Setup Project 3

Power BI Desktop Setup

Install Microsoft Power BI Desktop on the local Windows Host system, configure connections to a sample business CSV dataset, design a placeholder visual, and save a verification report file.

Environment
Windows Host System (Local)
Difficulty
Beginner (1/5)
Course Module
BI with Power BI
Deliverables
Sample Visual & Saved .pbix File
OS compatibility notice: Power BI Desktop is a Windows-only application. Since you are running Ubuntu Linux inside VirtualBox, you must perform this setup directly on your local Windows Host system. Alternatively, you can use the web-based Power BI Service inside the VM's browser, but local Windows installation is the recommended approach for this course.
1. System Architecture & Process Workflow

The diagram below traces the Power BI data lifecycle. Data is loaded from a local flat file, processed through the Power Query M-Engine, modeled in memory, and rendered on the Report Canvas interface using visual graphics.

LOCAL WINDOWS HOST OPERATING SYSTEM Flat File sales_data.csv Rows: Sales transactions Ingest Microsoft Power BI Desktop Power Query M Engine Schema Mapping Data Model Tabular Model In-Memory Cache Report Canvas Clustered Column visuals rendering
2. Part 1: Step-by-Step Action Items & Key Execution Steps
STEP 1

Download Power BI Desktop Installer

Navigate to the download portal on your local Windows Host system and acquire the installation binary sheet.

Open Web Browser -> Go to https://powerbi.microsoft.com/desktop/ -> Click "Advanced download options" -> Select Language: English -> Click Download -> Choose "PBIDesktopSetup_x64.msi" -> Click Next
This action retrieves the standalone 64-bit Microsoft Installer (.msi) package file to your Windows downloads directory.
STEP 2

Execute the Power BI Installation Wizard

Launch the downloaded MSI installer and configure directories to install the software suite on Windows.

Double-click "PBIDesktopSetup_x64.msi" -> Click Next -> Accept License Terms Checkbox -> Click Next -> Choose Location Folder -> Click Install -> Click Yes on User Account Control -> Click Finish
This installer unpacks and registers the Power BI service assemblies, adding a shortcut to your desktop menu.
STEP 3

Create and Save the Sample Sales CSV File

Write the transaction table template to a local CSV file in your Windows Documents folder.

Open Notepad -> Copy CSV data template from Part 2 below -> Paste into Notepad -> Click File -> Click Save As -> Set Name: sales_data.csv -> Click Save
This creates the flat text file `sales_data.csv`, which we will load into Power BI to construct our dashboard mockup.
STEP 4

Launch Power BI Desktop and Close Splash Screen

Start the visual analytics suite and clear introductory modal dashboards.

Double-click "Power BI Desktop" shortcut -> Wait for launch -> Click Close (X button) in the upper right of Welcome Screen
This starts the engine and loads the blank visualization report editor canvas.
STEP 5

Connect Power BI to the Sales CSV File

Import flat table records from your Windows system using the data connector panel.

Click "Get Data" in Home Ribbon -> Click "Text/CSV" -> Browse to Documents -> Select "sales_data.csv" -> Click Open
This initiates a connection wizard, identifying table schema headers and column datatypes inside the file.
STEP 6

Preview and Load Dataset

Review the data structure preview window and load the data rows into memory.

Review data columns in preview window -> Verify delimiter is set to Comma -> Click yellow "Load" button at the bottom
This populates the in-memory tabular data store, making the columns available in the Fields sidebar pane.
STEP 7

Insert a Column Chart Visual onto the Canvas

Select a column chart template from the visual templates pane to place a visual frame.

Look at "Visualizations" pane -> Click "Clustered Column Chart" icon (third icon in the first row)
This places an empty column chart visual template block on your active dashboard report workspace.
STEP 8

Map Visual Axis Columns

Drag data fields into chart properties to define chart dimensions.

Look at "Data" pane -> Drag "Category" field -> Drop into X-axis bucket in Visualizations -> Drag "Sales" field -> Drop into Y-axis bucket
This tells Power BI to group sales figures on the vertical axis by product categories on the horizontal axis, rendering the bars.
STEP 9

Save the Verification Report File

Save the report file to your documents folder to submit as proof of completion.

Click File (top-left) -> Click Save -> Name file: verification_report.pbix -> Click Save
This compiles data imports, query definitions, visual placements, and schemas into a local `.pbix` file.
3. Operational Pipeline Architecture

The flow chart below illustrates the setup pipeline. It details the steps from download and installation to CSV creation, data ingestion, visual mapping, and saving the final report file.

1. Install app Download & run standalone MSI PBIDesktop.msi 2. Create CSV Save sample rows to local disk sales_data.csv 3. Load CSV Ingest csv in app Get Data menu Home -> Get Data 4. Create Chart Drag fields to axes in visualization Column Chart 5. Save Report Save visual as pbix artifact report.pbix
4. Part 2: Complete Deliverable Assets & Production Templates

To verify the Power BI Desktop data connection, we will create a structured text file containing mock transactions. Below is a step-by-step CSV data design breakdown, followed by the combined template.

Step-by-Step Code Construction

Line 1

Define CSV Column Headers

Set database mapping attributes using comma separators.

Product,Category,Sales,Date
This define keys, mapping data cells to column fields in Power BI's internal data model.
Lines 2 - 7

Define Data Rows

Map values matching the database headers to populate the dataset.

Notebook Computer,Electronics,1200.00,2026-08-01 Wireless Mouse,Electronics,50.00,2026-08-02 Mechanical Keyboard,Electronics,89.99,2026-08-02 Desk Organizer,Office Supplies,15.50,2026-08-03 Ergonomic Chair,Furniture,250.00,2026-08-03 LED Desk Lamp,Office Supplies,45.00,2026-08-03
These records represent typical business transactions, providing values to generate chart categories and sum values.

Combined CSV Sales Template

Copy the following text, paste it into a file, and save it as sales_data.csv on your Windows Host machine:

Product,Category,Sales,Date Notebook Computer,Electronics,1200.00,2026-08-01 Wireless Mouse,Electronics,50.00,2026-08-02 Mechanical Keyboard,Electronics,89.99,2026-08-02 Desk Organizer,Office Supplies,15.50,2026-08-03 Ergonomic Chair,Furniture,250.00,2026-08-03 LED Desk Lamp,Office Supplies,45.00,2026-08-03
5. Deliverables Summary

Verify that the following configurations and outputs exist inside your project workspace.

Created Files / Templates

  • C:\Users\YourUser\Documents\sales_data.csv - Local sample sales text dataset.
  • C:\Users\YourUser\Documents\verification_report.pbix - Power BI dashboard report document.

Verification Artifacts / Execution Proof

  • Active visual rendering of Category Sales Clustered Column Chart on Report Canvas.
  • Successfully loaded table named `sales_data` visible under the Data panel.
  • No formatting errors displayed during the CSV import workflow.
6. Closing Explanation: Why We Did This & What It Accomplishes

Architectural Intent & Operational Impact

Why We Did This

What This Accomplishes

Data Science & AI/ML Training Program | Setup Project 3 | Power BI Desktop Setup