Microsoft warns that transitioning Excel workbooks to new Exchange connectors might not be smooth sailing
- ID
- 17742
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 25 Aug 2026, 11:53 PM
- Fetched
- 26 Aug 2026, 1:53 AM
- Provider
- The Register
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://www.theregister.com/software/2026/08/25/microsoft-warns-that-transitioning-excel-workbooks-to-new-exchange-connectors-might-not-be-smooth-sailing/5292316
- Source URL
- https://www.theregister.com/headlines.atom
Summary
- Score
- 3.5
- Created
- 26 Aug 2026, 1:56 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developersdatabase_learners
What happened
Microsoft is retiring the current Exchange connector in Excel Power Query, with EWS retirement enforcement starting October 2026 and the connector itself slated for retirement in April 2027. Existing workbooks won't automatically migrate to the new connectors—users must manually reconnect them and will need Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 to use the replacements. Microsoft has not yet provided a rollout timeline for the new connectors or guidance for Contacts and Tasks scenarios.
Why it matters
If your team or customers have Excel workbooks pulling Exchange Mail or Calendar data via Power Query, you need to inventory those workbooks now and plan manual reconnection before April 2027—non-migrated workbooks will break. Also confirm you're on Microsoft 365 or Office 2024, since older Office versions won't support the new connectors at all.
Discussion angle
How to audit which workbooks in your org silently depend on the retiring Exchange connector before they break—Microsoft hasn't given a rollout date for the replacement yet.