Excel - Activate: Timeout Reached

Help
1

I’ve been trying to automate Excel, and I need to activate the Excel File before performing any hotkeys on it.

Issue is, the Activate is giving me “Timeout Reached”, even though the selector is fine. Timeout is currently 30 sec, and current selector is just:

Only 1 file is opened at a time. Even if the correct title is added, the Excel File is still not activated.

I’ve tried highlighting the selector before activate, and it is highlighting the CORRECT window. However, Activate is still not working, unless I bring the element into view by manually clicking the Excel File (which can’t be automated).

Things to note:

  • Using Excel Application Scope
  • Visible is checked
  • Using Attended Robot
  • Excel File is in Network Server

Has anyone experienced this before? Thanks in advance.

2

Hey @Nisa,

Can you see the excel activated once it is invoked by the excel application scope or it remains in the background and then you have to manually click it from the toolbar to bring it to foreground.

If that is the case then you can use the image exist to find the excel icon in toolbar once you have captured it then use the click activity.

3

Hey @amarasto

This is exactly the case! I’ll try your method and see if it works :slight_smile: perhaps i’ll use a selector instead of a click image.

4

Hey @amarasto

Just a little update. Tried your way with click image (and also tried with a selector), and neither works. It’s still giving me a “Timeout Reached” exception during the click image. Do you happen to have any other ideas for this?

5

Hi, i am facing the same problem. Any solutions?

6

Hey @sangasangasanga

Unfortunately, I do not have a solution yet. Turns out, even clicking on the icon manually does not work, as UiPath is giving me a timeout with the taskbar element.

Just curious, are you able to open the UiExplorer on your end?
And are you using a network folder to store your excel workbooks as well?

7

Hey @Nisa,

Can you share your workflow? Let me have a look.

8

Hey @amarasto,

Sorry, it’s confidential as it belongs to a client. I don’t have access to it outside the organisation.

However, I can assure you that the selector is correct. Click image still relies on a particular target/selector to find the image, and unfortunately, UiPath cannot detect it too for some reason.

9

I understand but Without having a look i can not suggest you anything.is it not possible to share the specific sequence where you are facing the problem?

10

@Nisa since excel is in network drive and opens in background, Instead of Activate, try using attach window

11

Hey, just posting in case someone else experiences this. Turns out, as the PC belong to an organisation, certain .exe files are being prevented from being used. This includes the .exe in .nuget, which consists of UiExplorer.

Surprisingly, selectors can still be identified from “indicate on screen” (from activities), but anything which requires opening of UiExplorer is prevented.

We’ve allowed the executables to run so currently, everything seems to be working fine now.

12

@amarasto Thanks for your help so far! Sorry for the late response, it’s working now. FYI, the selector is just the excel.exe, XLMAIN, and a dynamic title to follow, so there are no strange sequences involved.

@Deebiga_Kandasamy I’ve actually tried that, along with show window & maximise too. None of those work previously but it’s alright now.

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