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    Excel Binary file support

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    Krati Singh's profile image

    Krati Singh on 08 Feb 2016 02:25:42

    Excel binary file .xlsb as a data source works well for few query steps but starts crashing soon with error as "External file format not supported". Please enable excel binary file format support or provide an error in the beginning so that query steps are not performed at all.

    Comments (25)
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    Alex on 05 Jul 2020 23:34:52

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    Does this have any traction? Agree with everyone below..

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    cyrilbrossard on 05 Jul 2020 23:29:48

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    This nonsensical limitation makes it difficult to convince users that Excel is still marketable as a viable BI source. Even with tableau we are having issues pertaining to Binary files, and such even if we are using Legacy Connections.

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    WillyV@DXC on 05 Jul 2020 23:24:12

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    Please provide a solution as companies do work with Windows 64-bit version combined with a 32-bit office version.
    Migration to all 64-bit is sometimes a big step for big companies

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    Ian Power BI User on 05 Jul 2020 23:17:47

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    Power BI can support all sorts of files...but not excel files???!
    I need to use xlsb files because they are so large, but I am have to keep making copies, saving them as xlsm and then use that in PBI.

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    Jerry Norbury on 05 Jul 2020 23:11:10

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    This really is a big restriction. Many larger Excel sheets are kept in XLSB - exactly the type of files relevant to Power BI.

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    Jhonatan Ventino on 05 Jul 2020 23:11:09

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    Precisamos de suporte para XLSB

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    Thomas Foster on 05 Jul 2020 23:10:41

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    While I can get them to work on desktop I cannot use scheduled refresh due to the server not supporting the file format. Why is microsoft not supporting their own file formats?

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    Power BI User on 05 Jul 2020 23:09:14

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    Please add support for binary files! It is preferred to use xlsb when working with large data and it would be extremely helpful and beneficial if Power BI could support it.

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    Wicalo on 05 Jul 2020 22:58:17

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    Yo pude solucionarlo instalando AccessDatabaseEngine_X64.exe descargado desde este link: https://www.microsoft.com/es-co/download/details.aspx?id=13255. Tengo Windows 8.1 de 64bits y Power BI Desktop Version: 2.49.4831.521 64-bit (agosto de 2017).
    I could solve it installing AccessDatabaseEngine_X64.exe downloades from: https://www.microsoft.com/es-co/download/details.aspx?id=13255. I have Windows 8.1 64bits and Power BI Desktop Version: 2.49.4831.521 64-bit (august 2017).

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    Power BI User on 05 Jul 2020 22:55:52

    RE: Excel Binary file support

    I am getting an error using the xlsb excel file DataFormat.Error: External table is not in the expected format