Translation differences between Power BI desktop installed from windows store and web

[woutgoet]

Hi,

We are currently testing Power BI within our organisation, and we came across some weird behaviour that we can’t figure out.

We are noticing a difference between a Power BI Desktop installation from a web download, and a Power BI Desktop installation through the windows app store, and more precisely in how/when measures and attributes are translated.

Some background info: we are using a live connection to connect to a SSAS tabular model (compatibility level 1103). English is the default language in the model, but we added Dutch translations (by using the Tabular Translations Editor in BIDS helper).

When we connect to this model (live SQL Server Analysis Services-database connection) in the Power BI Desktop installation from the web download, we notice that while table names are translated to Dutch correctly, the measures and attributes are still in English:

Using web downloaded desktop

When we do the exact same live SQL Server Analysis Services-database connection in the Power BI Desktop installation from the windows app store, we see that everything is translated to Dutch correctly, including the measures and attributes:

Using store downloaded desktop

Some more info, both installs are on the same laptop, so the same OS/language settings, and if we check the “about” of both Power BI Desktop installations, we see they are both the same version (2.58.5103.501), and they are both installed in Dutch.

So why is there a difference between how the translations are handled? What triggers the used language for live connections? As far as we know, it’s currently not possible to edit regional settings for live connections, but there is clearly a difference between Power BI Desktop installed from a web download, and from the windows store.

If possible we would like to know how to get the correct translation behaviour for the web download installation, since not everyone in the organisation has a windows 10 laptop, and apparently the windows 8 Power BI Desktop Windows app is no longer supported.

[v-yuezhe-msft]

@woutgoet,

What is the language of your OS? Is it Dutch? Also could you please use Excel to connect to SSAS and check the result?

Regards,
Lydia

[woutgoet]

Thank you for your reply @v-yuezhe-msft.

The language of my OS is Dutch (Belgian variety more exactly), but the Windows display language is English. 

 

As for connecting to SSAS with Excel, we actually have a couple of .odc files to do that, and there we have to specify the “LocaleIdentifier=2067” property in the connectionstring in order to get the Dutch translations.

Excel Including LocaleIdentifier

If we connect with Excel to SSAS without the LocaleIdentifier property in de .odc, we get the same behaviour we see now in the Power BI Desktop installation from the web download, where table names are translated, but not the attributes/measures.

Excel Excluding LocaleIdentifier

We did notice another difference recently between de Power BI desktop installation from the web and from the Windows store, namely the “Regional Settings” tab in “Options” contains a lot more options in the installation from the Windows store.

Power BI Desktop downloaded from Windows Store:

Store Downloaded installation

Power BI Desktop Downloaded from the web: 

Web Downloaded Installation

I’m guessing that has something to do with it? Somehow the regional settings are handled differently between the two, even though they show the same version on the “About” page, there are clearly differences between the versions.

Our biggest issue with this behaviour is, like I said in my original post, not everyone in the organisation has Windows 10, and the Power BI Desktop download from the Windows store is no longer supported for Windows 8, so those people are forced to use the Power BI Desktop version downloaded from the web, and are currently stuck with a not fully translated model. (Unless there is a way to get the same behaviour/options as the Windows store installed version?)

[v-yuezhe-msft · Accepted solution]

@woutgoet,

The Power BI Desktop downloaded from web doesn't have the region settings like Power BI Desktop downloaded from Windows Store, and we are unable to add LocaleIdentifier in Power BI Desktop downloaded from web. This is by design. I am afraid that you are not able to get all fields displayed in Dutch.

Regards,
Lydia

[woutgoet]

@v-yuezhe-msft

Thanks for clearing that up, it's not what we were hoping to hear, but we'll look into how to move forward keeping these restrictions in mind.