Run OpenRPA workflow with screen locked
-
Hi Allan,
When my screen is locked, some of my OpenRPA workflows can't run. For example, "Take Screenshot" activity can't work with "handle is invalid" exception. And there are some other weird issues for some activities. Do you have any experience and suggestions on how to cope with locked screen as I can't leave my screen unlocked when RPA workflow are running all the time?
Thanks. -
Yes, that is correct.
-
Do you have any plan to improve OpenRPA for screen locked use case?
-
You can't. Most RPA feature require access to keyboard, muse and/or the screen. And therefor need to run in an active desktop.
Locked screens, RDP session that is minimized/disconnect etc. all limits or make that impossible, hence most RPA vendors, including OpenIAP, has some kind of HD Robot service that can keep those sessions a live, if you need to do unattended robotics.
So it is already "fixed". -
@allan-zimmermann
Hi Allan, Is there any document about how to use RDService? -
@allan-zimmermann I found Windows API PrintWindow can take screenshot even when screen is locked and I've made a new activity called PrintWindow by leveraging the API. I'm not sure if you're interested in incorporating it into OpenRPA. If you do, I can make a pull request.
-
That sounds very interesting, yes i would love to see that code.
( or even better, you could forge the openrpa repository and make a pull request to update the take screenshot activity and get your name on the contributor list ? ) -
@allan-zimmermann Allan, I've created a pull request. https://github.com/open-rpa/openrpa/pull/486
After carefully thinking of it, I don't touch your existing TakeScreenshot activity. Instead, I made a new one, PrintWindow, as the required arguments are quite different. Put them together may not be compatible naturally.
Please have a look.