Duplicated tables, cant make changes to original, reference error

i duplicated some tables and also created merge from 2 other tables... I did these steps to move certain values and place them in their own tables, but once I have the tables like I need them, I would like to remove the "helper tables", it seems I cant cause the new tables, merges are 'referencing' those original tables...

I thought i could 'duplicate' a table and they would stand on their own, it seems that not the case... anyway to work around the referencing back to originals? I thought that is what the "reference" option was there for..

hope i made sens

When you duplicated the table, how did you do it? Did you duplicate the query? I would just use basic copy and paste for this.

within PQ editor, in the queries pane, i right clicked the query (table) and selected 'duplicate', created a merged table, if i try to delete the duplicate it cant "cant delete query, query 'xxx' referencing this query" even if i try and change a column name it ruins the merged table.... i thought i could avoid this referencing... is there a better way? thanks

Difficult to say with any certainty without seeing the file - I'm not entirely clear how you've set it up. Please attach the file here.

thanks Ali, so you are saying this is not normal behavior? that you can duplicate a table and it should not reference the original table (meaning you can continue to edit the original table without causing errors to duplicated table) ?

No, what I am saying, I am afraid, is that I can't quite work out what you have done based on your description, which is why I would like to see the workbook.

If you could attach the workbook, I'll take a look.

i am trying to find the original workbook pbix file but cant, i am trying to replicate the error but i am now able to duplicate queries in PB editor, make changes to both tables, delete the original one, etc

problem solved. maybe my PQ editor heard i was talking to you and straighten up (or maybe i click reference) probably the latter. thanks again

A .pbix file is for Power BI, not Power Query, so I would not have been able to help, anyway.