Question

What are the steps to import a SQL Server .BAK backup file into Power BI?

I have a SQL Server .BAK backup file that I need to import into Power BI for analysis. What are the correct steps to restore this backup and make the data accessible within Power BI? Are there any workarounds if direct import is not supported, such as using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or other tools?

Answer 1

Power BI does not directly support importing a .BAK file, so you need to restore the backup in SQL Server first. Here’s how:

 Restore .BAK File to SQL Server

 Use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

1. Open SSMS → Connect to your SQL Server instance.
2. Right-click Databases → Select Restore Database.
3. Choose Device → Select the .BAK file.
4. Click OK to restore the database.

Connect Power BI to SQL Server

 Using Direct Query or Import Mode

1. Open Power BI Desktop → Click Get Data.
2. Select SQL Server Database → Click Connect.
3. Enter Server Name & Database Name → Choose Import or DirectQuery.
4. Select tables or write a SQL query → Click Load.

Workarounds if Direct Import Isn’t Supported

 Use SSMS to Export Data – Export tables as CSV and import them into Power BI.
 Use an ODBC Connection – Set up an ODBC data source for SQL Server and connect from Power BI.
 Use Azure SQL – Restore the database to an Azure SQL instance and connect via Power BI.

Once the data is in Power BI, you can create reports, dashboards, and visualizations