Could not find connection 'cbaaf7feb51741fca497ac3d7566c5fb' for API 'shared_sql'.

[Wosscr]

Hey guys, 

I'm having a problem with my PowerApp, the app is somehow retaining a SQL Connection that is no longer used and that I removed from the data sources. When I try to share the app with the users they get a message saying "This app needs access to this connection", the same thing happen when I try to export the app (trying to solve the error before), but then I get the "Could not find connection 'cbaaf7feb51741fca497ac3d7566c5fb' for API 'shared_sql'." message.

When looking in my SQL Connections, I can see that there is that one that I removed already from the PowerApp saying that it is still being used by the app.

When I am on edit mode in the app, and I look at the Data Sources (View -> Data Sources), it is not there. 

Any idea about how to solve this?

[Django]

So... why is this one solved while there is no solution?

Working with multiple environments:

I managed to get the permission request go away by re-adding the connection, removing the connection, saving as a new PowerAppConnectorFree, exporting PowerAppConnectorFree, importing PowerAppConnectorFree to update already existing PowerApp --> no more permission popup request in already existing PowerApp in this environment.

However the already existing PowerApp is part of a Solution so when exporting Solution after all the above with this now correctly functioning existing PowerApp and importing the overall Solution in a brand new environment --> the permission popup request is back again 🤯

[Andre_Martins]

Hello everyone,

Same problem here...any new solution? I have so many connections that I can't even find witch one is causing the problem.

What is the difference between "exporting" and "saving as" a file ".msapp" in your computer and then uploading it?

Thank you.

[lklk]

i got exact same problem cant export it.My project is very big 😥

[darrenmuscat]

Am witnessing the same problem 😞

I am sure it is a bug in PowerApps/Automate connections.

MY PowerApp shows several Flow connections. I have removed all references from the Data Tab as shown.
Have spent hours trying to figure out the problem.

[Hapa1]

I was running into the same error saying that power automate "Could not find connection" for a SQL server connector I was no longer using in my project. However, I was able to successfully export the project after the following steps:

1. Identify the connector(s) causing the error/no longer in use

2. Edit the flow and add any action step that uses the connector throwing the error

3. Delete the action step

4. Export the flow

[Darrvey]

I had the same issue 

I had two SQL connections in the app, both pointing to the same place and I wanted to tidy this up.

I aligned all the tables with the one connection and then deleted the other in the Power Apps Connections.

This then meant I had the disabled allow connection box appear each time. I had major sweats as I was in the final stages before a go live, and this was not something restoring from back up would resolve.

After doing everything else in the thread I found I also had a couple of Automate flows and a OneDrive connection.

I though that theses were unconnected to the sql connection but turns out I was wrong as when I had deleted the flows and the need for a one drive - the app was now free of the unrequired SQL connection too. There must have been something requiring the other SQL connection in the flows - not actively but maybe historically. Once the flows were disconnected from the app the app didnt have a reliance on the missing SQL connection

[DavidCollins]

I battled with this for several hours and I think I have a solid solution that people can use now. The problem is as someone said, there's something cached away that's still referencing the connection. I tried removing all screens, created one blank screen and removed all properties from App and the problem STILL existed, proving that it's something stored somewhere strange.

Here are my steps to resolve (I had to do the second more complex fix):

1. Try to export to the app, this should give you the error:

Could not find connection 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' for API 'shared_sql'.

Keep this ID, you make need it later

There are two solutions:

1. Remove all SQL connections from the app

2. Remove all SQL flows from the app

3. Save and publish

4. Try the export again, if it works great

5. Edit the app and add the correct connections and flows back in again

If this does not work (which is the odd thing, it’s because the app is holding onto the old connection references which is should not)

1. Remove all SQL connections from the app
2. Remove all SQL flows from the app
3. Save and publish
4. Saveas, and save to local disk
5. Rename the .msapp file to .zip
6. Open all of the files and search for the ID in the error message
7. If you find it, remove that section and save the files
8. If you don’t find it (which you probably wont), don’t do anything
9. Rename the file back to .msapp
10. Go into Power Apps online
11. Create any blank app
12. Under File, choose Open
13. Choose Browse, choose your .msapp file
14. Save it in the cloud with a different name from your problem app
15. Export it from Power Apps, this time it should work proving that it no longer has the bad reference in it
16. Import it, choosing to do an update on your problem app (this step assumes you want to keep the URL for your app the same as users may have bookmarked it)
17. Test that it worked by doing an export of the problem app, it should now work
18. Edit the app and add the correct SQL connections and flows back in

[maxxblue]

Hi everyone,

I have struggled with the same Problem:
A deleted connection to a SQL Server which prohibited Users from allowing other Connections in an App

To solve the Problem, I followed the following instruction from user  

(Copied from his Solution)

I want to explain some things I found out along the way a little bit more (marked in green).

1. Try to export to the app, this should give you the error:

Could not find connection 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' for API 'shared_sql'.

Keep this ID, you make need it later

1. Remove all SQL connections from the app - I did not remove any more connections
   
   
2. Remove all SQL flows from the app - I did not remove any flows from my app
   
   
3. Save and publish
   
   
4. Save as, and save to local disk
   
   
5. Rename the .msapp file to .zip
   
   
6. Open all the files and search for the ID in the error message - In my case this was the Properties.json file
   
   
7. If you find it, remove that section and save the files - Use a JSON Beautifier to clean things up. Your Problem should be in the "LocalConnectionReferences" line. In this line are your Data sources. There are embraced in this schema:"  {\"id\":\.......\"connectionRef\":   ". In between ID and connectionRef are multiple values. Delete the whole block (including {\"id\":\.......\"connectionRef\": ) in which your ErrorID can be found.
   
   
   
   
8. If you don’t find it (which you probably wont), don’t do anything - Try it again, just add an empty text field somewhere in your app and start from step 3.
   
   
9. Rename the file back to .msapp
   
   
10. Go into Power Apps online
11. Create any blank app
12. Under File, choose Open
13. Choose Browse, choose your .msapp file
14. Save it in the cloud with a different name from your problem app
15. Export it from Power Apps, this time it should work, proving that it no longer has the bad reference in it
16. Import it, choosing to do an update on your problem app (this step assumes you want to keep the URL for your app the same, as users may have bookmarked it)
17. Test that it worked by doing an export of the problem app, it should now work
18. Edit the app and add the correct SQL connections and flows back in

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This is how it worked for me, I hope someone finds this further info helpful!