Excel Power Query / Azure Analysis Services: Authentication failed after reopening workbook, no Entra login prompt shown

Question

Excel Power Query / Azure Analysis Services: Authentication failed after reopening workbook, no Entra login prompt shown

Kateryna Kravchenko 10

Hi everyone,

I am experiencing an issue in Excel desktop when using Power Query to connect to an Analysis Services model with Microsoft Entra SSO. I am using SQL Server Analysis Services database connector (for Import), but the model is in Azure Analysis Services.

The first sign-in and refresh work fine. However, after I close and reopen the workbook, refresh often fails with “AnalysisServices: Authentication failed.”

What seems unexpected is that Excel does not show a sign-in prompt again. If the existing Entra session cannot be reused, I would expect the login window to appear instead of only returning an authentication error.

The only workaround I found so far is to clear/recreate the credentials in Data Source Settings, but that is only temporary.

Has anyone seen this issue with Excel + Power Query + Analysis Services using Entra SSO? Is it a known issue or related to a specific Excel build?

Thank you!

Manoj Kumar Boyini 12,560 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-17T14:33:04.3066667+00:00

Hi Kateryna Kravchenko

I hope you had a chance to review the information shared earlier, and I hope this information has been helpful! If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments so the question can be answered.
Kateryna Kravchenko 10 Reputation points

2026-03-18T06:39:17.19+00:00

Hi @Manoj Kumar Boyini

Thank you for your suggestions.

Unfortunately this connector is not available in Excel. It only exists in Power BI Desktop, Power Apps, Fabric, and Dynamics 365. The SQL Server Analysis Services Database (Import) connector under Get Data >> From Database should be the correct one for Excel when connecting to Azure AAS.I checked the connection string in the Power Query Advanced Editor and there is no Integrated Security=SSPI present.

Clearing cached credentials does work, but only temporarily, the issue returns every time I close and reopen the workbook.

If I attempt to connect using the Azure SQL Database connector, I experience a completely different error:
"Details: "Microsoft SQL: A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server)""

Regarding updating Excel, I'm on Version 2512 (Build 19530.20226) on Monthly Enterprise Channel. The newer servicing build (19530.20260) is security-only with no documented authentication fixes, and updates are managed by my organization, so I cannot trigger them manually.

For additional context, I can connect to the same AAS model from Power BI Desktop without any issues (both Import and Live Connection), and also from Excel through the Get Data >> From Database >> From Analysis Services, which works reliably across sessions. The problem appears to be specific to Power Query's token management in Excel.

The one thing I haven't fully tested yet is the Trust Center >> Form-based Sign-in setting, which was set to "Block all sign-in prompts." Not sure, but Power Query may rely on a form-based sign-in flow that the traditional XMLA connection doesn't use, which would explain the difference. I'll test this and update the thread
Manoj Kumar Boyini 12,560 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-19T16:20:48.08+00:00

Hi Kateryna Kravchenko

Just checking in to see if you had a chance to test the Trust Center → Form‑based sign‑in setting and whether it made any difference to the behavior after reopening the workbook.Your findings would be very helpful to confirm whether this is the underlying cause in Power Query’s authentication flow.
Kateryna Kravchenko 10 Reputation points

2026-03-20T07:42:32.4933333+00:00

Hi @Manoj Kumar Boyini

After further investigation, I believe the Trust Center Form-based Sign-in setting is unlikely to be the cause. That setting controls the legacy MS-OFBA protocol, whereas Azure Analysis Services uses modern Entra ID / OAuth2 authentication, a different flow. Additionally, my Power Query connection to Azure SQL Database (which also uses Entra OAuth2) works reliably across sessions with no credential issues, which suggests the Form-based Sign-in setting isn't blocking modern auth prompts.

What I have found instead is that this probably appears to be version-specific. A colleague on Version 2602 on the same Monthly Enterprise Channel has no issues with the same AAS model, credentials persist and refresh works after reopening the workbook.

Since my organization manages updates centrally, I will wait for the upgrade to 2602 to come through and test whether it resolves the issue. I will update this thread with the results once that happens.
Manoj Kumar Boyini 12,560 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-24T15:15:21.14+00:00

Hi Kateryna Kravchenko

Just checking if your Excel client has now been upgraded to Version 2602, and if so, whether you were able to retest and confirm if the issue is resolved?
Krzysztof ‪‪‪‪‪Loda 0 Reputation points

2026-03-26T09:57:14.0566667+00:00

Hi @Kateryna Kravchenko , @Manoj Kumar Boyini
The issue still persists in Version 2602 (Build 19725.20170) despite following the recommendations provided above. The Power Query/Azure Analysis Services authentication bug remains unresolved. Any other views?
Kateryna Kravchenko 10 Reputation points

2026-03-26T10:02:49.6833333+00:00

Hi @Manoj Kumar Boyini , Krzysztof ‪‪‪‪‪Loda,
I have just received the update to Version 2602 (Build 19725.20170), but unfortunately the issue still persists on my side.

I tested it with two colleagues on the same version and build: for one of them, the issue does not occur, for the other, the issue is present.

So, I assume it might not be related to the version.
Smaran Thoomu 34,960 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-27T02:55:41.8133333+00:00
Hi @Kateryna Kravchenko

Thanks for the detailed update - this really helps narrow things down.

Based on what you’ve tested (including across users on the same version), this doesn’t look like a simple version issue anymore. What you’re seeing is consistent with how Excel Power Query handles Entra ID tokens for Azure Analysis Services - specifically, it tries a silent token reuse after reopening the workbook, and if that fails, it doesn’t always trigger a fresh login prompt.

A couple of observations from your findings:

Since Power BI Desktop works fine and Excel “Analysis Services” connector also works, this is likely limited to the Power Query + SQL Server Analysis Services connector path

The inconsistent behavior across users on the same build suggests it’s tied to local token cache / Office identity state, not just Excel version

At this point, here are the most practical things to try:

Try switching (where possible) to Data → Get Data → From Analysis Services instead of the SQL Server Analysis Services connector — this path uses a slightly different auth flow and is generally more stable

Fully clear cached credentials, not just in Data Source Settings, but also from Windows Credential Manager (MicrosoftOffice / ADAL entries), then reopen Excel and reconnect

Sign out of Office completely (File → Account → Sign out), close all Office apps, then sign back in

Check if the issue reproduces in a clean profile or another machine - this helps confirm if it’s cache/profile related

One important point: Right now, there is no reliable way to force Power Query in Excel to always prompt for login when the token reuse fails - this behavior is handled internally by the MSOLAP/Office auth stack.

Given multiple users are seeing this, it’s likely a known limitation/bug in Excel’s Power Query authentication flow with AAS, rather than anything misconfigured on your side.

If this continues to impact your workflow, the most stable alternatives today are:

Using the Analysis Services connector in Excel (non–Power Query path)

Or using Power BI Desktop for ingestion scenarios

If you’re open to it, I can also help you validate whether your connection setup can be adjusted to avoid this path altogether with minimal changes.

Thanks again for the detailed investigation - that was really helpful.
Kateryna Kravchenko 10 Reputation points

2026-03-27T08:07:14.11+00:00
Hi @Smaran Thoomu ,

Thank you for the thorough response.

I have a significant update. I've since been updated to Version 2602 (Build 19725.20170), which is the same version my colleague is on. The issue persists for me, but not for him. To isolate further, we ran a test: my colleague logged into my laptop with his account and tried to refresh the same workbook (shared via OneDrive). He experienced the exact same failure: credentials work after manually re-entering them, but the token doesn't persist across sessions. On his own laptop, the same file refreshes without any issues.

This confirms the problem is machine-specific, not tied to user profile, Excel version, file, or AAS configuration.

Regarding your suggestions:

I've already confirmed that the non-Power Query path (Get Data >> From Database >> From Analysis Services) works reliably across sessions on my machine. However, this only provides a PivotTable/Power Pivot view, I need Power Query import mode so users can apply transformations, which is where the authentication fails.

I've tried the full credential cleanup (Data Source Settings, Credential Manager, Office sign-out/sign-in cycle) multiple times. It resolves the issue temporarily, but the token never persists across a close/reopen cycle.

The clean profile test effectively happened when my colleague used his account on my machine, same result.

Knowing that this is a machine-specific issue, could you recommend additional steps on how to resolve this?
Smaran Thoomu 34,960 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-30T11:04:57.35+00:00
@Kateryna Kravchenko Thanks for taking the time to isolate this so thoroughly - the test you did (same file + different user on the same machine) is especially helpful. That clearly points to a machine-level issue, not user, version, or AAS configuration.

Based on what you’ve described, this is most likely related to how Excel Power Query is storing or reusing Entra ID tokens on that specific machine (Office identity cache / Web Account Manager / local auth components).

Since you’ve already tried the usual credential cleanup, here are a few deeper things that are worth checking:

Try a full Office sign-out + reset of identity cache

Sign out from all Office apps

Close all Office processes

Then remove cached identities from:

Windows Settings → Accounts → Access work or school (disconnect and re-add)

Reopen Excel and sign in again

Check if this reproduces in a new Windows user profile

This helps confirm if it’s tied to the OS profile rather than the machine globally

Verify if there are any group policies or security tools on that machine

Some environments clear or restrict token persistence (WAM/ADAL), which can cause exactly this behavior

As a quick validation, test from:

Another network (non-corporate, if possible)

Or temporarily without VPN

One important takeaway from your findings: Since the Analysis Services (non–Power Query) connector works consistently, and only the Power Query path fails to persist tokens, this does point to a limitation/issue in the Power Query + Excel auth flow rather than Azure Analysis Services itself.

At this point, if the behavior continues even after the above checks, it would be reasonable to treat this as a client-side issue specific to that machine, and we may need to involve the Excel/Office team for deeper investigation.

If you’re able to try the new Windows profile test, that would be the most useful next signal - let me know how that goes and we can take it from there.
Kateryna Kravchenko 10 Reputation points

2026-03-30T11:22:45.06+00:00
Hi @Smaran Thoomu ,

Thank you for the detailed suggestions.

Unfortunately I have been through most of these already:

Full Office sign-out, credential cleanup (Data Source Settings + Credential Manager), and sign back in, done multiple times. Tokens work after manual re-entry but never persist across a close/reopen cycle.

New Windows profile test - done. A colleague logged into my laptop with his own account and experienced the same failure. On his own laptop (same Office version and build), the same file works without issues. This confirms it's machine-level, not OS profile-level.

Office reinstallation: fully reinstalled the Office package on this machine, did not help.

WAM plugin repair: reinstalled the Entra WAM plugin via PowerShell, this did not resolve the issue either.

Network: I work in the same network and VPN setup as my colleague, so network/proxy differences are unlikely.

The issue is very narrowly scoped: only Power Query's Analysis Services connector fails to persist tokens, while every other authentication path on the same machine works (non-Power Query Analysis Services connection, Azure SQL Database via Power Query, Power BI Desktop).

2 answers

Your answer

Manoj Kumar Boyini 12,560 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-17T14:33:04.3066667+00:00

Hi Kateryna Kravchenko

I hope you had a chance to review the information shared earlier, and I hope this information has been helpful! If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments so the question can be answered.
Manoj Kumar Boyini 12,560 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-19T16:20:48.08+00:00

Hi Kateryna Kravchenko

Just checking in to see if you had a chance to test the Trust Center → Form‑based sign‑in setting and whether it made any difference to the behavior after reopening the workbook.Your findings would be very helpful to confirm whether this is the underlying cause in Power Query’s authentication flow.
Kateryna Kravchenko 10 Reputation points

2026-03-20T07:42:32.4933333+00:00

Hi @Manoj Kumar Boyini

After further investigation, I believe the Trust Center Form-based Sign-in setting is unlikely to be the cause. That setting controls the legacy MS-OFBA protocol, whereas Azure Analysis Services uses modern Entra ID / OAuth2 authentication, a different flow. Additionally, my Power Query connection to Azure SQL Database (which also uses Entra OAuth2) works reliably across sessions with no credential issues, which suggests the Form-based Sign-in setting isn't blocking modern auth prompts.

What I have found instead is that this probably appears to be version-specific. A colleague on Version 2602 on the same Monthly Enterprise Channel has no issues with the same AAS model, credentials persist and refresh works after reopening the workbook.

Since my organization manages updates centrally, I will wait for the upgrade to 2602 to come through and test whether it resolves the issue. I will update this thread with the results once that happens.
Manoj Kumar Boyini 12,560 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-24T15:15:21.14+00:00

Hi Kateryna Kravchenko

Just checking if your Excel client has now been upgraded to Version 2602, and if so, whether you were able to retest and confirm if the issue is resolved?
Krzysztof ‪‪‪‪‪Loda 0 Reputation points

2026-03-26T09:57:14.0566667+00:00

Hi @Kateryna Kravchenko , @Manoj Kumar Boyini
The issue still persists in Version 2602 (Build 19725.20170) despite following the recommendations provided above. The Power Query/Azure Analysis Services authentication bug remains unresolved. Any other views?
Kateryna Kravchenko 10 Reputation points

2026-03-26T10:02:49.6833333+00:00

Hi @Manoj Kumar Boyini , Krzysztof ‪‪‪‪‪Loda,
I have just received the update to Version 2602 (Build 19725.20170), but unfortunately the issue still persists on my side.

I tested it with two colleagues on the same version and build: for one of them, the issue does not occur, for the other, the issue is present.

So, I assume it might not be related to the version.
Kateryna Kravchenko 10 Reputation points

2026-03-27T08:07:14.11+00:00

Hi @Smaran Thoomu ,

Thank you for the thorough response.

I have a significant update. I've since been updated to Version 2602 (Build 19725.20170), which is the same version my colleague is on. The issue persists for me, but not for him. To isolate further, we ran a test: my colleague logged into my laptop with his account and tried to refresh the same workbook (shared via OneDrive). He experienced the exact same failure: credentials work after manually re-entering them, but the token doesn't persist across sessions. On his own laptop, the same file refreshes without any issues.

This confirms the problem is machine-specific, not tied to user profile, Excel version, file, or AAS configuration.

Regarding your suggestions:

I've already confirmed that the non-Power Query path (Get Data >> From Database >> From Analysis Services) works reliably across sessions on my machine. However, this only provides a PivotTable/Power Pivot view, I need Power Query import mode so users can apply transformations, which is where the authentication fails.

I've tried the full credential cleanup (Data Source Settings, Credential Manager, Office sign-out/sign-in cycle) multiple times. It resolves the issue temporarily, but the token never persists across a close/reopen cycle.

The clean profile test effectively happened when my colleague used his account on my machine, same result.

Knowing that this is a machine-specific issue, could you recommend additional steps on how to resolve this?
Kateryna Kravchenko 10 Reputation points

2026-03-30T11:22:45.06+00:00

Hi @Smaran Thoomu ,

Thank you for the detailed suggestions.

Unfortunately I have been through most of these already:

Full Office sign-out, credential cleanup (Data Source Settings + Credential Manager), and sign back in, done multiple times. Tokens work after manual re-entry but never persist across a close/reopen cycle.

New Windows profile test - done. A colleague logged into my laptop with his own account and experienced the same failure. On his own laptop (same Office version and build), the same file works without issues. This confirms it's machine-level, not OS profile-level.

Office reinstallation: fully reinstalled the Office package on this machine, did not help.

WAM plugin repair: reinstalled the Entra WAM plugin via PowerShell, this did not resolve the issue either.

Network: I work in the same network and VPN setup as my colleague, so network/proxy differences are unlikely.

The issue is very narrowly scoped: only Power Query's Analysis Services connector fails to persist tokens, while every other authentication path on the same machine works (non-Power Query Analysis Services connection, Azure SQL Database via Power Query, Power BI Desktop).

Answer 1

Hi Kateryna Kravchenko

When connecting to Azure Analysis Services (AAS) with Entra ID SSO. After reopening a workbook, Excel attempts a silent token refresh. If the cached token can’t be reused, the connector may fail with “AnalysisServices: Authentication failed” without showing a sign‑in prompt. This is a client‑side limitation in Excel/MSOLAP, not an AAS service issue.

Recommended actions:

Use Data → Get Data → Azure → Azure Analysis Services database instead of the SQL Server Analysis Services connector.
Update Excel to the latest build to get newer MSOLAP libraries with improved Entra authentication handling.
Ensure Integrated Security=SSPI is not present in the connection string.
If needed, clear cached Office/AnalysisServices credentials to force re‑authentication.
For unattended refresh scenarios, use a service principal instead of interactive user credentials.

This issue typically depends on connector choice, Excel/MSOLAP version, and how Entra tokens are cached across Excel sessions.

References:
https://dotnet.territoriali.olinfo.it/en-us/analysis-services/azure-analysis-services/analysis-services-connect-excel?view=sql-analysis-services-2025
https://dotnet.territoriali.olinfo.it/en-us/analysis-services/client-libraries?view=sql-analysis-services-2025
https://dotnet.territoriali.olinfo.it/en-us/analysis-services/azure-analysis-services/analysis-services-manage-users?view=sql-analysis-services-2025
https://dotnet.territoriali.olinfo.it/en-us/troubleshoot/sql/analysis-services/configure-msolap-data-provider-excel

Hope this helps, Please let us know if you have any questions and concerns

Answer 2

Excel Power Query, Azure Analysis Services, and Microsoft Entra authentication rely on the Analysis Services client libraries (AMO/MSOLAP/ADOMD). These libraries support both interactive Microsoft Entra sign-in and non‑interactive methods, and interactive flows can show a Microsoft Entra MFA dialog when Universal Authentication is used.

For Azure Analysis Services, the recommended and most reliable option is to use Active Directory Universal Authentication (Microsoft Entra interactive flow). This method is designed to handle token acquisition and renewal, including MFA, and can show a sign‑in dialog when the existing token cannot be reused. Other non‑interactive methods (such as AD Password or Integrated) do not show a pop‑up and can fail with authentication errors when the cached token or session is no longer valid.

In Excel, the behavior depends on:

Which client library and authentication mode the connector is using.
How the Microsoft Entra session and token cache are handled by that library and by Excel’s build/update level.

Power BI Desktop, SSMS, and Visual Studio explicitly support Active Directory Universal Authentication and are updated monthly with the latest client libraries. Excel receives the same client library updates through Microsoft 365, but on a less frequent cadence, and some organizations use deferred channels, so Excel may be running older client libraries or slightly different behavior around token reuse and prompts.

Given the symptoms:

First connection and refresh succeed.
After reopening the workbook, refresh fails with AnalysisServices: Authentication failed.
No Microsoft Entra sign‑in dialog is shown.
Clearing/recreating credentials in Data Source Settings temporarily fixes it.

This aligns with a scenario where the non‑interactive or cached token path fails, but Excel does not fall back to an interactive Universal Authentication prompt.

Recommended actions based on the documented behavior:

Ensure the connection is configured to use Active Directory Universal Authentication (Microsoft Entra interactive) for Azure Analysis Services, not Windows or legacy AD methods. Universal Authentication is the recommended mode for Azure Analysis Services and is designed to show an interactive prompt when needed.
Make sure the Azure Analysis Services server users are defined as Microsoft Entra accounts (UPN/organizational email) and that the account used in Excel is the same Entra identity configured as a server admin or database user.
Confirm that the Excel client is on a current Microsoft 365 update channel so it has the latest Analysis Services client libraries. Older builds or deferred channels can behave differently around authentication and token reuse.
If the Azure Analysis Services firewall is enabled and the error sometimes appears as invalid credentials, verify that the client IP is allowed. For Power Query Online scenarios, the PowerQueryOnline service tag must be allowlisted; for desktop, ensure the relevant client IP ranges are permitted.

This behavior is not described in the documentation as a specific known Excel build bug, but it is consistent with using a non‑Universal or cached authentication mode that does not trigger a new Microsoft Entra prompt when the token cannot be reused. Aligning the connection with Universal Authentication and keeping Excel and the Analysis Services client libraries current is the supported path to avoid repeated manual credential clearing.

References:

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Excel Power Query / Azure Analysis Services: Authentication failed after reopening workbook, no Entra login prompt shown

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