Pivot table functionality lost after removing data connection

I have set up several workbooks with pivot tables for users of varying talent to get fresh data each week from an external data source (Access queries). They simply refresh the pviot table weekly and review it. On occasion they will want save the data 'as is' and the easiest way to do this is to just do a 'save as' to a different/unique file name. After this, I want them to remove the data connection so they won't accidently refresh it. Never mind that they get a refresh warning and a data connection logon prompt; some will still do it. Now, when the data connnection is removed, all pivot table functionality is lost and whatever was displayed in the pivot table when the connection was removed is all you have and you can't change it. I'm pretty certain that the data behind the pivot table (the pivot cache) is still there because the file size is the same as it was before removing the connection. The pivot table was originally set up with the option to 'save source data with file'. Logically, one wouldn't think that simply removing the data connection would affect the data that has already been saved in workbook. Am I missing something here (a general excel setting, a workbook setting, a pivot table setting, etc.)? Is there a way to remove a pivot table data connection but still be able to manipulate the data?

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