Installing Power BI Desktop
Arjun's new work laptop has arrived, and nothing can be built until Power BI Desktop is on it. The install takes a few minutes, but one choice made during it decides whether the program keeps itself up to date — and a team on mismatched versions soon finds that files saved by the newest copy will not open in an older one.
The rule
Desktop is free and Windows-only; install it from the Store so it updates itself.
Free. Installing and building in Desktop costs nothing. Licences only matter when you share work in the Service, which is the next lesson.
Windows-only. Desktop runs on 64-bit Windows 10 or 11. There is no macOS version. Mac users either run Windows in a virtual machine and install Desktop inside it, or do lighter work in the Service through a browser.
Two ways to install:
| Route | Updates | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store | Automatic, as new versions come out | The default for almost everyone |
| Installer from the Microsoft Download Center | Manual: you download each new version yourself | IT blocks the Store or needs to control the exact version |
Microsoft ships a new version of Desktop roughly every month, so the automatic route saves a lot of chasing. Pick one route and stay with it.
A special edition. If your company publishes to Power BI Report Server rather than the cloud, install Power BI Desktop for Report Server instead. Its version is matched to the server, and reports meant for Report Server should be built with it.
Signing in. Desktop works without signing in. You sign in when you want to publish, and that needs a work or school account; personal addresses such as Gmail or Outlook.com cannot sign up for the Service.
Desktop saves your work in three formats:
.pbix— the report, the model and any imported data, in one file..pbit— a template: the report and model without the data. Opening it loads fresh data..pbip— a Power BI project: the same work saved as a folder of text files, which suits version control.
The shortcut
Before clicking install, answer three questions: Which operating system? Who controls updates? Where will reports be published?
Which operating system?
Windows 11, 64-bit. No virtual machine is needed.
The trap is a team where one person installed from the Download Center and never updated. When a teammate on the latest version saves a file, the old copy may refuse to open it. Keep everyone on the Store version, or agree on when to update together.
Drills
Answer fast — trust the rule.
Arjun's teammate has a MacBook running only macOS. How can she build reports in Desktop?
Which install route keeps Desktop up to date automatically?
A company hosts its reports on Power BI Report Server. Which Desktop should its analysts install?
What does a .pbit file contain?
Do you need a paid licence to install Desktop and build a report on your own machine?
Remember
- Desktop is free and Windows-only; install it from the Store so it updates itself.
- Ask three questions: which operating system, who controls updates, where reports will be published.
- Traps: team members on mismatched versions, and forgetting the Report Server edition.