Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

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  • 1.  Change download folder

    IBM Champion
    Posted Fri January 22, 2021 06:46 AM
    Hi

    I am using Chrome (webStart --name ISO --type "Chrome") for an automation that needs to download a file (webNavigate --url "http://whatever/download").
    No problem with that but I noticed that a Chrome instance initiated by IBM RPA is using a different download location (C:\Users\whatever\AppData\Local\IBM Robotic Process Automation\downloads) compared to running Chrome directly.
    Is it possible to change the location IBM RPA uses?



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    nordine vandezande
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  • 2.  RE: Change download folder

    Posted Sat January 23, 2021 05:37 AM
    HI Nordiine,

    Chrome uses the currently logged in user to determine the download directory.  You configure the folder in the settings section of Chrome. It also allows you to prompt for the download directory, so you could get your bot to enter the download folder at the prompt. 

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    NIGEL CROWTHER
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Change download folder

    IBM Champion
    Posted Sat January 23, 2021 06:15 AM
    Hi Nigel,
    the thing is that Chrome, when initiated by IBM RPA, is NOT using the configured download folder and puts the downloaded files somewhere in AppData (see initial post). Even when changing the option to prompt for the download directory.

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    nordine vandezande
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Change download folder

    IBM Champion
    Posted Sat January 23, 2021 09:09 AM
    After further investigation: Chrome, when started by IBM RPA, is using a user profile which is different than the default one and is not persistent.
    So each time, there is another user-data-dir and changed Chrome-settings will not be used the next run.

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    nordine vandezande
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Change download folder

    Posted Mon January 25, 2021 04:50 AM
    Edited by NIGEL CROWTHER Mon January 25, 2021 04:50 AM
    Do you mean it is using a random user profile?  That sounds like a bug.

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    NIGEL CROWTHER
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Change download folder

    IBM Champion
    Posted Mon January 25, 2021 06:05 AM
    I don't know if it is a bug or intended behaviour but it is easy to reproduce: just use webStart to fire up Chrome (without closing afterwards) and check with chrome://version/

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    nordine vandezande
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Change download folder

    IBM Champion
    Posted Tue January 26, 2021 11:38 AM
    It definitely is intended behaviour because, after downloading, you can use the webWaitDownload-command to transfer the downloaded file to a folder of your choice. So IBM RPA knows what the dynamic download folder is for a current browser session.

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    nordine vandezande
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Change download folder

    Posted Tue July 06, 2021 10:11 PM
    Hi @nordine vandezande.

    The default download folder path %localappdata%\IBM Robotic Process Automation\downloads is intended. The user that webStart loads does not track navigation history, like cookies and visited sites.

    You can use the webWaitDownload command to move the file from the default download folder path to a new path. Indeed, webWaitDownload moves the file even if a destination folder is not provided, defaulting to the Desktop folder.

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    Gabriel Sanchez
    Gabriel.Sanchez-WDG@ibm.com
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    Original Message