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Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

Posted on by 31

I've created a desktop flow that worked fine for a few weeks, but now it only works the first time after I reboot my computer. After that, it always hangs at "Launch new Microsoft Edge" with the error:

Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.SDK.ActionException: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension). ---> Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.WebAutomation.Core.Browser.WebBrowserException: Exception of type 'Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.WebAutomation.Core.Browser.WebBrowserException' was thrown.
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.WebAutomation.Core.WebExtensionsBrowser.WebExtensionsBrowserLauncher.LaunchNew(ProcessWindowStyle processWindowStyle, String initialUrl, Int32 timeout, WebPageCourseOfActionIfDialogAppearsEnum dialogHandlingMode, String dialogButtonName)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.Plugin.Edge.Edge.StartNew(ProcessWindowStyle processWindowStyle, String initialUrl, Int32 timeout, WebPageCourseOfActionIfDialogAppearsEnum dialogHandlingMode, String dialogButtonName)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.WebAutomationActions.LaunchNewEdge(Variant initialUrl, Variant edgeTabTitle, Variant edgeTabUrl, Variant dialogButtonToPress, Variant& webBrowserInstance, Int32 operation, Int32 windowState, Int32 attachMode, Boolean waitForWebPageToLoad, Int32 courseOfActionIfDialogAppears, Boolean clearCache, Boolean clearCookies, Int32 timeout)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.LaunchEdgeBase.Execute(ActionContext context)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.LaunchEdgeBase.Execute(ActionContext context)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Robin.Engine.Execution.ActionRunner.Run(IActionStatement statement, Dictionary`2 inputArguments, Dictionary`2 outputArguments)

If I reboot the computer, it will work again (once). Then it will stop working and always throw the error above. I've tried the following:

  1. Uninstall and reinstall Power Automate Desktop
  2. Uninstall and reinstall Power Automate Edge Extension
  3. Clear cache and cookies in browser
  4. Tried with Clear Cache option both ON and OFF
  5. Tried with Clear Cookies option both ON and OFF
  6. Tried with Wait for Page to Load option both ON and OFF
  7. Tried On Error -> Continue flow run but then I just get an error in the next step "Argument 'BrowserInstance' must be 'Web browser instance'."

Any ideas on how I can fix this? I can't reboot my computer every time I want to run a flow.

  • Chips Profile Picture
    Chips 4 on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    When a user has a Work Edge and a Personal Edge profile, the browser extension can only be turned on in one profile otherwise there is conflict that stops PAD from accessing browser. Solution = turn off / uninstall the extension in the personal profile version of Edge.

     

    I have been struggling with this and similar errors with the same underlying problem of PAD -> Edge control. Finally stumbled on the right Microsoft support engineer who figured it out.

     

    Hope this helps.

  • DLatwork Profile Picture
    DLatwork 5 on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    THANK YOU,

    I've been troubleshooting this all morning with chrome, tried doing all the reinstall suggestions and another machine, but restarting chrome a few times properly until i didn't see the restore message got it functioning again.

  • paddelia Profile Picture
    paddelia on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    I have another computer with a windows 10 home edition on it. Here, I have to use Task Manager to kill Microsoft edge, then Start manually edge on the page I need, then Start the flow and it will eventually work till next day when I have to redo this again.

  • rkhan Profile Picture
    rkhan 6 on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    This had happened to me before, and as per the error message, i spent a lot of time debugging the extension. however, the actual issue was a change in selector/title when attaching browser. In my case, there was an additional profile in edge that started showing up which i had to wildcard.

     

    Not sure if that's your issue but could be similar

  • paddelia Profile Picture
    paddelia on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    I added a Retry 2 times with 5 seconds interval step to the Launch Browser task. It seems to be better; it may add a few seconds to the flow but since my flows run at night it is not an issue.

  • Leafar30 Profile Picture
    Leafar30 6 on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    Dude the error mentioned above is in regards to not be able to launch the webbrowser.

  • siva_Rooney22 Profile Picture
    siva_Rooney22 2 on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    I'm facing similar issue, the page opens in a browser and flow continue to run few seconds then throws "Failed to assume control of Chrome (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension)". The flow that ran 3 weeks back is not working now. I tried simple flow opening a youtube channel url with both edge and chrome yet same error. Any update on this thread?  

  • Jimbotron3000 Profile Picture
    Jimbotron3000 31 on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    Hi @Mibsk ,

    Thank you for adding to the conversation. Basically what you suggest is the workaround I described above. Instead of opening a new Edge instance, I attach to an existing tab, and it works. The problem is that this adds some manual steps to the flow, so I can't just click "Start" and forget it. Until Microsoft fixes this, I'll have to continue using Firefox.

    Cheers!

  • Mibsk Profile Picture
    Mibsk 51 on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    Hi Jimbotron3000 🙂

    I dont know if you have the same problem that i have been having, but ill give it a try anyways.
    Are you using "Launch new Microsoft Edge" to hit a specific tab? 
    Or are you using it to open Edge from scratch? 

    Ive had the same problem as you when i try to hit a specific tab with "Launch new Microsoft Edge". 
    The error accourse when Edge is just a bit slow to get the tab open. 
    Even if i have retry on error on, it simply will not attache. 
    I made a wait for window with the specific tab title that i want to store the Edge instance for. 
    Then the problem has stopped for me. 

    But if you are having the problem with brand new opening of Edge then i have no idea how to help, since i have not experienced any issues with that.

  • AS-06081019-0 Profile Picture
    AS-06081019-0 1,738 on at
    Re: Failed to assume control of Microsoft Edge (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension).

    @Jimbotron3000  Great news!! Awesome.

     

    Cheers,

    Ankesh

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