title: Link to pivot table from another excel file
body: <p>Banging my head against the wall on this one and every option I try has a problem with what i am trying to achieve. </p>
  
  <p>So I have a pivot table in excel that is connected to a database. What I want to be able to do is have a link in another excel sheet to that pivot table, so that it picks up any changes to it in terms of data. The reason I am doing this is because I am putting the excel file up on sharepoint, but if a user downloads it, it retains the connection to the SQL Database, and because they are not authenticated, it doesn't refresh. I need them to be able to do this because it will allow them to customise their pivot table as needed, and it will retain that when they next open it. But the original pivot table, connected to the datasource, won't be affected. </p>
  
  <p>I have tried:</p>
  
  <p><strong>Copying Pivot Table</strong>: I have copied the pivot table and pasted it in a new excel file, and this retains the connection to the SQL Database so doesn't work. </p>
  
  <p><strong>Moving Worksheet</strong>: I have tried moving the whole worksheet to a new excel file and this does again retains the link to the SQL Database. </p>
  
  <p><strong>Creating connection to excel file:</strong> This connected to the excel file, but the pivot table is lost and it simply shows the data in standard excel format. </p>
  
  <p><strong>Slicers:</strong> I have looked at slicers but this won't work either, because it means if he makes a change it is reflected in the original pivot table. </p>
  
  <p><strong>Sharepoint:</strong> I have looked at excel services on sharepoint. Although I can get him to view the data on the online excel, again, if he downloads it it loses the connection. </p>
  
  <p>I guess I could change the authentication settings on SQLServer so that rather than using windows authentication I create a password and then that password is retained as I copy the file. Because this would only allow access to the view in the SQL Database this would prevent any detrimental activity. However, what I would really like to do is just give a copy of the excel file that connects to the original pivot table (so that when this updates this data is reflected in the copy on refresh), but any changes in the copy (i.e. formatting etc) only affect the copy. </p>
  
  <p>If anyone knows how to do this I would be most appreciative of your help. </p>