Open Applications and Start process

Hi All,

I have started learning UIPath and finding it very interesting . While practicing I am facing an issue with opening an application.
I have just downloaded an application from git hub named “UIDemo.exe” and placed it an a folder in my computer.
Now from studio when I am clicking on “open application” activity and trying to indicate the particular application, it is not picking the correct application instead always reading “explorer.exe” instead of my UIDemo.exe. Below are the screenshots.

Although when I manually changed the name from explorer.exe to uidemo.exe and added the file name it is working fine but I wanted to UIpath to do it for me instead I doing it manually.
Please let me know if I am missing anything.

Also let me know how to open any application that is present in the start menu like from the below screenshot, I want to open “Acrobat Reader”, “Access 2016”, “IBM Notes” etc

@Chetan1809

Use Start Process activity and pass path of Uidemo.exe file path.

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HI @Chetan1809

You can follow the below steps to use open application activity to open any application in the computer.

  1. First, open the activity you want to add to the workflow open application activity.
  2. In the open application activity, click on indicate on screen, then indicate the window of the application you opened. It will automatically get the properties of the application and locate the exe file of it.

That’s all you have to do.

Or else, you can use the Start Process activity to start an application you want.

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I am still facing an issue both with “start process” and “open application”

  1. While using open application when I am trying to indicate on screen , the selector is always picking up “explorer.exe” instead of “uidemo.exe” , now when I used the “startprocess” activity instead of openApplication activity and gave the complete path of the exe in the fileName attribute it worked fine.

  2. Now suppose I want to open any application using “startprocess” whose location of exe file I am not sure as to where it is present in my local directory how do I open it. Please refer the below screenshot .Example, Requirement is to open an excel file.

I do not know where the exe file is so I search an excel in the start window right clicked and opened the file location

But this location does not contain the exe file instead it contains the location of the shortcut

When I copy the path and give the filePath in startprocess although it opens an excel for me but it also through as error. Kindly assist

HI @Chetan1809

Sorry for my late response. I understand the scenario.

There is actually a difference between these two activities… For more info, refer below link

So, in case you do not know where the exe is, just like the excel.exe, it is the best to use Open Application. Clicking on indicate on screen and indicating the application will automatically locate its exe file and save it under its properties. This is the best. Once the application is open, this activity enables you to perform certain tasks within it as well.

However, start process is bit different. For that, you have to give the file path for the exe. And things to be done after it opens, you have to mention those separately.

So for your case, the best choice would be the Open Application. :slight_smile:

Does it help bro?

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muchas muchas gracias Fernando

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HI @Chetan1809 Glad to hear it worked for you :slight_smile:

If my answer solved your issue, could you also mark the appropriate answer as the solution too bro? That could help others as well :slight_smile:

Thank you!!
Happy automation!

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