Run Powershell Script

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Posted on by MCubedMama

I have a Powershell script that runs without Error on the Desktop, however when I try to use the PAD action - 'Run a Powershell Script' to run that same script I get the following error message: : An error occurred: You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.

Any suggestions on how to get this action to run?

This is my code:

# Write the cell value to a text file

$cellValue | Out-File -FilePath "FILEPATH GOES HERE"

try {

    # Create an Excel COM object

    $excel = New-Object -ComObject Excel.Application

    # Open the workbook

    $workbook = $excel.Workbooks.Open("FILEPATH GOES HERE.xlsx")

    # Check if the workbook is null

    if ($workbook -eq $null) {

        throw "Failed to open the workbook."

    }

    # Get the first worksheet

    $worksheet = $workbook.Sheets.Item(1)

    # Check if the worksheet is null

    if ($worksheet -eq $null) {

        throw "Failed to get the worksheet."

    }

    # Get the value of the cell at row 1, column 1

    $cellValue = $worksheet.Cells.Item(1, 1).Value()

    # Output the cell value

    Write-Output "Cell Value: $cellValue"

    # Close the workbook without saving

    $workbook.Close($false)

}

catch {

    Write-Error "An error occurred: $_"

}

finally {

    # Quit Excel

    if ($excel -ne $null) {

        $excel.Quit()

    }

    # Release COM objects

    [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($worksheet) | Out-Null

    [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($workbook) | Out-Null

    [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($excel) | Out-Null

    [System.GC]::Collect()

    [System.GC]::WaitForPendingFinalizers()

}

This is my Error Message:
An error occurred: You cannot call a method on a
null-valued expression.
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException,04n2btij40n.tmp.ps1

Exception calling "Quit" with "0" argument(s): "Unable to cast COM object of type
'Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.ApplicationClass' to interface type 'Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel._Application'.
This operation failed because the QueryInterface call on the COM component for the interface with IID
'{000208D5-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}' failed due to the following error: Element not found. (Exception from
HRESULT: 0x8002802B (TYPE_E_ELEMENTNOTFOUND))."
+ $excel.Quit()
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastException

Exception calling "ReleaseComObject" with "1" argument(s): "Object reference not set to an instance of an object."
+ [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($works ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : NullReferenceException

Exception calling "ReleaseComObject" with "1" argument(s): "Object reference not set to an instance of an object."
+ [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($workb ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : NullReferenceException

Categories:

Power Automate Desktop

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Suggested answer

VishnuReddy1997 2,656 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hey hi,

Try this code once.

try {
# Define the file path
$filePath = "C:\Path\To\Your\File.xlsx"
if (-Not (Test-Path $filePath)) {
throw "Excel file not found: $filePath"
}

# Create an Excel COM object
$excel = New-Object -ComObject Excel.Application
if ($null -eq $excel) {
throw "Failed to create Excel COM object. Ensure Excel is installed."
}

# Open the workbook
$workbook = $excel.Workbooks.Open($filePath)
if ($null -eq $workbook) {
throw "Failed to open the workbook: $filePath"
}

# Get the first worksheet
$worksheet = $workbook.Sheets.Item(1)
if ($null -eq $worksheet) {
throw "Failed to get the first worksheet."
}

# Get the value of the cell at row 1, column 1
$cellValue = $worksheet.Cells.Item(1, 1).Text
Write-Output "Cell Value: $cellValue"

# Write to a text file
$outputFile = "C:\Path\To\Output.txt"
$cellValue | Out-File -FilePath $outputFile -Encoding UTF8

# Close the workbook without saving
$workbook.Close($false)
$excel.Quit()
}
catch {
Write-Error "An error occurred: $_"
}
finally {
# Release COM objects safely
if ($worksheet) { [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($worksheet) | Out-Null }
if ($workbook) { [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($workbook) | Out-Null }
if ($excel) { [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($excel) | Out-Null }

[System.GC]::Collect()
[System.GC]::WaitForPendingFinalizers()
}

Regards,

Vishnu Reddy

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MCubedMama 64 on at

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HI @VishnuReddy1997

Thank you for your reply.

I did run the following script and I received the following error message:

C:\Users\XXXX\AppData\Local\Temp\tddslwhjvae.tmp.ps1 : An error occurred: You cannot call a method on a
null-valued expression.
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException,tddslwhjvae.tmp.ps1

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