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chammel
New Member

Power BI Publisher for Excel Retired?

I recently received a response from the Microsoft support team mentioning Power BI Publisher for Excel is being retired. 

 

Response from Microsoft was: "I do understand your concern and the importance of this feature. However, due to the fact that it has certain limitations and issues, product team has confirmed on the status of the feature. Microsoft Power BI Publisher for Excel is being retired." 

 

I would be pretty shocked if this is the case considering hundreds of thousands of professionals rely on this feature every day to access their data models and reports. Considering our company has many reports built in Excel that use the Publisher for Excel functionality to refresh and analyze data, this would be a major issue. 

 

Can anyone confirm if this is really true and if there will be any alternative solutions? 

 

 
 
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
V-pazhen-msft
Community Support
Community Support

@chammel 

This meassage is confirmed by our team, as of April 1st, 2020, users will not be able to download the Power BI publisher for Excel. Microsoft will cease its support for the tool on June 1st. 

 

The publisher for Excel included the following functionalities:

  1. Allow users to connect to their data in Power BI and create pivot tables and charts for further analysis in Excel
  2. Allow to pin a selected range in an Excel sheet to a Power BI dashboard

Alternatives

As an alternative to functionality 1, users  can launch the ‘Analyze in Excel’ function from within Power BI service.

As an alternative to functionality 2, user can either Pin a tile to a Power BI dashboard from Excel or capture a selected range in an Excel sheet, using any clipping tool -> open the target dashboard in Power BI.com ->  click ‘Add tile’  -> chose ‘image option’ -> upload the captured image.

 

 

Paul Zheng
Community Support Team
If this post helps, please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

 

 

 

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19 REPLIES 19
V-pazhen-msft
Community Support
Community Support

@chammel 

This meassage is confirmed by our team, as of April 1st, 2020, users will not be able to download the Power BI publisher for Excel. Microsoft will cease its support for the tool on June 1st. 

 

The publisher for Excel included the following functionalities:

  1. Allow users to connect to their data in Power BI and create pivot tables and charts for further analysis in Excel
  2. Allow to pin a selected range in an Excel sheet to a Power BI dashboard

Alternatives

As an alternative to functionality 1, users  can launch the ‘Analyze in Excel’ function from within Power BI service.

As an alternative to functionality 2, user can either Pin a tile to a Power BI dashboard from Excel or capture a selected range in an Excel sheet, using any clipping tool -> open the target dashboard in Power BI.com ->  click ‘Add tile’  -> chose ‘image option’ -> upload the captured image.

 

 

Paul Zheng
Community Support Team
If this post helps, please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

 

 

 

This is a joke right?

Tell me that the Power BI Publisher for excel is still available

 

 

@V-pazhen-msft 

Thanks @Goofr 

That is a good post.

But what isn't clear are a couple of things and hoping you can clarify:

 

1. You need O365 to use the Get Data > Connect to Power BI Dataset.

    What about people on say Excel 2016.

    Also I've read other sites that say O365 but then only certain SKU's but doesn't say which SKU.

 

2. Power BI Ribbon is no longer available and the new get data feature isn't available.

    Why wouldn't you keep the Power BI Ribbon until the new get data feature for excel is available

 

3. The new Excel Feature is coming but that could be December, as there is no date posted right?

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

Yes, December, but you didn't mention the year 😉 Other features that were announced to replace already retired features didn't come for over a year and still counting...

In the meantime you can use the "Analyze in Excel" functionallity.

Yep, That's obvious.

But not a great experience compared to being able to connect to your Power BI Datasets straight from excel!!!!

Anonymous
Not applicable

You can connect directly to a dataset.

 

You have to go now to Data/Get Data/From PowerBI Dataset

 

 

Can you?

When is this feature available and on which version of excel?

 

I don't see it with M365 or Excel 2016

Anonymous
Not applicable

Excel Version 2006 (Build 13001.20198)

That doesn't appear to be the case from my testing.

 

If users are on Microsoft 365 with E5 Agreement will they be able to use the Get Data > From Power BI Dataset

feature in excel. 

Or is this still not available.

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

I put another computer on the Monthy (Targeted) channel, I reinstalled again the PowerBi Excel extension and got the Connect PowerBI item.

I am using version 2005 as documented here. But under Data > Get Data, I do not see an option to get data from a Power BI Dataset. What is going on?

Anonymous
Not applicable

You need Version 2006 (Build 13001.20198)

 

2020-06-26 09_16_41 Book5_-_Excel.png

Yep... Same issue... option not available in O365.

 

Not sure what you mean by build version or why we need to re-install Excel.

Why isn't Microsoft update documentation and posts about this!!!!!

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

You need to have the beta version.

 

You need to change your office update policy 

https://windowstechpro.com/switch-office-365-semi-channel-to-monthly-targeted-channel/

 

But be careful with beta comes the last features but also the last bugs!

@Anonymous i'm on Current Channel aka Monthly Channel accoring to my understanding, and I have an E3 license. I am not getting 2006.....

 

Edit: I see it's only in the Insider channel.

Thanks for the info,

 

So if your not part of this insider channel then you can't use the Get Data > From Power BI Dataset.

At the moment we are stuck with a poor work around in Analyse in Excel, and waiting for this feature to be released some time this year.... and no mention of when from Microsoft.

 

Why get rid of the Power BI Ribbon in excel when there is no other option available for replacement.

Microsoft????

 

venal
Memorable Member
Memorable Member

@chammel 

I tried to refer the links and it is not mentioed about deprecation.

 

Please refer the below link.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/service-publish-from-excel

 

If the issue is persists, try to upload the file from "Power Bi Service". Please refer the below link for alternate solution.

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/service-excel-workbook-files

 

If you already raised a support ticket to the team for investigation, please share us here to track on this issue.

 

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more
If this post was helpful may I ask you to mark it as solution and click on thumb symbol?

 

BR

venal.

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