Pivot Table Data Source Reference is Not valid

The “Data Source Reference Is Not Valid” error in Excel typically occurs when there is an issue with the formula or function used to reference a data source.

This error can occur for several reasons, such as:

The data source has been renamed, moved, or deleted.
The formula or function contains incorrect references or range names.
The worksheet containing the data source has been hidden or protected.
The workbook containing the data source is closed.

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How to resolve when show Data Source Reference Is Not Valid Excel Error

When you encounter the “Data Source Reference Is Not Valid” error in Excel, it usually means that a link to an external data source, such as another workbook or database, is no longer valid.

This could be due to a number of reasons, including the file being moved or renamed, or the connection to the data source being disrupted.

Here are some steps you can take to resolve this error:

Check the link: First, check the link to the external data source to ensure that it is correct and still exists. You can do this by going to the Data tab in Excel, selecting “Connections”, and then locating the relevant connection in the list. From there, you can edit or test the connection to see if it is working properly.
Update the link: If the link is incorrect or broken, you will need to update it. To do this, go to the Data tab, select “Edit Links”, and then locate the relevant link in the list. From there, you can update the link to point to the correct location.
Refresh the data: Once you have updated or corrected the link, you may need to refresh the data to ensure that it is up-to-date. To do this, go to the Data tab, select “Refresh All”, and choose the appropriate option for your needs.

Now, let’s move on to some example scenarios and explanations:

Example 1: Suppose you have an Excel workbook that contains several worksheets, each of which pulls data from an external database. When you try to open the workbook, you receive the “Data Source Reference Is Not Valid” error. What should you do?

Explanation: In this scenario, one or more of the links to the external database has become invalid or broken. To resolve this error, follow the steps outlined above to check and update the links, and then refresh the data to ensure that it is up-to-date.

Example 2: Suppose you have an Excel workbook that contains a pivot table which pulls data from another workbook. When you try to refresh the pivot table, you receive the “Data Source Reference Is Not Valid” error. What should you do?

Explanation: In this scenario, the link to the external workbook may have become invalid or broken. To resolve this error, follow the steps outlined above to check and update the link, and then refresh the pivot table to ensure that it is up-to-date.

Removing Brackets from the File Name

To remove manually all invalid Excel characters from a file name, you can do the following:

Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
Navigate to the folder containing the file with the invalid characters in the file name.
Right-click on the file and select “Rename” (or click once on the file to select it, then press the F2 key on Windows or Enter key on Mac).
Manually remove any invalid Excel characters from the file name, such as the following:
- /
- \
- :
- ?
- “
- <
- |
Press the Enter key on your keyboard to save the new file name.

Note that removing invalid Excel characters from a file name may affect any formulas or links that reference that file, so you should review those carefully after making any changes.

Save the Excel file to the computer or local drive

To save an Excel file to your computer or local drive, you can follow these steps:

Click on the “File” tab in the top left corner of the Excel window.
Select “Save As” from the options on the left-hand side.
Choose where you want to save the file by navigating through folders using the “Save As” dialog box that pops up.
In the “File name” field, enter a name for the file (if you haven’t already).
Choose the file format that you want to save the file in (e.g., “.xlsx”, “.csv”) from the dropdown menu next to the “Save as type” option.
(Optional) If you want to change any other settings related to the file format, you can click on the “Tools” dropdown and select “General Options”. This will allow you to add a password to protect the file, modify file properties, and more.
Click the “Save” button to save the file to your chosen location.

Once you have saved the file, you can locate it on your computer or local drive and access it at any time using Excel or another program that supports the file format.

Reference for the Named Range is Valid or Not

If you are getting an error message after defining a name range in Excel, it may be due to the named range referring to cells that contain invalid values. To sort out this problem, follow these steps:

Select the cell(s) that you used to define the named range.
Right-click and select “Format Cells” from the dropdown menu.
In the Format Cells dialog box, select the “Number” tab.
Choose the appropriate category (e.g., “General”, “Number”, “Currency”, “Date”) for your data type and adjust any formatting options as needed.
Click “OK” to apply the formatting changes.
Check that the named range is correctly referring to the formatted cells by clicking on the “Formulas” tab in the top ribbon, selecting “Name Manager”, and reviewing the named range definition.

If the error message persists, you may need to check other cells referenced by the named range to ensure that they also contain valid values and formatting. Additionally, you can try deleting and recreating the named range to see if that resolves the issue.