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Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Automate / Wait for file fully do...
Power Automate
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Wait for file fully downloaded

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Posted on by rrrradfafwgvafv 108

Hi,

 

this is my flow:

wait for file (created)

open excel (file path)

 

Every time it opens a created but not fully downloaded file (0KB as you can see at the bottom of the picture). And because it opened the blank file, system automatically creates a new file and store the downloaded data into the new file.

 

Is there any way to wait for the file fully downloaded before opening it

 

rrrradfafwgvafv_0-1716391302499.png

 

Categories:
Power Automate Desktop
I have the same question (0)
  • MichaelAnnis Profile Picture
    MichaelAnnis 5,727 Moderator on at

    Set it up on a loop to grab it twice and compare the previous size to the new size.  Once they are the same, you should be good to open it.  The wait between the two pulls need to be long enough to see a change in size, maybe 5-10 seconds or so.  If it always displays 0KB until it is fully downloaded, this method won't work, and you will have to change to a logic to pull every 5-10 seconds and ask if it = 0KB, and then open it after it doesn't, but most update their size as they download leading to option 1.

    LOOP WHILE (1) = (1)
    Folder.GetFiles Folder: $'''C:\\Downloads''' FileFilter: $'''*.xlsx''' IncludeSubfolders: False FailOnAccessDenied: True SortBy1: Folder.SortBy.LastModified SortDescending1: True SortBy2: Folder.SortBy.NoSort SortDescending2: False SortBy3: Folder.SortBy.NoSort SortDescending3: False Files=> Files
    WAIT 10
    Folder.GetFiles Folder: $'''C:\\Downloads''' FileFilter: $'''*.xlsx''' IncludeSubfolders: False FailOnAccessDenied: True SortBy1: Folder.SortBy.LastModified SortDescending1: True SortBy2: Folder.SortBy.NoSort SortDescending2: False SortBy3: Folder.SortBy.NoSort SortDescending3: False Files=> Files2
    IF Files[0].Size = Files2[0].Size THEN
    EXIT LOOP
    END
    END

  • eetuRobo Profile Picture
    eetuRobo 4,572 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

    What browser are you using? At least in my testing Chrome seems to download temporary file in .crdownload -format before it has fully downloaded the file:

    eetuRobo_0-1716398888717.png
    After fully downloading the file it deletes/changes the temporary file to the correct filename and extension.

    eetuRobo_2-1716399024772.png


    But for example Firefox creates the final file right away before it has fully downloaded it and also the temporary file 

    eetuRobo_1-1716398962943.png


    So one easy fix is try switching to Chrome and see if that fixes the issue.

    Or you could use "Get files in folder" -action. In file filter put the name without the extension and * at the end. So lets say "SampleFile.xls" is the file you are downloading. In File filter put SampleFile* so it takes every file that starts with everything before *
    Then if it finds 2 files make it wait for 10s and repeat until Get files in folder -action finds only one file.

    eetuRobo_4-1716399450856.png

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