Update to 2.32 broke all my Browser functionality. Downgrade?

[RomanPorchski]

Hi I use PAD on Windows10 and since the upgrade to 2.32 all of a sudden all browser interaction fail.

It is able to launch both Chrome and Edge, but then timeouts and fails with a Communication error:

Spoiler

Correlation Id: c7ca3ba3-133d-461d-af24-161c293a9a57

Exception of type 'Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.WebAutomation.Abstractions.WebBrowserException' was thrown.: Microsoft.PowerPlatform.PowerAutomate.Desktop.Actions.SDK.ActionException: Failed to assume control of Chrome (Communication with browser failed. Try reloading extension). ---> Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.WebAutomation.Abstractions.WebBrowserException: Exception of type 'Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.WebAutomation.Abstractions.WebBrowserException' was thrown.
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.WebAutomation.Core.WebExtensionsBrowser.WebExtensionsBrowserLauncher.LaunchNew(ProcessWindowStyle processWindowStyle, String initialUrl, TimeSpan timeout, WebPageCourseOfActionIfDialogAppearsEnum dialogHandlingMode, String dialogButtonName)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.Plugin.Chrome.Chrome.StartNew(ProcessWindowStyle processWindowStyle, String initialUrl, TimeSpan timeout, WebPageCourseOfActionIfDialogAppearsEnum dialogHandlingMode, String dialogButtonName)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Common.Proxy.LocalWebAutomationRuntime.LaunchNewChrome(String initialUrl, String chromeTabTitle, String chromeTabUrl, String dialogButtonToPress, Int32 operation, Int32 windowState, Int32 attachMode, Boolean waitForWebPageToLoad, TimeSpan waitForPageToLoadTimeout, Int32 courseOfActionIfDialogAppears, Boolean clearCache, Boolean clearCookies, TimeSpan timeout)
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Common.Proxy.WebAutomationRuntimeRouter.Invoke(MethodInfo targetMethod, Object[] args)
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at System.Reflection.DispatchProxyGenerator.Invoke(Object[] args)
at generatedProxy_3.LaunchNewChrome(String , String , String , String , Int32 , Int32 , Int32 , Boolean , TimeSpan , Int32 , Boolean , Boolean , TimeSpan )
--- End of remote exception stack trace ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.Shared.Rpc.RpcDispatchProxy`1.GetRemoteResultOrThrow(RemoteMethodCallResponse response, Type expectedResultType)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.UIAutomation.Shared.Rpc.RpcDispatchProxy`1.Invoke(MethodInfo targetMethod, Object[] args)
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at System.Reflection.DispatchProxyGenerator.Invoke(Object[] args)
at generatedProxy_1.LaunchNewChrome(String , String , String , String , Int32 , Int32 , Int32 , Boolean , TimeSpan , Int32 , Boolean , Boolean , TimeSpan )
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.WebAutomationRuntimeServiceProxy.<>c__DisplayClass23_0.<LaunchNewChrome>b__0(IWebAutomationRuntime s)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.WebAutomationRuntimeServiceProxy.ExecuteSafe[T](Func`2 action, TimeSpan timeout)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.WebAutomationRuntimeServiceProxy.LaunchNewChrome(String initialUrl, String chromeTabTitle, String chromeTabUrl, String dialogButtonToPress, Int32 operation, Int32 windowState, Int32 attachMode, Boolean waitForWebPageToLoad, TimeSpan waitForPageToLoadTimeout, Int32 courseOfActionIfDialogAppears, Boolean clearCache, Boolean clearCookies, TimeSpan timeout)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.LaunchChromeBase.<Execute>b__61_0(IWebAutomationRuntime s)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.WebAutomationActionBase.PerformWebAutomationWithLogging[T](Func`2 action, WebAutomationRuntimeLogData requestData, Func`3 resultData)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.LaunchChromeBase.Execute(ActionContext context)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.WebAutomation.Actions.LaunchChromeBase.Execute(ActionContext context)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Robin.Engine.Execution.ActionRunner.Run(IActionStatement statement, Dictionary`2 inputArguments, Dictionary`2 outputArguments)

How do I resolve this? Or: How do i downgrade my PAD to v 2.31.114.23122 or similar?

Thank you!!

[Srini007]

Hi @RomanPorchski 

Currently downgrading is not available I believe, Only way I believe is that If you have the msi file of the previous version then uninstall the current package and install the older package

But one way you try to resolve the issue is that try reinstalling the extenstions of the Chrome and Edge might resolve your issue

For documentation of installing the browser extenstions check below

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/desktop-flows/install-browser-extensions

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If this reply answers your question or solves your issue, please ACCEPT AS SOLUTION

Thanks,

Srini

[RomanPorchski]

thank you for your answer. I do not have the msi of an old version - why would I?

it's nuts that there is no official way to get these. So frustrating.

reinstalling the extensions of the Chrome and Edge did not resolve my issue 😕

I did not try to reinstall PAD itself. because i found out it has no way of exporting/backup the flows. This is bonkers.

[RomanPorchski]

I got Internet Explorer partially working (but it fails to do some other things I need to do).
Chrome, Edge and Firefox all act the same: "Communication with browser failed".

anybody help?

[Robpt]

Similar problems here, instead of keep stuffing it with new features like the new "custom actions" released in 2.32 that will be used by a very small percentage of users for months, if not more, MSFT should be focusing on the stability and reliability of existent functionalities that existed for years, and so many user's processes rely on.

Especially when considering that once you update PAD and edit any process,it’s quite a mission to revert back to a previous PAD version, if any actions stopped working correctly.

Oh, and good luck trying to do that if you haven't been saving previous setup files in your computer, as there is no official repository for that. Seriously?!

Things like web browser automation, whether using regular actions or the "Run Javascript Function on Webpage" has been getting worse and worse until it got completely unusable now with v2.32, rendering lots of my enterprise processes useless.

The newly released "test and validate selectors" seems to work great for example…just wish I could actually use them, as most ways of doing web data extraction are broken.

I've been for long an heavy user and enthusiast of PAD and Winautomation well before Softomotive got bought my MSFT, but I'm getting increasingly frustrated and reluctant to try using PAD for my work and build or maintain any remotely serious process with it.

[RomanPorchski]

this leaves door wide open for malware spreaders: If someone would promise me a msi of an older PAD version, no matter how shady the website looks, I would be tempted to install it.

[berbesi2142]

I have the same problem, but I have another machine with an older version, do you have any idea how to extract the MSI?

Edited*

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S7VuWGLf60jScYyrxZehhPR5-fwRYzXI/view?usp=share_link

If this is not allowed, I apologize.