Invalid credentials SharePoint error (after multiple successful refreshes)

[Anonymous]

My Power BI report connects to a SharePoint Excel file, which multiple users have access to. 

For one of those users I used the credentials in desktop and service to set up the scheduled refresh. This refresh is succesful for 7-10 days, but afterwards fails with the error message that "The credentials provided for the SharePoint source are invalid". 

As far as I'm aware, the credentials do not change (no password change, etc.) every week. 

What could be the cause of this? How could I solve this? 

[prajwlshetty]

Sometime the refresh returns error if we add or remove a column in source table. please verify.

[Anonymous]

The password indeed has an expiration but it should not be every few days, which is the situation right now.

The client uses their microsoft login. Is there a possibility the credentials are no longer valid because the client switches between Microsoft accounts? 

[christinepayton]

I don't think so, you might check to make sure their account has permission to use the gateway connection though. That would not explain it working and then not working though - it would just not work at all. 

[christinepayton]

It shouldn't, you do need to enter them after you publish though. It sounds like you did that. You could try adding a gateway connection for the source even though it's not required and use a service account credentials though. 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your answer. Maybe as a bit more context: it is a report developed for a client of mine, not for myself. 

The refresh uses a gateway connection, and the login credentials are based on their Microsoft account login.

Maybe this is what forms the issue? Is it possible that the internal IT regulation/security of the client is what's causing the problem? 

[christinepayton]

The credentials are stored in the gateway connection settings, so they should only be returning as invalid if they are actually invalid - the stored password doesn't "disappear" there periodically or anything. Does the account that's used in the connection have password expiration enabled maybe?