Excel Power Query: how to read file from OneDrive Personal

Ayal T 0 Reputation points
2025-09-19T03:31:25.6+00:00

Hi,

Reading file from OneDrive Personal to Excel PQ was an issue since I learned about it, but there was a method that worked.

And than OneDrive changed, the method didnt work anymore, and a new method had to be found.

And than they changed OneDrive again, and since 4/2025 I'm struggling to find a valid solution.

Lengthy correspondence with OneDrive support yield "it's not our issue".

Lenghty conversation with Office support yield "it's out of our support scope".

Soooo, anybody have a solution?

Regards,

Ayal Telem.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows
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  1. Emmanuel Santana 40,200 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-09-19T05:49:14.42+00:00

    Hello. Power Query no longer reliably connects to files on OneDrive Personal due to changes in how OneDrive generates and secures file links, especially around April 2025. Old workarounds using web.contents() with shared or embed URLs often break when the file link structure changes or authentication expires. Are you trying to load the file via a web URL (shared or embedded), or are you using a locally synced OneDrive folder on your PC?

    1. Ensure your OneDrive is signed in and syncing.
    2. In File Explorer, locate the file under: C:\Users\[YourName]\OneDrive\Documents\[YourFile.xlsx]
    3. In Excel Power Query: Data → Get Data → From File → From Workbook → Select the file from that local path.

    This avoids OneDrive's web authentication entirely and works as long as the file stays synced locally.

    You can also try a modified link:

    1. In OneDrive web, right-click the file → Embed → extract the URL (it contains resid= and authkey=...).
    2. Modify the URL to end with &download=1 or replace /embed? with /download?.
    3. In Excel: Data → Get Data → From Web → paste this link.
    4. Choose Anonymous authentication if prompted.

    This method lets you load the file directly from the cloud, but can break if the link structure or permissions change again.

    These steps let you either bypass the cloud dependency entirely or connect via link if local sync isn't an option. Let me know what method you're aiming for and what happens when you try either.

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  2. Ayal T 0 Reputation points
    2025-09-21T03:40:18.0466667+00:00

    Hello Emmanuel,

    Thank you for the suggestion.

    Per your question, I'm using a locally synced OneDrive folder on your PC.

    Copying Path (from File->Info) didn't work, maybe because it has non-English characters in it.

    Copying the Local Path worked, with the limitation that a secondary PC of mine will have issues with it.

    In short, MS broke something and they don't cares enough to fix it.

    SHAME ON THEM!

    Regards.

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