How to download and install Power BI Desktop

Power BI Desktop is the major component of Power BI which is a free windows application for data modeling, visualization and report creation. It is widely used for data analysis and reporting that allows users to connect to various data sources, transform and model data. Power BI Desktop is suitable for creating interactive reports, and visualizing insights using dashboards.

Key Features of Power BI Desktop:

The important features of Power BI desktop are:

Data connectivity with multiple data sources like SQL Server, Excel, Azure, Snowflake, and web services.
Data transformation using Power Query for ETL operations. Data modeling by supporting relationships, calculated columns, and measures using DAX.
Interactive Visualizations offering charts, graphs, tables, maps, and custom visuals. DAX enables complex calculations and aggregations.
Report Publishing to Power BI Service for collaboration. AI Capabilities by supporting AI-driven insights with Q&A, Key Influencers, and Decomposition Tree.
Integration to works with Excel, Azure, Power Automate, and Power Apps.

Installing and Setting Up Power BI Desktop

1. Download and install Power BI Desktop

Go to the official download page: Power BI Desktop Download
Click “Download” to get the installer or download from the Microsoft Store for automatic updates.
To install, double-click on the .exe file to run it or click “Install” on the Microsoft Store page.

2. Launch and initial setup

To perform the launching process, open Power BI Desktop and Sign In with your Microsoft account. Configure settings and enable preview features using the following:

Go to File > Options and settings > Options to customize settings.
Navigate to Preview Features to enable upcoming or experimental features.

3. Connect to Data Sources

Click “Home” > “Get Data” and select your desired data source. Import your data and start building visualizations.

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How to download and install Power BI Desktop