# Installation

To download Power BI Desktop, go to the [Power BI Desktop download page](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/desktop) and select **Download Free.**

On the Microsoft Store page, select **Get**, and follow the prompts to install Power BI Desktop on your computer. 

Start Power BI Desktop from the Windows **Start** menu or from the icon in the Windows taskbar.

The first time Power BI Desktop starts, it displays the **Welcome** screen.

From the **Welcome** screen, you can **Get data**, see **Recent sources**, open recent reports, **Open other reports**, or select other links. Select the close icon to close the **Welcome** screen.

![](https://2978144431-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MhK79F6MpCuBt1OHFCP%2F-MjTjlkizcRTisH24oGE%2F-MjTnmFX8lNeGiCA2bi4%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=ea196f87-c0fc-4321-9d16-f5b8b3ee6c1a)

#### **Understanding Power BI desktop views**

Along the left side of Power BI Desktop are icons for the three Power BI Desktop views: Report, Data, and Model, from top to bottom. The current view is indicated by the yellow bar along the left, and you can change views by selecting any of the icons.

![](https://2978144431-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MhK79F6MpCuBt1OHFCP%2F-MjTjlkizcRTisH24oGE%2F-MjToV5f30SB-kn5FARA%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=8cdd6309-f572-4577-bfb3-bf2076be87dc)

 **Report** view is the default view.

![](https://2978144431-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MhK79F6MpCuBt1OHFCP%2F-MjTjlkizcRTisH24oGE%2F-MjTobaCAGNZ_7CyVKz0%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=00b3a4db-1d1f-4714-8a74-01c9406eef98)

Power BI Desktop also includes the **Power Query Editor**, which opens in a separate window. In **Power Query Editor**, you can build queries and transform data, then load the refined data model into Power BI Desktop to create reports.

![](https://2978144431-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MhK79F6MpCuBt1OHFCP%2F-MjTjlkizcRTisH24oGE%2F-MjTpH2bVTJ7IOHeiiq7%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=4d0ae240-7139-4992-97e2-60a49f04ab92)