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Session Id : IUKtRGqrM+hLgNUI80+tnv
Power Automate - General Discussion
Answered

How to Run Flow In Background (Power Automate Desktop)

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Posted on 27 Dec 2022 21:54:24 by 23

Using Power Automate Desktop, I built a new flow, and used "record" to help automate clicking buttons on the web browser.

 

I am unable to do other work while the flow runs, or the flow will have an error.

 

Is there a way to run the automation and do other work at the same time?

 

Thank you.

  • VJR Profile Picture
    7,635 on 31 Mar 2023 at 10:12:22
    Re: How to Run Flow In Background (Power Automate Desktop)

    Hi @sandbeach123 ,

     

    I didn't go through the entire thread but I hope you are referring to a scenario where you have your own local computer.  Then through Citrix or Vmware you connect to another VDI/VM.

    And you want to have Power Automate Desktop installed on the VM and run bots there while you work on your local computer? If so, the bots run properly till the time the VM is locked out. Meaning, as soon as the VM is locked out (eg; 10 mins as per settings) then the bot finds it difficult to detect UI elements and so on.

    Someone who experienced this notified this observation to me.

     

    But if you have a dedicated machine for running bots then you can run them on these VMs via unattended automation from the Cloud Flows where you configure these VMs by giving their credentials, machine name etc and then the login/logout to those VMs automatically happen without any issues.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Rhiassuring Profile Picture
    8,688 Moderator on 30 Mar 2023 at 22:48:23
    Re: How to Run Flow In Background (Power Automate Desktop)

    Um ... I'm not sure if my knowledge of these things is high enough, because the sentence "a VM inside my own computer" doesn't make sense to me, but who knows, maybe there is a way to split a computer and have activity happening in a VM you connect to and .... I don't know. I'm paging someone way smarter than me. @VJR 

  • sandbeach123 Profile Picture
    2 on 29 Mar 2023 at 22:26:28
    Re: How to Run Flow In Background (Power Automate Desktop)

    Hi thanks for the answers!

    One more question regarding this.

    Is it possible to run Power Automator Flows in a VM inside my own computer with say VMware or some Windows tool?

    I ask that because my computer has a lot of free resources (RAM, CPU) so it won't be a problem for me to run more Windows 11 instances in it.

    Thanks,

  • BA-Freedom Profile Picture
    23 on 29 Dec 2022 at 02:56:11
    Re: How to Run Flow In Background (Power Automate Desktop)

    Thank you

  • Verified answer
    Rhiassuring Profile Picture
    8,688 Moderator on 29 Dec 2022 at 02:48:40
    Re: How to Run Flow In Background (Power Automate Desktop)

    For VM costs... 

    https://azure.microsoft.com/en-ca/pricing/details/virtual-machines/windows/#pricing

    How can it be done...


    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/quick-create-portal

     

    License needed for PAD... it depends! Do you need this flow to only run when you click a "go!" button, or, do you need it to be triggered and/or run on a schedule? The prior is cheaper than the latter.

  • BA-Freedom Profile Picture
    23 on 28 Dec 2022 at 16:51:06
    Re: How to Run Flow In Background (Power Automate Desktop)

    Thank you, how much would it cost to create a VM? How can it be done? And which license do I need for PA ($15/mo or $40/mo)?

  • Verified answer
    Rhiassuring Profile Picture
    8,688 Moderator on 27 Dec 2022 at 22:56:50
    Re: How to Run Flow In Background (Power Automate Desktop)

    Hi there, 

     

    No - the RPA works as if it is an employee. It takes control of the computer it's running on. With RPA, usually you'll want to create a VM and have the bot own that instance and run over there, so you don't collide with it.

     

    R

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