

The first reason can be that macro references to a range that no longer exist in system. If the error "excel reference isn't valid" occurs when you run a macro than there can be a lot of reasons. You will find the route cause of the error here surely. In that case, you will need to open the data base and check the queries thoroughly. It is possible that the query or table that you are trying to access from the database is changed or does not exist anymore. Go to the location of the data source to check if that exist or not.Ī lot of time, the connection is valid but file still throws a reference isn't valid when excel refreshes data. Check the connections and if you don't need them anymore, remove them. A window will open that will show the existing connection to the workbook. To solve this error, go to Data -> Get External Data -> Existing Connection. You need to change the name in Excel connections too. Even if you change the name of the data source, it can cause the error.

This is one of the main reasons of "Data source is not valid" Error. Check it the location of the data source has changed. Check the connections to Access database if you have.
GET RID OF THE AUTOMATOR TAB ON EXCEL FOR MAC HOW TO
How to solve Data Source reference is not valid?Ĭheck all the connections your file has. When the data source does not exist at the defined location, it is obvious that excel shows "Data source reference is not valid". Now this feature is great but this cause problems when you accidentally or intentionally delete or move data source from the defined location. These features allow users to maintain data outside the Excel and import them whenever needed. "Get external Data", "Power Query", and "Power Pivot" are such examples. All these features can be accessed from data tab. This will solve the " Data Reference not Valid Error" 4: Referencing to Invalid Data SourceĮxcel has features of importing data from other sources. To avoid such errors, you should check all the formulas, validations, conditional formatting that refers to table that has changed a lot earlier. How to avoid Table Caused Reference Error This may not occur immediately but when you copy ranges or sheets to other workbooks or location. When you use Table names in formulas, data validation, conditional formatting, and overtime when you delete or do some major changes to table, excel can through reference not valid error. But they can cause the Reference errors to. This will remove the "data source reference is not valid" error.ģ: Table Name Change Caused Reference Not Valid Error. Delete or fix all the named ranges that refers to contains #REF!. To solve this error, use the shortcut CTRL+F3 shortcut. How to solve named range "Reference invalid error". And if you try to copy that sheet or file you may get "reference is not valid" error. All the formulas, validations and condtional formatting depending on that range will not work. But if you delete entire range, the named range loses its reference. When you name a given range, excel tags that specific name to the given range.īy default excel adjusts the named ranges when you delete or add rows to the named ranges.

But you got to be careful with the named ranges. The named ranges are great tools when it comes to managing structured data. Check one by one each of them and save your excel file. When you refresh pivot tables and this error occurs, it is possible that you have changed some range or names in the data mode. If you have several pivot tables in a workbook that refers to multiple ranges, named range or data tables, make sure that they refer to valid range. How to solve Pivot Table Reference Error? So, this one of the main reasons for data reference invalid error. Because I do not have any range called "Table1" (I had changed it to "Data"). This returns a "Data source reference is not valid" error. When it asked for the data source, I mentioned "Table1". Later I wanted to create a pivot table on this table. Now if you try to create pivot table with invalid range or refresh pivot table that refers to a range that no longer exists, this can cause "Reference is not valid error".įor example, here I have a data table, initially whose name was "Table1" but I change it to "data" later. Using that data range excel creates the pivot reports. So, when we create a pivot table it requires a data range. 1: Pivot Tables Data Source Reference is Not Valid Now this error can occur due to several reasons. So, as the name suggests the error occurs when Excel tries to refer to location that is no longer available, invalid or doesn't exist. In this article, we will learn why data source isn't valid occurs and how we can solve this annoying problem.

"Data source reference is not valid" is one annoying problem that can be hard to get rid of, if you don't know the source problem.
