What is Power BI Desktop? It's Working Discussed

Power BI Desktop is a robust business intelligence and data visualisation tool developed by Microsoft. This tool was designed as a Windows application; it empowers users to create interactive reports, dashboards, and visually appealing data representations from various sources.     

According to Statista, the Revenue in the Business Intelligence Software market is projected to reach £20.51bn in 2023. If you wish to learn further about this Microsoft Power BI tool, this blog may help you greatly. Power BI Desktop is a robust tool that allows for thorough analysis and visualisation of data. Discover how to utilise it for producing interactive reports and dashboards. 

Table of Contents 

1) Overview of Power BI Desktop 

2) Requirements for Power BI Desktop 

3) How to Install Power BI Desktop?   

4) How to use Power BI Desktop? 

5) Conclusion 

Overview of Power BI Desktop 

BI Desktop’s significant strength lies in its extensive data connectivity options. It supports many connectors, allowing you to import data from diverse sources like databases, Microsoft Excel files, Microsoft SharePoint, online services (such as Salesforce and Google Analytics), and more. This Power BI tool offers flexible connectivity solutions, whether your data resides in the cloud or on-premises. 

Data modeling in Power BI 

Microsoft Power BI excels in Data transformation and modelling, which are vital components of any data analysis process. This tool provides a user-friendly interface, Power Query Editor, enabling users to easily clean, transform, and shape their data. You can perform tasks like filtering, sorting, merging, splitting, pivoting, and appending data using a visual interface or writing custom queries using Power Query M language.    

BI Desktop allows you to establish relationships between tables, define calculated columns and measures using the powerful DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) language, and conduct advanced data modelling tasks. Visualisations are a core aspect of data storytelling, and This Power BI tool offers you a comprehensive collection of interactive and customisable visualisations.  

You can choose from an extensive library of charts (such as bar, column, line, and pie charts), tables, matrices, maps, gauges, cards, and more. The tool lets you personalise visualisations’ appearance, formatting, and interactivity, ensuring that your reports effectively convey insights and engage your audience.  

Microsoft Power BI Desktop goes beyond basic reporting capabilities by offering advanced analytics features. Users can create measures to calculate aggregations, implement complex business logic, and perform time intelligence calculations using DAX formulas. The tool also supports integration with popular programming languages like R and Python, allowing for advanced statistical analysis, data mining, and machine learning tasks.   

BI Desktop provides a flexible canvas for report authoring, where users can combine data visualisations, text boxes, images, and other elements to create compelling reports. The drag-and-drop functionality simplifies the process of arranging and customising visualisations. Additionally, you can add interactivity to reports by creating filters, slicers, drill-through actions, and bookmarks, enhancing the user experience.   

BI Desktop’s key capabilities include collaboration and sharing. Once you create reports, you can publish them to the Power BI service to be shared with colleagues and stakeholders. This service allows for creating and managing workspaces, access control and permissions, scheduled data refreshes, and collaboration with team members. 

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Requirements for Power BI Desktop 

There are certain requirements to run the Power BI Desktop tool within your system; some of these requirements are as follows: 

Operating System: Ideally, you should have Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 or later versions  

Framework: .NET 4.6.2 or later versions 

Web Browser: Microsoft Edge browser (Internet Explorer is no longer supported)  

Memory (RAM): A minimum of 2 GB, but 4 GB or more is recommended.  

Display: At least “1440x900” or “1600x900” (16:9) is required. Lower resolution displays such as “1024x768” or “1280x800” aren’t supported because some controls, such as closing the startup screens, are displayed beyond those resolutions.  

CPU: 1 gigahertz (GHz) 64-bit (x64) processor or better recommended.  

WebView2: If WebView2 wasn’t automatically installed with the BI Desktop tool or if it was uninstalled, download and run the installer for WebView2. 

Lastly, try to keep your display settings at 100% to efficiently use Power BI Desktop. If you change the size of apps, texts or other items to more than 100%, you won’t see any dialogues you must interact with to continue using BI Desktop. To address the issue, please navigate to the Display section in the Windows Settings by clicking on Settings, then System, and finally Display. Adjust the slider until the display settings are back to 100%. 

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How to Install Power BI Desktop? 

You should ensure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements specified by Microsoft. Once your system meets the requirements, you can proceed with the installation process. Your first option is to head to Microsoft Store and simply choose “Get”, which will automatically install it for you. Alternatively, you can manually download it using the following steps.

1) Download the Installer: Visit the official Microsoft Power BI website by clicking at this link and click on the "Downloads" section after selecting preferred language. Click next to proceed with the download.


2) Run the Installer: Once the BI Desktop download is complete, locate the installer file you downloaded and double-click on it to run the installation wizard. This will launch the BI Desktop installation process. 

3) Choose Installation Options: The installation wizard will guide you through various options. You can choose the installation location on your computer where BI Desktop will be installed. You may also have the option to create shortcuts on the desktop or the Start menu for easy access to the application. Review these options and make the selections that suit your preferences. 

4) Accept License Agreement: During installation, you will be presented with the Microsoft Power BI Desktop license agreement. Take the time to read through the agreement and click on the checkbox indicating your acceptance of the terms. You cannot proceed with the installation unless you accept the license agreement. 

5) Begin Installation: After accepting the license agreement, click the “Install” or “Next” button to initiate the installation process. The installer will start copying the necessary files to your computer. 

6) Wait for Installation: Depending on the size of the installation files and the speed of your computer, the installation process may take a few minutes to finish. A progress bar or indicator will show you the installation status, allowing you to track the progress.  

7) Launch Power BI Desktop: Once the installation is finished, you will have the option to launch BI Desktop immediately. If you wish to launch it right away, make sure the corresponding checkbox is selected. Alternatively, you can choose to launch BI Desktop manually later by accessing it through the Start menu or using the desktop shortcut created during the installation. 

8) Sign In or Skip Sign-In: When you start BI Desktop, you might need to log in using your Microsoft account. To sign in, please enter your login details if you have already created a Microsoft account. However, if you don’t have an account or prefer to skip the sign-in process for now, you can choose the “Skip” or “Not now” option.

9) Start Using Power BI Desktop: After signing in or skipping the sign-in process, the Microsoft BI Desktop application will open, presenting you with its user interface. You can now start exploring this tool’s various features and functionalities to create reports, dashboards, and visualisations. Familiarise yourself with the interface and begin leveraging the power of Power BI to analyse and visualise your data. 

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How to use Power BI Desktop? (400) 

Microsoft BI Desktop is a powerful business intelligence tool that allows you to create interactive reports, dashboards, and visualisations from various data sources. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use Power BI: 

a) Connect to Data Sources: Launch Power BI Desktop and click the “Get Data” button in the home tab. Select the necessary data source from the available options, such as Excel, SQL Server, SharePoint, or online services like Salesforce or Google Analytics. Follow the prompts to establish a connection and import data into BI Desktop. 

b) Data Transformation and Modelling: Once the data is imported, you can perform data transformation and modelling operations to shape and prepare the data for analysis. Power BI Desktop provides a wide range of tools for data cleaning, filtering, merging, and creating relationships between tables. Utilise the Query Editor to refine and transform your data as needed. 

c) Create Visualisations: In the Report view, you can build visualisations to represent your data. To create charts, tables, maps, or other visual elements, simply drag and drop fields from the Fields pane onto the canvas. Choose from various visualisation types available in the Visualisations pane to display data most meaningfully. Customise the appearance and formatting of visualisations using the formatting options. 

d) Add Interactivity: Enhance your report’s interactivity by creating visual interactions. Use the “Edit Interactions” option in the Format pane to specify how different visualisations interact. For example, you can set up a slicer to filter multiple visualisations simultaneously. 

e) Apply Filters and Slicers: Use filters and slicers to allow users to interactively explore and analyse data. Add slicers to the canvas and connect them to specific visualisations or the entire report. Users can then use the slicers to filter data and focus on specific aspects of the analysis. 

f) Create Calculated Columns and Measures: Power BI Desktop allows you to create calculated columns and measures using DAX (Data Analysis Expressions). These calculations provide additional insights and perform complex calculations based on your data. Use the Modelling tab and the formula bar to write DAX expressions. 

g) Create and Format Reports: Power BI Desktop enables you to create multiple report pages to organise your visualisations. Use the Pages pane to manage report pages and switch between them. Customise the layout, size, and arrangement of visuals on each page to create visually appealing and informative reports. 

h) Publish and Share: Once satisfied with your report, save it in Microsoft Power BI Desktop format (.pbix) on your computer. You can then publish the report to the Power BI service (cloud-based) or share it as a file with others. Publishing to the Power BI service allows for collaborative sharing, data refreshing, and access from multiple devices. 

i) Refresh Data: If your data source is subject to changes, you can set up data refresh options in the Power BI service. This ensures that your report stays up to date with the latest data. Configure scheduled refreshes or connect to real-time data sources, depending on your requirements. 

j) Explore Advanced Features: Power BI Desktop offers many advanced features, such as creating calculated tables, implementing row-level security, integrating custom visuals, or using advanced analytics tools like R or Python. Explore the various options and features to leverage the full potential of BI Desktop.


 

Conclusion 

Microsoft Power BI Desktop is a comprehensive and powerful tool for data analysis, reporting, and visualisation. This blog covers its rich set of features, users can transform raw data into meaningful insights, enabling organisations to make data-driven decisions and drive business growth. Thank you for reading.