System and workstation actions

Completed

In Power Automate for desktop, use flows to launch any of your installed applications with the Run application action. In addition to running applications, open any document or file with this action. The action requires the application path and command-line arguments. Optionally, also set a working folder. Set the window state of the application to Maximized, Normal, Minimized, or Hidden, and configure the action to wait for the launched application to load or complete.

Screenshot of the run application action properties.

Stop any currently running processes in Windows with the Terminate process action. Specify the process by name or ID. Either choice requires the input of the corresponding identifier.

Screenshot of the terminate process action properties.

The Print document action requires a file path to print the specified document. The Set default printer action requires you to choose from a drop-down list of detected printers and then sets it as the default printer. The Get default printer action retrieves the name of the default printer and then stores it in a variable.

Screenshot of the print document action properties.

Log the current user off with the Log off user action, with an option to Force log off if any applications are preventing the operation.

Screenshot of the log off user action properties.

Shutdown, Restart, Suspend, or Hibernate the computer with the Shutdown computer action. The Force selected action check box allows the selected operation to persist in case applications are preventing shutdown.

Screenshot of the shutdown computer action properties.

Use the Show desktop action to minimize or restore all currently opened windows.

Screenshot of the show desktop action properties.

Lock the workstation to prevent unauthorized access with the the Lock workstation action. This action contains no editable properties.

Play a sound at any point during the flow with the Play sound action. Set the action to play a specified system sound or play a .wav file. If you select a .wav file, you will be required to enter the file path.

Screenshot of the play sound action properties.

Permanently delete all contents of the recycle bin using the Empty recycle bin action. This action contains no editable properties.

Take a screenshot of the specified screen, all screens, or the foreground window only with the Take screenshot action. Copy the image file to the clipboard or save it to a file. To save the screenshot to a file, specify a path and image format.

Screenshot of the take screenshot action properties.

Enable, disable, start, or stop the screensaver with the Control screen saver action.

Screenshot of the control screen saver action properties.

To ping a remote computer, use the Ping action. Specify the remote computer by name or IP, with a configurable timeout. The result and roundtrip time are stored in separate variables.

Screenshot of the ping action properties.

Set Windows environment variables with the Set Windows environment variable action. Specify an environment variable, a value to set, and a type (user or system). The Get Windows environment variable action retrieves the value of the specified variable name and store it into a variable. The Delete Windows environment variable action deletes the variable with the specified name and type.

Screenshot of the set environment variable action properties.

Set a width, height, bit count, and frequency for the specified monitor with the Set screen resolution action. The Get screen resolution action retrieves the settings mentioned above for the specified monitor and stores them into separate variables.

Screenshot of the set screen resolution action properties.