Power BI Desktop says "Credentials are required to decrypt this workbook, but none were provided."

[Toshiki123]

I tried to connect these to PowerBI and...

 - my local excel files(xlsx, xlsm)  --> failed

 - my local csv files --> succeeded

 - my local txt files --> succeeded

 - online excel files(on SharePoint or OneDrive)  --> failed

 - excel files(xlsx, xlsm) with all patterns of confidential labels  --> failed

 - some kinds of book unprotections  --> failed

 - reinstalling the app  --> failed

 - deleting data source --> failed(nothing to be deleted because no connection before)

 - with my private PC --> succeeded (I guessed my organization's policy caused this but any of my coworkers don't face this)

And finally, 

 - a file which I took confidential label away and changed the format from xlsx to xlsm or from xlsm to xlsx  --> always succeeds

I have to do both of these two steps in this order, and macro existence doesn't matter(no-macro xlsm succeeds).

I don't understand how this could happen at all.  Does anybody?

[v-zhengdxu-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Toshiki123 

Power BI supports importing or connecting to workbooks created in Excel 2007 and later, with workbooks needing to be in the .xlsx or .xlsm file type and smaller than 1 GB. Since you're experiencing issues specifically with local Excel files and online Excel files stored on SharePoint or OneDrive, but not with CSV or TXT files, this suggests the problem might be related to how Power BI handles Excel files. For local files, ensure you're following the guidelines for importing Excel workbooks into Power BI.

import-or-connect-to-an-excel-workbook-from-power-bi

For Excel files stored online (SharePoint or OneDrive), Power BI utilizes a different connection mechanism. Ensure that you're using the correct method for connecting to these files, as outlined here:

Get data from Excel workbook files - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Sensitivity labels from Microsoft Purview Information Protection can affect how files are accessed and shared within Power BI. If a file has a sensitivity label that restricts access or sharing, it might explain why removing the label allows the connection to succeed. It's important to understand how sensitivity labels work within Power BI and how they can impact file connectivity.

More information of sensitivty labels:

Sensitivity labels from Microsoft Purview Information Protection in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft ...

Success on Private PC but Failure in Organizational Environment suggests that there might be specific policies or network configurations within your organization affecting the connectivity. It could be related to network security settings, group policies, or even the way sensitivity labels are managed within your organization.

Best Regards

Zhengdong Xu
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