How to run a desktop flow from windows task scheduler

[Tawfik_Chelli]

My Objective is to run the flow once when pc starts between 8 am till 10 am each day using the windows task scheduler.

[D_D_]

Hello,

It seems no solution since 02/2021 and Microsoft does not propose possibility.

Then, I checked how to do.

I found solution to launch Power Automate Desktop Flow w/o premium and w/o internet connection.
Solution is based via SendKeys. I know this is not ideal and dirty, but if somebody found a another better solution I open to use it.

When you open Power automate there are not possibility to launch flow trough keyboard shortcut.
But Power Designer can launch flow via F5 shortcut.
So target it to open flow with Power Dseigner and simulate F5 key.

But open a flow via Power Designer is quite difficult.

Solution I found: Open Power Automate then open flow in designer and check command line generated to study it and understand parameters send.
Use this command line in a VBS script and simulate 2 shortcuts:
1st = 'ESC' to validate Designer was not launch correctly
2nd = 'F5' to launch the flow itself.
this is it.

Let me know if it interesting and work for you.

' DD 13.06.2022
' Create a file 'xxx.vbs' with this code. 

' 2 steps to start Power Automate Desktop from command line w/o premium right
' I use Power Automate Designer to open flow and launch it
' Launch is via SendKeys. This is not perfect but better than nothing.
' Why use Designer to launch flow ? Because Designer can be use via keyboard (F5) to launch flow

' How to use:
' First open Power Automate Desktop and go in design mode of required flow/edit
' then uncomment lines codes below to know information regarding command line, launch this VBS and comment it again.
'ToKnowCommandLine

' This create a file on dekstop with informations regarding command line.
' Open this file and check command line. 
' Copy Paste command line below and modify '"' 
' 
CommandLine = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Power Automate Desktop\PAD.Designer.exe ms-powerautomate:/designer/flow/edit?clientsessionid=90edff13-81bb-4e27-8c22-adb83b1d2898&environmentid=Default-6cf18ffb-edc6-4d7d-9874-5c515ab0c6ae&environmentname=HelloWorld+(Upgrade)&environmentgeo=europe&environmentregion=westeurope&environmentcloud=tip0&crmorg=https%3a%2f%2forgd0fee972.api.crm4.dynamics.com&tip1=false&upn=sivod.d%helloworld.fr&workflowid=a3ad2ff9-abd1-4a2c-985b-ede972418b7b&createnew=false&processname=AAA_Essai&processInsightsContext=false&parentcorrelationid=c3ef9112-e1bc-4c8b-ae94-5987593793bf&tenantid=6cf18ffb-42c6efd7d-9874-5c515ab0c6ae&principaloid=df12fabc-641a-4fc6-baf8-55d0fdbe24f8&principaluid=100300ef9A704212"

processname=mid(CommandLine, instr(CommandLine, "processname=")+12, InStr(instr(CommandLine, "processname="),CommandLine, "&") - (instr(CommandLine, "processname=")+12))
Set oSh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell"): Set oFs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
osh.run("taskkill /f /im PAD.Designer.exe"),0,1

oSh.Exec(CommandLine)
oSh.popup "Début. Flow Engine will start.",2,"PAD.Designer.exe " & processname,0

For F = 0 to 100
	wscript.sleep 100 
	if oSh.AppActivate(processname) = true then 
		oSh.popup "Step 1 in progress" & chr(10) & "Do not touch mouse or Keyboard" &_
		chr(10) & "Do not close this message",10,"PAD.Designer.exe " & processname,0
		oSh.AppActivate(processname): oSh.SendKeys "{esc}"
		oSh.popup "Step 2 in progress" & chr(10) & "Do not touch mouse or Keyboard" &_
		chr(10) & "Do not close this message",10,"PAD.Designer.exe " & processname,0
		oSh.AppActivate(processname): oSh.SendKeys "{F5}"
		Exit for
	end if
Next
oSh.popup "Fini. Flow will start.",2,"PAD.Designer.exe " & processname,0
WScript.Quit

function ToKnowCommandLine
	Set oSh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell"): Set oFs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
	For Each objItem In GetObject("winmgmts:/root/cimv2").ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_Process WHERE name = 'PAD.Designer.exe'")
		Set f = oFs.OpenTextFile(oSh.SpecialFolders("Desktop") & "\LogPadDesigner.txt", 8, true)
		f.writeLine objItem.CommandLine: f.Close
	Next
	WScript.Quit
end function

[rdeguara]

What I am doing to get around the scheduling problem is to incorporate into my flow a WAIT loop which checks for the existence of a file and then runs your flow. I then create a batch file that create the required file for a second and then removes it. This way your flow will know when it is time to run your process and when complete it continues checking for the file. I then have the batch file run on a schedule using windows task scheduler. This approach works a treat. All you need to do is ensure your PAD is started and the flow is runing. Your computer then stays running 24x7 

[arnatalia]

Schedule a Power Automate Desktop Flow From Windows Scheduler

• Create shortcut on desktop of the flow itself from Power Automate
• Find the shortcut and click on properties and find the Program and the argument

1) Highlight the flow and click the 3 dots

Select “Create desktop shortcut” option and that should place the shortcut on your desktop

Desktop shortcut created as below

2) Right click the Desktop shortcut and select Properties option

Scroll thru the Target screen and copy and paste the string in clipboard or wordpad or word doc like below. The Windows scheduler will need both this info when you create and schedule the task. The first one is to load Power Automate Desktop and the second one is like the unique address of the desktop flow in Power Automate. If you check flows in Power Automate

        a) “C:\Program Files (x86)\Power Automate Desktop\PAD.Console.Host.exe”

        b) ms-powerautomate:/console/flow/run?environmentid=Default-f25493ae-1c98-41d7-8a33-      0be75f5fe603&workflowid=8588dd00-b80d-4526-bd94-55529a43e170

In Power Automate if you click the 3 dots and click on details, you will see the similar info about the unique address for the flow in Power Automate for each flow. You could copy the unique address or the second string from here also because there is a copy button available and then paste it in Windows Task Scheduler.

This is all is required to know from the Flow Desktop Shortcut.

======================================================================

Lets create Windows Scheduler Task and assuming you are familiar with how to create task and schedule it.

Click on Create Task and give the meaningful name for the task you are scheduling.

I am not going to show you all steps required in Windows Scheduler as I assume you know how to schedule the task/job. Below is the main one that you need to know.

Paste those strings you copied from the Desktop shortcut properties.

Action: Start a program and settings as below. Program/Script has to be embedded in double quotes as below. This would be same for any Power Automate flow that you are trying to schedule.

But the Arguments should be inputted without quotes. This will vary based on the flow For eg

• “C:\Program Files (x86)\Power Automate Desktop\PAD.Console.Host.exe”
• ms-powerautomate:/console/flow/run?environmentid=Default-f25493ae-1c98-41d7-8a33-0be75f5fe603&workflowid=8588dd00-b80d-4526-bd94-55529a43e170

Now Run the task to see if it works. It should work. It takes few seconds to load Power Automate and execute the flow.

[arnatalia]

Already replied.

[arnatalia]

It is possible to schedule Power Automate Desktop flows with Windows Scheduler. I had replied to this post with very detailed information. The steps are very easy to follow even.

[VJR]

@arnatalia, also create a cookbook post here with all these detailed steps which would be of good help to everyone...and then you can point forum answers to your cookbook post. I will point out to your post if anyone is looking for a desktop shortcut or running from scheduler.

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Automate-Cookbook/bd-p/MPA_Cookbook?filter=desktop%20flows

[yanhao]

Trigger a desktop flow from a cloud flow - Power Automate | Microsoft Learn

 You can read this doc.

I also try to use planned tasks,but can't.

Because this feature requires a fee.

[DublinOH_User]

Schedule Flows to run your Desktop flows is a Premium License action

[arnatalia]

I hope you saw my instructions on how to use Windows scheduler to schedule desktop flow. Very detailed instructions on how to schedule it.

[wgrfeq35]

We need a premium license to rund this from the shortcut ? what a mess 

[Fuji98]

What do you mean by:

' then uncomment lines codes below to know information regarding command line, launch this VBS and comment it again.
'ToKnowCommandLine

[johnbor]

Great But there is NO option to create the desktop shortcut in the free version so this will not work

[arnatalia]

Hi Johnbor.

Thanks for the message. I also had a free version. I do not have the license version yet and it works for me. So it should work for you also. There are multiple ways to do this. One of them is as below and I already specified it in my very first post. I had also attached the word doc which has complete documentation on how to do it.

In Power Automate if you click the 3 dots and click on details, you will see the similar info about the unique address for the flow in Power Automate for each flow. You could copy the unique address or the second string from here also because there is a copy button available and then paste it in Windows Task Scheduler.

This is all is required to know from the Flow Desktop Shortcut.

[Fuji98]

Thank you for your effort but for us there is really no option like this in the free version. 

[Anonymous]

because it need license, we need something free

[ianwuk]

@evilnw Thanks very much for this.  I want to use this to stop a flow at a certain time. 

However, if, say, I want to stop on 00:00, if I use Currentdatetime.Minute = 00 it doesn't seem to allow it and use both digits and instead it uses Currentdatetime.Minute = 0 instead.  WIll it still work?

Thanks so much.

[lion]

Hi Arnatalia, when I run the scheduler task, it pop-up below screen every time, how to avoid it and run flow directly?

[arnatalia]

By default, Power Automate always prompts you to confirm the triggering of a desktop flow via URL or desktop shortcut. To disable this functionality, navigate to the console settings and disable Display confirmation dialog when invoking flows externally or modify the appropriate Windows registry entry

[lion]

thanks for the advise, after disable the option, upon dialog not pop-up again, but it pop-up another screen like below, how to by pass it?

[remyp1]

Thanks, it's seem great but like Fuji98 and others it's not working for me, I dont have acces to URL workflow or environnement ID needed or such v2 interface you have. Do you really have only a personnal and free account off line account ? Whatever if someone have a solution I'm interrested but I have no big hope regards to research I made : 

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/General-Power-Automate/Get-Current-Environment/td-p/1375540 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFZSajbQsxc  

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/desktop-flows/run-desktop-flows-url-shortcuts#prere...  

For those interested, the easiest solution I've found is to associate my flow to a shortcut and simulate this shortcut with an ahk script when Windows starts up