Refresh - when one of the source excel files is open

[Anonymous]

Hello

I havea power BI report that pulls data from a folder that has multiple excel files (all files are the same but are for different dates).

The refresh works fine if all the excel files are closed, however if any one of the files in that folder is open then the refresh fails with below error messsage.

"OLE DB or ODBC error: [DataSource.Error] The process cannot access the file '...' because it is being used by another process.."

I just wanted to know if there was any work arounds for this issue other than training my users to close the file once they are done with it.

[Mariana-Zenakeo]

Thanks - This solved my issue! 

[Sahir_Maharaj]

Yes, there are a few workarounds for this issue:

[Sahir_Maharaj]

These are some of the most common workarounds for this issue. If the issue persists, please do let me know as I will try to assist.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

4. Use OneDrive for Business or SharePoint: If the excel files are stored in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint, you can use Power BI's built-in integration with these services to refresh the report. These services have the advantage of allowing multiple users to access the same file at the same time, without causing the refresh to fail.

[akshay4839]

This worked for me

[Sahir_Maharaj]

3. Use Power Automate: You can use Power Automate (previously Microsoft Flow) to automate the process of closing the excel files before the refresh takes place. This would involve creating a flow that detects when the excel files are open and closes them before the refresh takes place.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

2. Use Power BI Dataflows: Another option is to use Power BI Dataflows to import the data from the excel files into the Power BI Service. Dataflows have the advantage of automatically updating the data in the report when the source data changes.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Thank you for all teh suggestions - I will investigate this (assuming that this does not involove one drive or sharepoint) as all our files are stored on our network share.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

1. Schedule the refresh: You can schedule the refresh of the report to take place when the excel files are closed. This can be done in the Power BI Service, under the "Refresh Now" section of the dataset.