MC1403409 Medium
Required update for organizational authentication in Excel Power Query (Entra ID)
Summary AI-generated
Excel Power Query is updating authentication to align with modern standards; outdated Excel versions will lose Organizational Account connectivity after July 24, 2026.
Suggested actions AI-generated
- Update devices running Excel 2021 version 21.08 to build 16.0.14334.20754 or later by July 24, 2026
- Upgrade Excel versions older than 21.08 to a newer, supported version
Written by Azure OpenAI (gpt-4.1) from the text of the post below. It can be incomplete or wrong; the original post is authoritative.
Similar posts
Search for more like this- MC1293484 Excel Desktop update required to connect to Power Platform Analytical Dataflows
- MC1461158 Prepare for upcoming changes to the Excel Exchange connector
- MC1473149 Loading Power Query data to Python in Excel Web: Retirement
- MC1189663 (Updated) Retirement of external access token for actionable messages – moving to Microsoft Entra authentication
- MC1127222 (Updated) Please update Microsoft 365 Office apps to a version higher than 16.0.18827.20202
- MC1332814 OneDrive mobile apps will no longer support SharePoint Server on‑premises sign-ins
Original post from Microsoft
If your organization is running up-to-date versions of Excel, no action is required and you can disregard this message. Otherwise, please review the guidance and take appropriate action.
[What and Why:]
We are updating the authentication flow used by Excel Power Query when connecting to enterprise data sources using Organizational Accounts (Microsoft Entra ID). This change strengthens security and improves the reliability of connections to enterprise services. The update aligns Excel with modern authentication standards, helping organizations better protect access to enterprise data while providing a more consistent sign-in experience.
Newer versions of Excel, including Microsoft 365, already use this updated authentication mechanism and are not affected.
[Rollout Schedule:]
We recommend updating as soon as possible, and no later than July 24, 2026.
[Impact on Your Organization:]
Who is affected:
Excel users who connect to enterprise data sources through Power Query using Organizational Accounts (Microsoft Entra ID) and are running Excel 2021 version 21.08.
Affected Power Query connectors include, but are not limited to:
- Web
- Files (Excel, JSON, and others)
- SharePoint (Lists, Folders, Files)
- SQL Server
- SQL Analysis Services
- OData
- HDFS
- Exchange
- Lakehouse
- Warehouse
- Power BI
- Dataflows
- Dataverse
- SQL Database
- SQL Analytics
- Data Lake Gen 2
- Azure Data Explorer
- Azure Blob
- Azure Table
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle
- Dynamics 365
Platforms/Services:
- Excel (desktop)
- Power Query
- Microsoft Entra ID
What will happen:
- Users running unsupported or outdated Excel versions will lose the ability to authenticate using Organizational Accounts.
- Microsoft 365 and newer supported versions of Excel are not affected.
- Older, unsupported Office versions will no longer function for these authentication scenarios.
[Action Required / Recommendations:]
To avoid disruption:
- Update devices running Excel 2021 version 21.08 to build 16.0.14334.20754 or later by July 24, 2026.
- Devices running Excel versions older than 21.08 should be upgraded to a newer, supported version of Excel.
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
Additional details from Microsoft
- Summary
- Excel Power Query is updating its authentication flow for Organizational Accounts (Microsoft Entra ID) to enhance security and reliability. Users on Excel 2021 version 21.08 or older must update to build 16.0.14334.20754 or later by July 24, 2026, or upgrade to a newer version to avoid authentication loss. Microsoft 365 and newer Excel versions are unaffected.