Pipx command not recognized in PowerShell (installing `pbi-cli`)

Source: Claude.ai chat (original: pipx-command-not-recognized-in-powershell__9b4072bb.md) Added: 2026-10-02

Summary

• The PyPI package is pbi-cli-tool (installs the pbi command), not pbi-cli. Documented install: pipx install pbi-cli-tool. Requires Windows + Python 3.10+ + Power BI Desktop running.
• Anaconda base environments often ignore --user on pip installs. On Anaconda, prefer conda install -c conda-forge pipx → pipx ensurepath → reopen shell → pipx install pbi-cli-tool.
• packaging<25 conflict warning with Streamlit is non-fatal — pip installs anyway. Pin packaging<25 if Streamlit is critical, otherwise ignore.

Key takeaways

• The pbi.exe entry point lands in Python's Scripts folder. If not on PATH, locate via python -m pip show -f pbi-cli-tool | Select-String "Scripts", then add the folder to the User PATH env var and reopen the shell.
• Microsoft Store's "App execution alias" stubs often intercept python on Windows — turn off in Settings → Apps → Advanced app settings → App execution aliases, or install via winget install Python.Python.3.12.
• pbi (the CLI) and pbi-cli (the setup command for pbi-cli skills install) are two different binaries in the same Scripts folder — easy to confuse.

Learnings / how to apply

• Add a Praxisis-internal "pbi-cli bootstrap" one-pager so no consultant hits this three-step install trap on first setup.
• Prefer the pipx path on new machines (clean isolated env). On Anaconda-based machines, document the conda install -c conda-forge pipx detour.

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