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Why can't I edit the text of the window title, in a Power Automate Desktop script?

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Posted on by RodAtWork

I'm new to Power Automate Desktop. I tried using it to automate a sequence of commands I always enter into a Windows Terminal. However, after recording the steps I took, it failed to run later when circumstances had changed. Here's the step where it is failing:

This step is looking for a window in Windows Terminal with the text, "PW [main] - PowerShell 7.3 (16868)". There are several problems here.

I am NOT always in a folder named PW
Over time I'll update PowerShell to something newer that version 7.3
This only works if on on a Git branch named "main"
This assumes that the process ID is 16868

Any of these can and will change when I go to different projects, folders, branches and most important, process ID. So, the logical thing for me to do is at least change the string to simply "PowerShell". Only Power Automate Desktop will NOT let me edit anything.

Why the heck not?????????????????????????????????????????????

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Power Automate Desktop

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VJR 7,635 on at

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Hi @RodAtWork,

Looks like you want PAD to identify a window that has PowerShell in the window title.

Basically, you will need to go into the selector window of the UI element captured for the window.

Then choose Contains for the window title attribute and type PowerShell.

Something like this.

Take help from this official post here

Build a custom selector - Power Automate | Microsoft Learn
RodAtWork 16 on at

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Thank you, @VJR for your quick response,

I've got to ask follow up questions or two. First, I have no idea at all how to get into that "selector window of the UI element". I selected my flow to edit it. And that's where I got hung up. Here's what I see:

referring to the link you provided, there is no "selector with recapture". I tried searching the actions, I still couldn't find "selector with recapture".

So, I'm lost with no clue as to how to proceed following the instructions on the link you provided.
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MichaelAnnis 5,727 Moderator on at

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On the right of your flow screen should be 3 panes. An input pane, a variable pane, and a UI pane. On the UI pane, find your power shell window (it should be in bold), and hover over it. The 3 dots appear, right click them and then click view. There may be another small pop up. If so, do the same thing, hover over it, right click 3 dots, click view (or edit). Then you should see the screen @VJR Was talking about.

find the “name” parameter, change to “Contains” and the put “Powershell” in the value box - no quotes.
momlo 1,527 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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@RodAtWork
If you closed the right pane, to maximize the designer canvas, you need to go to View menu and open it back from there.
Different language, but you get an idea.
RodAtWork 16 on at

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Hello @momlo , no I'm sorry. The right side only has two panes in it: Input/output variables and Flow variables.
momlo 1,527 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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These are buttons - click them 🙂
I encourage you to jump on YouTube to watch couple of basic PAD videos, you will be able to learn a lot from them.
That's how I started learning PAD 🙂
RodAtWork 16 on at

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Thank you everyone for your help. @MichaelAnnis just a note of clarification. It wasn't three panes on the right side, it was three buttons. And I had to select the middle one.