We have already written a detailed guide on how to automate tasks in Windows 10, but this was done using the Task Scheduler. Now Microsoft has brought to Windows 10 a new Power Automate Desktop app that aims to connect various Windows components and elements to the automation stack. The Microsoft Power Automate Desktop app was previously only available to Windows 10 Enterprise users as part of a paid plan. Now Microsoft has announced that the automation tool is coming for free to all Windows 10 users. This is great, isn’t it? So, if you want to learn how to install and use Microsoft Power Automate Desktop in Windows 10, follow this helpful guide.
Use Microsoft Power Automate Desktop on Windows 10 (2021)
Before we get started, note that the new Microsoft Power Automate Desktop is currently only available for Windows 10 Insider builds. Specifically, if you’re on Windows 10 build 21337 (March 18) or later, the app should be pre-installed on your PC. Microsoft says it will be available to all stable users in the coming weeks, and users will soon be able to install the app from the Microsoft Store. Now having said that, let’s jump in and automate some tasks.
1. To install Microsoft Power Automate Desktop on Windows 10, click here If you can’t download the App from the Store to go to the app’s Microsoft Store listing, You can also get it from Microsoft’s official website. The EXE file for Microsoft Power Automate Desktop can be downloaded from the attached link. here.
2. After installing the application, open it and sign in with your Microsoft account. Now, “New Stream” and give your task a ‘Stream name’.
3. have about 370 pre-built actions available in the left pane. To give you some examples, you can use Microsoft Power Automate Desktop to run “Web automation” tasks like opening Edge, navigating to a specific web page, and more.
4. Similarly, System actions running any installed program, taking a screenshot, shutting down the computer, etc.
5. For this guide I will demo a simple task. I will automate the task of extracting a PDF and copying its contents to a text file. To do this, search for the word “extract” in the Actions pane on the left and double-click on “Extract text from PDF” in Power Automate Desktop.
6. Click on the file icon here and select the PDF file you want to extract. will give you something The variable named “ExtractedPDFText”. This is where the app will store the text extracted from the PDF here. Finally, click “Save” and proceed to the next step.
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7. Next, search for “write text” and Drag “Write text to file” go to the Main window on the right. Make sure you place it below the PDF extract action. This means that text typing will only work after PDF extraction is complete.
8. Under File path, click on the file icon and select where you want to save the extracted text via Microsoft Power Automate Desktop. I i save it to my desktop in the “a.txt” file.
9. Then, under the “Text to Write” field, Click the “{X}” button and select the “ExtractedPDFText” variable from the list. It is the text value we get after extracting the PDF. Now, click “Save”.
10. If you have multiple PDF files to process, click “add content” from the drop-down menu. Microsoft Power Automate Desktop does not override previously extracted text, but instead adds newly extracted text after existing content.
11. Now your flow is ready. Click the “Run” button and the stream will do all the operations in a few seconds.
12. As you can see below, the text extracted from the PDF has been successfully copied to the text file.
13. If you want, you can choose: add a screen message box that alerts you that the job has been successfully completed. It makes the automation process look more fun.
14. Also here is how the display message will appear.
Easily Automate Any Process in Windows 10
This was an example of how you can create a flow with Microsoft Power Automate Desktop and save time performing routine tasks on your computer. While the tool targets Windows 10 enterprise users, it also offers a variety of options to general users and I believe people can take advantage of it.
So go ahead and try this useful new automation tool on your Windows 10 PC. If you want to learn how to program batch files in Windows 10 or if you want to shut down your computer on a certain schedule, check out our dedicated tutorials. And if you have any questions, comment below and we will try to help you.
