I have been facing issue with automation execution of my script on one of the VM. I have automated the functionality of Saving a Document which is ideally a Windows Designed UI. I have tried using various technologies/tools like AutoIT, Python, Sikuli but the script halts if VM is minimized. It works perfectly fine is VM is open via RDP and I can see runtime execution. But If I minimize the RDP, the script halts at 'Save As' dialog box, none of the send keys (Cntrl+s) or (Enter) work via AutoIt script. Please help with some solution so as to have successfully execution of script even in minimized mode.
2 Answers
The reason why your script fails when it gets executed over a minimized RDP session is quite simple. GUI automation/testing tools need to have an unlocked, active desktop - otherwise the operation system thinks that it doesn't need to actually render GUI operations (which is time consuming) since there no user can that can see the rendered graphical user interface anyway. And programs don't communicate via GUIs normally ...
This is why QF-Test and other GUI automation/testing tools often have a note in their FAQs describing this kind of problem. For example FAQ 14 in the case of QF-Test, see https://www.qfs.de/qf-test-handbuch/lc/manual-en-faq.html
As described in the FAQ 14 on Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 and in case of an RDP connection you need to modify the Registry. Go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client
and add a new value
RemoteDesktop_SuppressWhenMinimized as DWORD having the value 2
After restarting you will then be able to minimize the RDP connections. However disconnecing or closing the RDP connection will probably still result in a failure.
You could try running tscon.exe RDP-Tcp#0 /dest:console as admin as mentioned here. This will disconnect your RDP connection but should leave all GUI programs running normally on the VM. I have personally used this with autoit on a VM and it worked OK. Of course you will not be able to monitor your script as it runs so this may or may not work for you.
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