Power BI Desktop: what it is and how to use it well
Power BI Desktop is a free Windows application for connecting to data, shaping it and building interactive reports. It is where most authors do their work, while the online service is where people share and read the results. So the two fit together as author tool and publishing platform. Below is a plain tour of what the app does and how a new team should begin.
- Free Windows app
- Model, shape, visualize
- Publish to the service
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What is Power BI Desktop used for?
Authors use it for three jobs. First, they connect to sources such as Excel files, databases and cloud services. Then they clean and reshape that data in the Power Query Editor. Finally, they model it and place visuals on report pages.
All of that work saves into one file with the .pbix extension. The file holds the queries, the model and the report. With an import model it also holds a copy of the data, so files can grow large.
When the report is ready, the Publish button on the Home ribbon sends it to a workspace in the service. From there, colleagues open it in a browser or on a phone.
The main work areas inside the Desktop app
The icons on the left edge switch between views, and each view has one purpose.
Report view
Here you drag fields onto the canvas and format visuals. It is the view most people picture, because it shows the finished pages.
Table view
This view shows the loaded rows of each table. It helps when you check a calculated column or want to see what a query returned.
Model view
Tables appear as boxes with lines for relationships. So this is where you confirm that the star schema looks the way you planned.
Power Query Editor
It opens in its own window and records each cleaning step. As a result, the same steps run again at every refresh.
DAX query view
Authors write and run DAX queries here to test measures. It is useful when a number looks wrong and you need to see the detail.
Formatting and data panes
The panes on the right list fields, visual types and format options. You can collapse them to give the canvas more room.
How does the Desktop app differ from the Power BI service?
The app runs on your computer, while the service runs in the browser. Desktop is strongest at modeling and data shaping. The service is strongest at sharing, scheduled refresh, apps and access control.
There is overlap, and it grows. For example, authors can now edit reports and even models in the browser. Still, most serious modeling happens in the app, because its tools are more complete.
Licensing differs as well. The app costs nothing to download. However, sharing content with other people in the service needs suitable licenses or capacity. Those terms change, so check Microsoft's licensing pages for the current rules.
How to get started with Power BI Desktop
A careful first week saves a team from habits that are hard to undo later.
Install from the Store
First, install the app from the Microsoft Store where you can. Microsoft recommends that route because updates then arrive automatically.
Connect to one source
Then load a small, familiar table. Starting with data you know well makes it easy to spot a wrong total.
Shape before you model
After that, fix types, names and blank rows in the Power Query Editor. Clean columns make every later measure simpler.
Publish and test
Finally, publish to a test workspace and open the report in a browser. Check the refresh settings there before you invite any readers.
Habits that keep Power BI Desktop files healthy
Update often. Microsoft ships new versions on a frequent schedule, and a file saved in a newer version may not open in an older one. So keep the whole team on the same release channel.
Keep files lean as well. Remove columns nobody uses, since each one adds to file size and refresh time. Also prefer measures to calculated columns where you can, because measures take no storage.
Finally, treat the file as source code. Store it where versions are kept, and avoid passing copies by email. The project file format goes further and saves the content as text, which suits source control.
Power BI Desktop questions from new users
Is Power BI Desktop really free?
Yes, Microsoft describes it as a free application, and you can build reports on your own machine at no charge. The cost appears when you share. Publishing to shared workspaces and giving colleagues access needs licenses or capacity in the service. Because those terms change, read Microsoft's current licensing page before you plan a rollout.
Does Power BI Desktop run on a Mac?
No. It is a Windows application, so it does not install on macOS. Mac users usually run Windows in a virtual machine or a cloud PC, or they work in the browser. While the service lets people read and edit reports on any system, the full modeling tools remain in the Windows app.
Which install method is better, the Store or the download?
Microsoft recommends the Microsoft Store version because it updates by itself. The direct download suits companies that control software releases centrally. In that case, IT decides when each version goes out. Either way, keep every author on the same version. Otherwise one person may save a file that a colleague cannot open.
Can two people edit the same report file at once?
Not in the classic file format, since a .pbix is a single binary file. One person's save replaces the other's. Teams work around this with a shared semantic model and separate report files. Also, the project format stores content as text files, so source control can merge changes from several authors.
Can our team get help learning the Desktop app?
Yes. Power BI Agency coaches authors while building real reports with them, so the learning sticks. We are a small team, a division of Sataware Technologies, and independent of Microsoft. Sessions run online, inside your own tenant. A free 30-minute assessment comes first, and we reply to requests within 2 hours.
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