How to Switch From Import to Direct Query Mode in Power BI

by
Power BI

I’m not sure why Microsoft sets “Import Query” as the default when creating new Power BI connections, but the tyranny of the default led me to create charts using that option.  Weeks later I realized I didn’t want to manually refresh my reports and sought to switch the query mode to be direct instead.  Here’s how I accomplished the task, getting inspiration from https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Desktop/Solution-Changing-datasource-from-Import-to-Direct-Query-gt/m-p/246569#M109251. 

  1. Backup your .pbix file
  2. Rename the file extension to be .zip instead of .pbix
  3. Open the archive and delete the “DataModel” file within the archive
  4. Rename the .zip file back to .pbix and open the file
  5. Voila, when you open Power BI, you can now click “Get Data” and choose direct query when pulling in a new dataset.