Hi Rick,

Power Query is available in all versions of Excel with an Office 365 licence. The only limitation you will notice with the Home version is you don't have some of the more advanced connectors, but you can certainly get data from Excel files, CSV/Text files, Web and much more.

If you purchased the standalone version of Excel 2016 for your laptop you may have an old version of Power Query. You should be able to update Excel and get the latest version of Power Query.

Either way, under the 'Get Data' drop down you should see a load of options before the 'Launch Power Query Editor'. In lesson 1.03 I provide screenshots of the different menus so you can map what you see to the version in the video.

Let me know if you're still having trouble.

Mynda

Mynda,

Thanks for the response.   I would like to be able to follow the videos with the same layouts that you are teaching.  You mention a couple options.  One is to update Excel and get the latest version of Power Query.  Can you tell me how to update?  When I click on "about excel" inside of the software, it states "Excel 2016 MSO (16.0.10325.20082) 32-Bit"  I cannot see how to update.   Maybe one complication is that I also have Office 365 and that in fact does show an option to update, but when I click, it tells me I have the latest version.

Hi Rick,

Office 365 automatically updates, although there are different 'channels' that update at different paces. For the most part what you see in the videos should be the same as what you see in your version of Excel.

Can you give me an example of where they are different...please tell me what video number and send me a screenshot of what you see. There might be the odd video that shows an older version of the menu.

Thanks,

Mynda

Mynda,

In video 1.03 you show Excel 2016 with the Get and Transform menus significantly different than my Excel 2016.  As an example when you click on "New Query" (BTW, I do not have an option to click on "New Query"), you get a sub menu that shows; Data Catalog Search, My data Catalog Queries, Data Source Settings & Query Options.   When I click on "Get Data" a similar set of options appear, but show: Launch Power Query Editor, Data Source Settings & Query Options.

Also at 1:10 in the same video you show a "Power Query" tab in excel.  When I open the sample file pq_1.03, no matter what I attempt to do, I cannot get a tab for Power Query.  If I click on Query & Connections in my excel, I can get the pane to show on the right side of the screen, but cannot see a tab called Power Query.  Note, I have attempted to go into File - Options - Add Ins, but do not get an option to add in Power Query (to attempt to get the same tab as you).

I also have significantly different menus when I edit the pane mentioned above.  I have added a word doc where I pasted some screenshots for you to see the above.

Although I have been using Excel for many years, I signed up for the PQ course as I am now retired (consulting) and can definitely use it capabilities as I consult for a couple different companies and analyze data.  I just want to make sure I can follow along with your course with the same software (maybe its just me, but I'm surprised others have not brought these differences up before).

Thx,

Rick

Mynda,

I've attempted to follow the video for 2.02 to see if I can follow your instructions.  The first thing I notice is I do not have the Power Query tab, but I do have a "Get Data" tab.  So I click on Get Data > From File > From Workbook, I navigate to pq_2.02 and select it to import. Although the Navigator window pops up as a separate window (yours opens in a pane on the right side), at 1:02 in the video you hover over "Sheet1" and get a preview.  When I hover, I do not get a preview, however, if I click the data does show and I can click on Edit as you do.  

You then show how to select the proper header row in the home tab.  Excel in my case already selects the proper header and I never even see the row that shows "Column1, Column2" etc.

My month column is already data type "Date" & my sales column is already "Decimal Number" - I do not need to change them as you did.

When I close & load, I get the same results as you do.  I know the above is subtle and not a big deal, but what it appears is that combined with my reply above (with screenshots) and this video, I have a different updated Excel 2016 software package then you are using in your videos.  Did you make the PQ course in 2015 & there is a significantly new Excel 2016 now being used?

Rick 

Mynda,

Another difference in pq_2.03 in "Close and Load" - I've attached a screenshot of what my Close and Load looks like versus what yours looks like in the video.

Mynda,

I hope you don't see me as being anal, but I thought the more examples I showed you, the better.

Rick

Hi,

I am not sure if this blog post will give you any extra info, but perhaps. Seems to me that there are different functionality of PQ depending of Excel version.

https://www.myonlinetraininghub.com/power-query-version-compatibility-and-installation

Br,
Anders

As I continue to watch videos, it appears to me that Session 3 shows the same tabs as I see in Excel 2016.  Perhaps Session 1 & 2 need to be updated with the latest version of Excel 2016?

Hi Rick,

Thanks for taking the time to document the examples where there are differences. First let me explain what we're dealing with in regard to Microsoft's development process and versioning of Excel.

There are at least 3 different versions of Power Query, but in reality there are many, many more than that. Users on Excel 2010 and 2013 will have one version, and possibly more depending on when they last updated it if ever. Excel 2016 perpetual license users will have another version, again possibly more depending on when they last updated it. Excel Office 365 users will have another, again possibly more depending on which update channel they're on.

On top of this, if you have a large monitor then the icons have more space to spread out, but if you have a small monitor then the icons get collapsed down into sub menus.

It's not as simple as updating the videos for the latest version when there are millions of users on many versions. And I can't efficiently and economically provide videos for every permutation of Power Query out there. Not to mention it's a moving target that gets updated every month.

I do update the videos where there are significant changes in the way Power Query works, but for menu rearrangement and slight behavioral changes it's more practical to provide notes below the videos, or screenshots as I've done. And for small changes that I think are self explanatory I might not say anything.

As someone who is looking to provide Power Query in a consulting capacity you are going to be faced with many different versions of Power Query out in the wild. This is why I say it's essential to understand the purpose of the task, so you can solve it in whichever version of Power Query your user has.

I hope that helps you understand the nuances we're dealing with in a constantly evolving software model. Gone are the days of ship it and it stays the same for at least 3 years. Becoming comfortable with small differences from one version to another is just something we have to get used to in this day and age of continuous software updates.

I am here to provide support. If you get stuck, can't find a button or figure something out, then please reach out to me, so I can help you.

Mynda

Mynda,

Thanks for the detailed response.  I understand the difficulties you are describing.  Just trying to figure out how to get Power Query in Excel was an exercise in futility (I had Office 365 & I searched & searched on how to get PQ, until I finally just purchased Excel 2016 - getting it loaded and then understanding if I had PQ or not was another exercise due to the different types of ribbons etc).

Anyway, thanks for the response.

Rick

Hi Rick,

Thanks for your understanding.

For others reading this thread, please note: all versions of Excel from 2010 onward have Power Query, including Office 365. The same can't be said for Power Pivot though.

Mynda