[Solved!] Excel Queries and Connections Not Working

Get FREE Advanced Excel Exercises with Solutions!

In this article, I will discuss some possible solutions to Excel Queries and Connections not working. Excel Queries and Connections is a powerful tool when it comes to importing data from different sources.  But, while working on Excel queries and connections, we may face some problems. In this article, I will try to discuss these problems and provide some possible solutions to those problems.


What Are Queries and Connections in Excel?

In Excel, a query is a way to retrieve specific data from a data source, such as a database or a spreadsheet. We can also use Queries to filter, sort, and aggregate data and save them for later use. Once we create a Query, we can run it to retrieve the desired data and import it into an Excel worksheet.

A connection in Excel refers to the link between an Excel workbook and an external data source, such as a database or a web page. We can use Connections to bring data into an Excel worksheet, as well as to update or refresh the data automatically. For example, if you have a database that contains sales data and you want to analyze that data in Excel, you would create a connection to the database so that you can import the data into an Excel worksheet.


Excel Queries and Connections Are Not Working: 4 Possible Reasons with Solutions

There are various reasons behind the problem when Excel Queries and Connections are not working properly. Some of the possible reasons are:


Reason 1: The Source Has Not Been Saved Properly

If you don’t save the source file properly, the Excel Queries and Connections won’t work properly.


Solution: Save the Source Properly

Before establishing connections, go to your source file and ensure that you have saved the file properly.


Reason 2: Existing Connections Are Obsolete

You may face problems in Excel Queries and Connections if your connections are obsolete or not up to date. Maybe the displayed items in the Queries are from the cache memory rather than from the direct source.


Solution: Refresh the Connections

To solve the issue, you need to refresh the connections. To refresh connections, follow the steps below.

Steps:

  • First, go to the Queries & Connections sidebar.
  • Now, on the Queries, click on the Refresh icon.

Refreshing Queries and Connections Source Data

  • As a result, the Query’s data will be refreshed.

Reason 3: The Query Includes Incompatible Expressions

If your source file has some kind of expression that is not supported by Excel, then this may create problems in Excel Queries and Connections.


Solution: Change the Expressions

To solve the issue, either we need to remove the portion of the data that contains incompatible data or use Excel recognized expression in place of them. For Example, if your source is Microsoft Access Database, then you need to be careful about some expressions like the nz() function which is incompatible with Excel.


Reason 4: Power Query Close and Load to Feature Greyed out

Sometimes, there are some occasions where the Close & Load option in the Power Query window is greyed out. (See the following picture)

Load To Grayed out

Read More: How to Close Queries and Connections Pane in Excel


Solution: Change the Type of Connection

To solve the issue, follow the steps below.

Steps:

  • First, check the type of Query Connection. You can do that by going to the Queries & Connections sidebar.

Connection type of Queries

  • If the type is Connection only, then you cannot use Close & Load to. To change the type of connection, right-click on the sidebar and then go to the Load To option.

Choosing Load To Option from Queries and Connections

  • Now, a new dialogue box named Import Data will open like this.

Import Data Dialogue Box

  • From here, we can choose Table instead of Only Create Connection and load this data to the Existing worksheet or into a New worksheet. Finally, click on OK.

Changing Type of Connection in Queries and Connections

As a result, we can load it into any of our desired worksheets.

Read More: Excel Connections vs. Queries


Things to Remember

To solve your own problem regarding Excel Queries and Connections, you need to properly identify what kind of problem you are having among the 4 types mentioned above. Then, you can take the appropriate approach to solve the problem.


Download Practice Workbook

Download this practice workbook to exercise while you are reading this article.


Conclusion

That is the end of this article regarding Excel Queries and Connections not working. If you find this article helpful, please share this with your friends. Moreover, do let us know if you have any further queries. Finally, please visit Exceldemy for more exciting articles on Excel.


Related Articles

<< Go Back to Excel Data Connections | Importing Data in Excel | Learn Excel

What is ExcelDemy?

ExcelDemy - Learn Excel & Get Excel Solutions Center provides online Excel training , Excel consultancy services , free Excel tutorials, free support , and free Excel Templates for Excel professionals and businesses. Feel free to contact us with your Excel problems.
Aniruddah Alam
Aniruddah Alam

Md. Aniruddah Alam, a graduate of Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology, Dhaka, holds a BSc.Engg in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering. Joining Softeko in August 2022 as an Excel and VBA content developer, he has authored 90+ articles, covering fundamental to advanced Excel topics. He actively develops VBA codes for Excel automation and offers solutions in the Exceldemy Forum. Beyond work, he finds leisure in reading books, and taking relaxing walks, showcasing well-rounded blend of professional and... Read Full Bio

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Advanced Excel Exercises with Solutions PDF

 

 

ExcelDemy
Logo