How to replace existing report developed by someone else on PBI Service?

[MattRasmussen]

We have a handful of reports in Power BI Service that have been in use for over a year.  They all point to a shared data set.  I need to modify one of the reports by adding new columns to a table.  Someone else developed the reports so I don't have the .pbix file that was originally uploaded to the Power BI Service.  I opened the report in Power BI Service and used File -> Download this file to save the pbix file.  I then added the columns, saved it with the same filename and uploaded it to Power BI Service.  However, instead of updating the existing report, it added a duplicate report of the same name as well as a new dataset and dashboard.  What do I need to do to supercede the old report in Power BI Service?

[ChrisStewart]

I'm having a very similar issue.  Originally I had a report in the service that used another data model so did not have a data model of its own.  We then needed to create a local data model for it and introduce new data, so converted it to a direct query data model + the additional import tables we needed.  Upon publishing an update to the service it created a new report with the exact same name.  We have lots of dependencies on that original report and need to replace it with the new one - I'm struggling to find clear instructions on how to replace it so that the new version has the same URL.

[moltra_work]

The only way I have found to do this is to publish the report in a Power Bi app and then you can change the report in the app easier.  But the 1st time you do this, you will get a new URL.  But from then on the same URL can be used no matter what reports are in the App.

[Anonymous]

Hi @MattRasmussen 

Did you ever get to the bottom of this?

I also have the same problem

Thanks

[MattRasmussen]

I didn't find a good solution.  I resorted to deleting the pre-existing report from the Power BI Service and then uploading the modified version PBIX file back to the Power BI Service.  I then had to change all the pre-existing links we had in various dashboards and menus to point to the newly updated PBIX.

It's an unfortunately inefficient solution but it worked.  I think I submitted a feature request to Microsoft to allow overwriting the PBIX on the Power BI Service - kinda baffling that it doesn't just work like that already.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply

So I spent the whole of yesterday looking at this and came up with some methods. Although re-reading your post, couldn't you make the edits in PowerBI online if just adding a new column to a table?

1) Download the PBIX of the dataset (look in lineage view) - so not any of the reports. Then make any changes to that PBIX (e.g adding new measures, new datasources etc) and reupload with the same name e.g if the dataset is called "master dataset" make sure you republish with that name to the workspace. You know it will be replacing the base dataset because it will come up with a warning saying this will affect X number of reports/ dashboards etc.

This will overwrite the dataset PBIX and any changes will appear in all reports connected that dataset which you can then edit using the online service. 

Couple of notes on this method:

• I did this on a dataset which I was not the owner of but did have the credentials to access the datasources that this was built on.
• If the report that originally links to the dataset the upload will overwrite this (so in my case the report that originally linked to the dataset had been renamed - much to my suprise so any changes i made on the PBIX (adding a new page) appeared on this differently named report - not what I was expecting)
• Everything appears to have remained intact, the refresh scheduling, sharing etc.
• You need to edit reports (which are not the original linked to the dataset) in the online service though to get anything new in that you've made (unless you adopt the method below)

2) Replace the datasource on a report

I think there are more technical ways of doing it - this worked for me (although if there are any long term development impacts still to see) - I do prefer the above method to this though

Download the PBIX of the report you want to change (making sure the name stays the same as when you downloaded it without any numbers appended due to multiple copies).

Using the method outlined in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmbihm3QsaI you can change the dataset to your published dataset in the workspace. Make sure to check over the report, I found if i did this all the "date" related slicers had just switched to date rather than date heirachy so had to go and change all of these.

Then any changes I made and reuploaded (same name) it replaced the existing report in the workspace. The danger with this if you create a new measure in desktop and someone then edits the dataset down the line it will get rid of that (so basically don't add new measures in this method) but it gives you the ability to make edits in desktop rather than online service.

Hope this helps

[niksvisuals]

This was helpful the first method worked for me.

[NimaiAhluwalia]

Hello @MattRasmussen 

You can try deleting the report from the service once you have downloaded and then uploading back to the same location the modified version of the report, in this way duplicate reports won't appear.

Before applying to the main environment I would advise doing a POC on the sample environment before using the above workaround.

IF MY SOLUTION HELPED YOU PLEASE DO HIT A LIKE AND ACCEPT IT AS A SOLUTION IF IT SOLVES YOUR ERROR!

Regards,
Nimai Ahluwalia

[MattRasmussen]

Hi @NimaiAhluwalia 

That makes sense but we already have this report linked from some dashboards that staff in different departments use.  If we delete the existing report, the links become broken so then the dashboards would have to be updated as well.  Is there a setting in the Service that I can change so it will overwrite the existing report with my updated pbix file?  I can't be the first person in history to need to update an existing report that I didn't develop.  🙂

[v-xiaoyan-msft]

Hi @MattRasmussen ,

If I understand correctly, you can modify it in Power BI Desktop, File > Options and Settings > Data Source Settings and select the dataset you want to switch to or click Change Data Source to the dataset you want.
Then replace the existing dataset with the one you modified (using the same dataset name) and publish it to the same workspace as before.
Finally, temporarily turn off the schedule refresh option. After you have modified the PBIX file and republished it, try turning the schedule refresh option back on.

Hope it helps,

Community Support Team _ Caitlyn

If this post helps then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[MattRasmussen]

Hi @v-xiaoyan-msft thanks for replying.

I didn't change the data source and don't want to change it.  I only needed to change a report.  When I uploaded it to Power BI Service, it added a duplicate report of the same name.  I'm trying to supercede the existing report with my modified pbix report file.

When I navigate to File > Options and Settings > Data Source Settings, the dataset from the Power BI Service isn't listed as an option to choose and there isn't a "Change Data Source" button or option in the Data Source Settings dialog box.

Updating an existing report that someone else created seems like a simple task but I can't find any documentation on how to do it...