Create issue-while-running-action-Run-PowerShell-script.md

Author: yiannismavridis

support/power-platform/power-automate/desktop-flows/issue-while-running-action-Run-PowerShell-script.md

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+---
+title: Issue while running the action 'Run PowerShell script'
+description: Resolves an error that occurs in the action 'Run PowerShell script', when you run a desktop flow in Microsoft Power Automate for desktop.
+ms.author: yiannismavridis
+ms.reviewer: 
+ms.custom: sap:Desktop flows
+ms.date: 04/03/2025
+
+---
+# Issue while running the action 'Run PowerShell script'
+
+This article provides a resolution for an error that occurs in the action 'Run PowerShell script', when you run a desktop flow in Microsoft Power Automate for desktop.
+
+## Symptoms
+
+During a flow run, an error occurs while running the action 'Run PowerShell script'. This can also occur due to a Windows update.
+
+## Detection
+
+The error message contains the following:
+
+```
+Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.SDK.ActionException: Failed to run PowerShell script. ---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The system cannot find the file specified
+   at System.Diagnostics.Process.StartWithCreateProcess(ProcessStartInfo startInfo)
+   at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.System.Actions.SystemActions.RunPowershellScript(Variant powershellCode, Variant& scriptStandardOutput, Variant& scriptErrorOutput)
+   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
+   at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.System.Actions.RunPowershellScript.Execute(ActionContext context)
+   at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Robin.Engine.Execution.ActionRunner.Run(IActionStatement statement, Dictionary`2 inputArguments, Dictionary`2 outputArguments)
+```
+
+## Cause
+
+The `Run Powershell script` action internally starts an instance of `powershell.exe` while also providing the specified script of the action's input as an argument to the process.
+
+If the system is not able to find `powershell.exe`, it will throw the mentioned runtime error to the user.
+
+The most probable cause for this is the PATH environment variable not including the folder of the `powershell.exe` executable.
+
+To ensure that this is the cause for this problem, users can launch a Command Prompt (CMD) window and try to launch `powershell.exe` from there. If the message 
+`'powershell.exe' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.` 
+is shown as a result, this is the root cause of the error.
+
+## Resolution
+
+Edit the `PATH` environment variable and add the missing path, the folder of the executable `powershell.exe`.
+
+On most occasions, the missing path will be `"C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\"` but to get the actual path, you could launch a PowerShell terminal and run `$PsHome`.
+