set to "OAuth2" with the correct SharePoint connection. This method ensures all users with access to the SharePoint folder can refresh the dataset without issues.

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[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

This has to do with the administrative setting in Sharepoint to Sync to a person's OneDrive. You would have to get with an Sharepoint Administrator to turn this off on a share in Sharepoint where it does not sync to one's OneDrive