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Critical severityconnection

Power BI Refresh Error:
10061

What does this error mean?

The TCP connection was actively refused — SQL Server is not running on the target host and port.

Common causes

  • 1SQL Server service is stopped
  • 2SQL Server is listening on a different port than the connection string specifies
  • 3The correct instance name is not specified and the wrong instance answers

How to fix it

  1. 1Step 1: Check if SQL Server is running on the target machine: services.msc → SQL Server (<instance>) → Status. Or remotely: Get-Service -ComputerName <server> -Name 'MSSQLSERVER'.
  2. 2Step 2: Verify the port SQL Server is listening on: SQL Server Configuration Manager → TCP/IP Properties → IP Addresses tab → IPAll → TCP Port.
  3. 3Step 3: If using a named instance, ensure SQL Server Browser is running so the instance name resolves to the correct port.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start SQL Server when services.msc is not accessible?

From command line (as admin): net start MSSQLSERVER (default instance) or net start MSSQL$INSTANCENAME (named instance).

Why would SQL Server stop on its own?

Common causes: Windows Update requiring a restart, disk full causing SQL Server to halt, memory pressure causing the service to crash, or a service account password change causing the service to fail on next restart.

Can error 10061 appear with Azure SQL Database?

Yes — if the Azure SQL server is paused (serverless tier) or if the connection string points to a wrong server name. Azure SQL actively refuses rather than times out in these cases.

Official documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/errors-events/database-engine-events-and-errors

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