No interface to access My Workspace in Power BI

[i2rsantos]

Hi,

I am logged in to the Power BI service and there I can see My Work Space.  I am logged in to the same account in Power BI Desktop.  When I open Power BI Desktop, I do not see the left-hand menu option for the app itself, where the menu items for My Workspace are.  I see the report creation interface.  When I close the window, Power BI Desktop closes. 

[ToddChitt]

Yes, you can edit the report directly in Power BI Desktop. But just know that once you do, your 'Service' version of the report will now be different than the 'Desktop' version stored on your local machine. 

If you then make changes locally and re-deploy, you will lose changes you made on-line.

Option: Download the Dataset (yes, the Dataset, NOT the Report) from Power BI Service, and it will bring the Report with it. Save it to a new name. Inspect it in Power BI Desktop and see if it has the changes you made on-line. I suspect it will. 

[ToddChitt]

Power BI Desktop is the development tool used to create MODELS that you deploy to Power BI Service. The two are totally different. Power BI Desktop is an app (MSI or Microsoft Store) that runs locally on your machine, Power BI Service is accessed via the browser. The two have very different purposes, layouts, and functionality.

It's like comparing an industrial baking facility with mixers, ovens, etc. with the bake shop where you sell your coolies and cakes to the pulic. You wouldn't go into the baking area and ask, "Hey, where's the case register and credit card machine?" You wouldn't go into the store and look for the ovens. 

So you wouldn't go into Power BI Desktop and look around for the Apps, Dataflow designers, or Dashboards, because those are Power BI SERVICE things. 

Hope that helps.

[i2rsantos · Accepted solution]

Sorry, UR right.  I mistook the Interface below for Power BI Desktop.  I have another related question, please.  I created a report in the Power BI Service, based on an Excel sheet in my OneDrive for Business.  Can I edit that report using Power BI Desktop?  Thanks for putting up w. my newbie questions.  🙂

 

[i2rsantos]

Thanks so much.  Very helpful.