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Send Keys by Position

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Posted on by npiros85

Hi All,

I'm unable to use the normal tools to connect with UI elements running on a virtual machine. I've been able to click on links by using the mouse movements to text and image methods, but am unable to send keys using these positions. Is there a way to send keys to those positions? I only see an option to send keys to a UI element. Thanks

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Power Automate Desktop

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OkanMTL 703 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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Hi,

What happens when you send a mouse click to a position by text/image and then send your keys?

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npiros85 16 on at

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It doesn't type anything when I try that. I can click into the input box by image/text, and it will show the cursor in the box, but when I send keys the cursor goes away and nothing gets typed. I've tried swapping between foreground window and window instance/handle and it doesn't make a difference.

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momlo 1,527 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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Hi @npiros85
Did you try to install a power automation agent for virtual machines? This should allow you to use PAD actions for UI automation.

Take a look here:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/desktop-flows/virtual-desktops

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npiros85 16 on at

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I added the agent for virtual machines, I just get an error when I try to run it.

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VJR 7,635 on at

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In the Sendkeys try making use of these options

- Increasing delay

and/or

- Enabling hardware keys

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momlo 1,527 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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@npiros85 can you write how and where you are connecting?

The agent is meant to work in this way:

Machine A - your developer machine or machine used for attended/unattended run - you install full PAD client. This can be a physical or virtual machine.

Machine B - a virtual machine where the application is installed. Must be VM.

Then you developed flow on Machine A.
And when you launch flow on Machine A via the cloud or local console, it opens a remote connection to Machine B

From the error, it seems you have installed an agent for VM on your machine A, not B, as expected.

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npiros85 16 on at

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Thanks VJR. Selecting hardware keys worked. I don't know why I didn't try that.

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npiros85 16 on at

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I did install Power Automate Desktop and the Virtual Machine Agent both to my computer. I'll see if I can get the agent on the virtual machine, but I may not have access. It does sound like that's the problem. Thanks.

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