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Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Automate / Unable to set Triggers...
Power Automate
Suggested Answer

Unable to set Triggers to run the PAD flow (free license)

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Hi everyone,

I'm facing an issue with triggering a Power Automate Desktop (PAD) flow automatically and would appreciate any guidance.

My Requirement

I have a desktop flow that performs an automated backup process. I want this flow to run automatically every day (or based on a trigger) without requiring manual intervention.

What I've Tried

1. Windows Task Scheduler

  • Created a scheduled task to run the PAD flow.
  • Created a desktop shortcut to the flow and configured Task Scheduler to execute it.
  • The task is created successfully, but it doesn't launch or execute the desktop flow as expected.
  • The task history shows Last Run Result: 0x80070005.

2. Power Automate Desktop Triggers

  • I was looking for built-in triggers (like cloud flows have), but I couldn't find options such as:
    • Email received
    • File created
    • Scheduled trigger
  • As far as I understand, these triggers are available only in cloud flows, not directly in PAD.

3. Running the Flow Manually

  • The desktop flow itself runs correctly when I execute it manually from Power Automate Desktop.
  • The issue is only with automatically starting the flow.

My Environment

  • Windows 11
  • Latest version of Power Automate Desktop
  • Desktop flow runs successfully when started manually
  • I do not have unattended RPA licensing

What I'm Looking For

  1. What is the recommended way to automatically trigger a Power Automate Desktop flow?
  2. Is Windows Task Scheduler the correct approach, or is there a better alternative?
  3. Has anyone encountered the 0x80070005 error when launching PAD through Task Scheduler?
  4. Is there any supported method to schedule or trigger PAD flows locally without requiring cloud flows or unattended RPA?

Any suggestions, best practices, or working examples would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

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I have the same question (0)
  • bscarlavai33 Profile Picture
    782 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at
    0x80070005 is access denied, and with PAD it's nearly always because the task is set to "Run whether user is logged on or not." That runs in session 0 with no desktop, and PAD needs an interactive session to drive the UI. Open the task, switch it to "Run only when user is logged on," and leave the machine signed in. That usually clears it on its own.
     
    Also don't point the task at a shortcut. Call the URI directly:
     
    ms-powerautomate:/console/flow/run?workflowId=YOURFLOWID
     
    The workflow ID is in the URL when you open the flow in the maker portal.
     
    To your last question, no, there's no local scheduler in PAD. Task Scheduler is the only free route. Anything native means a cloud flow calling the desktop flow, and that's Premium.
  • Suggested answer
    11manish Profile Picture
    4,137 Super User 2026 Season 2 on at
    Based on your requirement and Microsoft's current documentation, Windows Task Scheduler is a supported way to automatically trigger a Power Automate
     
    Desktop flow locally. Microsoft specifically documents using Task Scheduler with the PAD run URL/PAD.Console.Host.exe, so the overall approach you chose is
     
    valid.

    Use Windows Task Scheduler with Microsoft's supported PAD run URL/PAD.Console.Host.exe mechanism for an attended local schedule. Do not depend on a
     
    desktop shortcut. The 0x80070005 error should be investigated as a Windows Task Scheduler/user-session/permission problem. If the requirement is truly
     
    unattended—running while no user is logged in—then you need the appropriate unattended RPA/Process licensing rather than trying to achieve it through Task
     
    Scheduler.

    Refer:
     

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