How to Roll Back Power BI Desktop Version

A new Power BI Desktop update just dropped, but instead of exciting new features, it brought a bug that broke your most important dashboard. Suddenly, your visuals are rendering incorrectly, a DAX function is misbehaving, or performance has dropped off a cliff. When a new release causes more problems than it solves, the quickest fix is often to go back to the version that worked.

This tutorial will guide you through the complete process of uninstalling the current Power BI Desktop and rolling back to a previous, more stable version. We'll cover everything from backing up your work to finding the right installer and preventing unwanted future updates.

Why Would You Need to Roll Back a Power BI Version?

While the Power BI team releases impressive monthly updates, sometimes a new version doesn’t play nicely with your specific setup. Stepping back to a previous version is a standard troubleshooting technique for data professionals. Here are the most common reasons you might need to do it:

• New Bugs or Glitches: The most common reason. A new update might introduce a bug that affects a specific visual, data connector, or Power Query transformation you rely on. A rollback gives the Microsoft team time to issue a fix while you continue your work.
• Compatibility Issues with Custom Visuals: If you use custom visuals from AppSource or developers in your organization, they may not be immediately compatible with the latest platform changes, causing them to break or behave unpredictably.
• Performance Problems: Occasionally, an update can cause Power BI Desktop to run slower or consume more memory on certain machines, particularly with large or complex data models. Reverting to a previously stable version can restore performance.
• Company Standardization: Many large organizations' IT departments enforce a specific version of Power BI across all teams. They wait to approve a new version until it has been thoroughly tested in their environment. If your software updated automatically, you may need to roll it back to align with company policy.
• Changes to an Essential Feature: Sometimes a feature you depend on is changed or deprecated. Going back a version allows you to continue using it while you find a workaround or adapt to the new workflow.

Before You Begin: A Quick Checklist

Before uninstalling anything, it's crucial to take a few preparatory steps to prevent any data loss or unnecessary headaches. Run through this checklist first.

• Back Up Your .PBIX Files: This is the most important step. Uninstalling the app won't delete your project files, but it's always best to be safe. Create copies of all your important Power BI reports (.pbix files) and store them in a separate folder. A good practice is to add the date to the file name, like Monthly_Sales_Report_Backup_2023-10-26.pbix.
• Note Your Current Version: To ensure you’re moving backward, you need to know where you're starting from. Open Power BI, go to File > About, and write down the version number displayed.
• Identify the Version You Want: Think back to when your reports were working perfectly. Was it last month's version? The month before? Have a target version in mind (e.g., "the September 2023 release"). This will make finding the right download much easier.
• Confirm Administrator Access: You will need administrator rights on your computer to uninstall and reinstall software. If you're using a company-managed laptop, you may need to contact your IT department to perform these steps for you.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Rolling Back Your Version

Once you’ve backed up your files and confirmed you have installation permissions, you’re ready to proceed with the rollback. Follow these four steps carefully.

Step 1: Uninstall Your Current Version of Power BI Desktop

First, you need to remove the problematic version from your computer. The simplest way is through Windows Settings.

1. Click the Start Menu and open Settings (the gear icon).
2. Go to Apps, then click on Apps & features.
3. Scroll down the list or use the search bar to find “Microsoft Power BI Desktop.”
4. Click on it, and then click the Uninstall button. Confirm any prompts that appear.

Windows will remove the application. This process is generally quick and shouldn't take more than a minute.

Step 2: Find and Download a Previous Version

Microsoft maintains a history of Power BI updates, but finding the download links can be a bit tricky as they prioritize the newest release. The most reliable place to find older versions is on the Power BI updates archive page.

1. Open your web browser and search for “Power BI Desktop previous monthly updates” or go directly to the archived update page on Microsoft's website. This page usually lists the release notes and download links for past versions.
2. Scroll through the list until you find the month and year of the version you want to install.
3. Click the link for “Advanced download options.” This will take you to the official Microsoft Download Center page for that specific release.
4. On the download page, you’ll typically see two files:
5. Unless you know for a fact you are using a 32-bit machine, which is very rare today, choose the x64 version. This is the standard for modern computers and is required for larger data models. Click Download and save the file somewhere you can easily find it.

Step 3: Install the Older Version

With the installer for your desired version downloaded, the next step is to install it.

1. Navigate to where you saved the installer file (likely your "Downloads" folder).
2. Double-click the PBIDesktopSetup_x64.exe file to launch the installation wizard.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts. The process is very straightforward - accept the license agreement and click through the steps until the installation is complete.

Step 4: Verify the Installation and Turn Off Automatic Updates

Now that the older version is installed, there's one final, crucial step to ensure your problem is solved for good and doesn't immediately reappear.

1. Verify the version: Open the newly installed Power BI Desktop. Go to File > About and double-check that the version number matches the one you intended to install. This confirms the rollback was successful.
2. Turn off update notifications: Power BI is designed to keep you on the latest version and will prompt you to update every time you open it. To prevent this, go to File > Options and settings > Options.
3. In the "Global" section of the Options window, click on Updates.
4. Uncheck the box that says "Notify me when a desktop update's available."
5. Click OK. This will stop Power BI from pestering you every time it detects a newer version, giving you control over when you choose to update next.

Potential Issues and Important Considerations

While the process is generally smooth, be aware of these common "gotchas" that can complicate a rollback.

The Microsoft Store vs. the Installer

Power BI Desktop is available in two ways: as a standalone installer from the website (which we used above) and from the Microsoft Store. The Store version manages updates automatically in the background, giving you no control over the version. If you need the ability to roll back, you must use the standalone installer from the website. If you currently have the Store version, you'll need to uninstall it and reinstall using the manual installer.

Reports Saved with a Newer Version

Be careful if you built or saved any .pbix files using a newer version of a feature that doesn't exist in the older version you are rolling back to. For example, if you used a new visual available only in the October update and you roll back to the August version, you will likely get an error when trying to open that report. This highlights a universal truth in software: older versions can't always open files created by newer versions, which is another reason why backing up your files before updating is so critical.

Final Thoughts

Facing a broken report after an update is frustrating, but knowing how to roll back Power BI Desktop puts you back in control. By carefully backing up your work, uninstalling the current release, and installing a previous version from Microsoft's download archive, you can get back to a stable, working environment in less than thirty minutes.

Moments like these — hunting for old installer files, managing version conflicts, and hitting roadblocks with desktop software — are exactly why we built Graphed. We wanted to eliminate the friction that gets between you and your data. Since Graphed is fully cloud-based, there's never any software to install or update. You can simply connect data sources like Google Analytics, Shopify, or Salesforce a single time, then use natural language to build and chat with real-time dashboards right from your browser. We handle all the updates, infrastructure, and an enterprise data warehouse behind the scenes, so you can spend less time troubleshooting configurations and more time actually getting answers from your data.