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No longer able to run multiple flows/flow stop when system is locked after update

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Posted on by jogden1

I updated from 2.16 to 2.20 yesterday and have noticed two major changes negative changes to how I am able to run flows.

1) When a flow is already running Example: I have a power shell flow that executes a python script ever 60 minutes using a loop / time conditions in the flow. After the update my flow will stop running if I lock my computer which did not occur on 2.16. It resumes after unlock. Note this is an already running flow so attended vs unattended was never an issue before.

2) Previously I could have up to 5 different flows running at the same time in parallel performing unrelated functions. After the update I can no longer start a new flow while another flow is running.

Are others seeing this same issue? Was it intentional or is this a bug? If it is intentional can someone explain the logic behind these changes as they seem to negatively impact the application.

Thanks!

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Power Automate Desktop

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Pstork1 69,560 Most Valuable Professional on at

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1) You've never been able to kickoff desktop flows when the desktop was locked. I suspect the logic was just tightened up to prevent them from running at all if the desktop is locked.

2) Officially, the documentation has stated for a while now that you need a server OS to run multiple desktop flows in parallel. That still works. But the runtime has been tightened to only allow one session on a desktop OS. I assume that was done to improve performance and make session management easier.

I don't think you will see either of these changes rolled back.

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jogden1 on at

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That's unfortunate. What would be the purpose in limiting these functions? I could see session management if we are talking about 10 or more complex flows, one or two simple flows doesn't make since.

Being able to do these things was a huge selling point for me to use PAD over other tools.

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Pstork1 69,560 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Desktop flows have always been prone to error if you try to manually do something while the desktop flow is running. Its the same thing if you are running two desktop flows in the same desktop session. In a server OS each desktop flow can create their own independent session, but you can't do that on a desktop OS. So it order to eliminate cross-contamination they limited desktop flows to only run one to a session.

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jogden1 on at

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I get it, though mine are two very unrelated so cross contamination was not a problem. There should be a user override function. I do have a server I use for contained flows but being a secure environment I can't use it to reach out to some things which I use my desktop to perform the actions simultaneously.

The other issue I see here with a FLOW being paused when the system locks If I am performing actions in a web form or company portal I don't want to be also making sure the system does not go to a lock due to company inactivity policies. Most of the time I would run these at the end of the work day so it can perform the actions while I am not using the system.

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jogden1 on at

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Update: Upgraded the version on the server also. Can't run more than 1 at a time there either as well.

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Pstork1 69,560 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Are you running them all using your login? To run multiple attended desktop flows on a server OS you need multiple user accounts. All the flows run in a single session are queued just like they are on the desktop OS. Details are in the documentation here:

Run a Power Automate desktop flow - Power Automate | Microsoft Docs

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