When trying to connect to data sources and authenticate using an authenticator such as oAuth, you may get an error in PowerBI that asks you to delete the login credentials. In this post, we will discuss this issue and see what can be done to resolve this problem.
We’re unable to connect. Please delete your credentials and try again later
Fix We’re unable to connect, Please delete your credentials and try again later in Power BI
If you are unable to connect to a data source or SharePoint in PowerBI and asked to delete your credentials and try again later, follow these solutions to resolve the issue.
- Use your default browser
- Modify the Power BI Settings file to add the default browser
- Update Power BI
- Reset or Repair Power BI
Let us talk about them in detail.
1] Use your default browser
It can sometimes fail if your Power BI is not using the default browser to connect to a SharePoint or data source. We need to check and make sure that the Authentication Browser is set to the default browser for the connection to work like a charm. You can follow the instructions mentioned to do the same.
- First of all, open Power BI.
- Now, navigate to File.
- You then have to select Options and Settings.
- Look for Security as it must be under Global and click on it.
- In the Authentication Browser, you have to select Use my default browser and click on Ok.
Hopefully, this will do the trick for you.
2] Modify the Power BI Settings file to add the default browser
If you don’t see an option to set the default browser for the Authentication browser, follow the steps mentioned below to modify the Power BI Settings file to add the same.
- Navigate to – C:\Users\[Your User Name]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Power BI Desktop SSRS.
- Then, look for Users.zip, find, and make a copy of the file before we make any alterations.
- In the ZIP archive, look for the UserInterface folder, and inside it, look for Settings.xml.
- Add the following string before </Entries> line
<Entry Type="UseSystemBrowserForAuthentication" Value="l1"/>
- Finally, save the changes made to the file.
Power BI should now use a web browser for authentication with sources like SharePoint. Keep in mind that this change won’t appear in the software’s options menu, it can only be enabled through the settings file.
3] Update Power BI
If you haven’t updated your Power BI application in a while, you will most likely face issues when connecting to a shared link. The updates install security patches along with new features and bugs and since you don’t have those patches installed, the links might refuse to open.
Ideally, Power BI automatically detects available updates and notifies you of the available ones. But you should check if this feature is enabled for you. For that, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Launch Power BI Desktop on your computer
- Then, go to File > Options and Settings.
- Now, go to Updates from GLOBAL and then tick Display update notifications from Power BI Desktop.
- Finally, click on Ok.
Hopefully, this will do the job for you.
4] Repair or Reset Power BI
It is possible that you are experiencing issues with Power BI due to misconfiguration or corrupted files. In such cases, our recommended course of action is to attempt repair of the application. If that does not resolve the issue, the next step would be to reset all settings to their default values. To do so, please follow the prescribed steps.
- Hit Win + I to open Settings.
- Now, navigate to Apps > Installed apps or Apps & features.
- Search for “Microsoft Power BI”.
> Windows 11: Click on the three vertical dots and click on Advanced Options.
> Windows 10: Select the app and then click on Advanced Options. - Click on the Repair button.
Let it be repaired. Once done, check if the issue is resolved. If the issue persists, go to Settings and then to Advanced Options of Power BI. Finally, click on the Reset button. Hopefully, this will do the job for you.
That’s it!
Read: How to share Excel Insights with Power BI Publisher for Excel
How do I delete my credentials in Power BI?
To delete your credentials in Power BI, follow the steps mentioned below.
- In Power BI Desktop, navigate to Home > Transform Data > Data Source Settings.
- Select Global permissions, choose the problematic source from the list, click Clear permissions, then Delete.
This will do your job.
Read: Fix Power BI Desktop login issues
Why am I unable to enter data source credentials in Power BI?
If you cannot enter the data source due to a credential issue, your username and password, the one you used to sign in, aren’t configured. So, you need to go to Refresh settings for the dataset. Then, in Manage Data Sources, go to Edit credentials and update your username and password.
Also Read: Power BI Desktop won’t launch on Windows system.
