5 Best Power Automate Flows for Windows 11

Power Automate is simply a escaped app that allows you to automate galore tasks connected your Windows 11 PC. From automatically emptying Recycle Bin to archiving aged files, you tin bash galore things with this app. I’ll amusement you immoderate utile flows to usage with the app.

Automatically Move Downloaded Files

If you prevention each downloaded files successful the default Downloads folder, the folder is bound to get cluttered. You tin get astir that by automating the task of moving your downloaded files. You tin take which folder to determination your files to, truthful your Downloads folder is ever neat and clean.

To marque that flow, motorboat Power Automate and prime New > Flow successful the top-left corner. On the Create a Flow screen, prime the "Flow Name" tract and benignant a descriptive name. This could beryllium thing similar Move Downloaded Files. Then, click "Create."

On the unfastened window, successful the near sidebar, grow "File" and double-click "Move File(s)." On the Move File(s) window, prime the "File(s) to Move" tract and benignant the following. Replace "Username" with your username.

C:\Users\Username\Downloads\*.*

Click the "Destination Folder" tract and take the folder you privation to determination files to. Select the "If File Exists" drop-down paper and take what happens if the record to determination already exists successful the destination folder. Your options are "Do Nothing" and "Overwrite." Then, take "Save."

To trial your travel (which volition really determination your files from the Downloads folder), click "Run" astatine the top. Then, prevention the travel by clicking "Save" (the floppy disk icon) astatine the top.

Automatically Rename Files with Date & Time

You tin rename aggregate files and adhd the existent day and clip to them utilizing Power Automate. This makes record enactment easier and helps with mentation control. To bash that, unfastened Power Automate and prime New > Flow. Click the "Flow Name" tract and benignant thing similar Rename Files. Then, take "Create."

In the near sidebar, grow "Folder" and double-click "Get Files successful Folder." Choose the "Folder" tract and prime the folder successful which the files to rename are located. Leave the "File Filter" tract arsenic is if you privation to see each files. Then, click "Save."

From the near sidebar, grow "Loops" and double-click "For Each." Select the "Value to Iterate" tract and adhd the "Files" variable. Then, click "Save."

In the near sidebar, grow "File" and double-click "Rename File(s)." Select the "File to Rename" tract and take the "CurrentItem" variable. Choose the "Rename Scheme" tract and prime "Add Datetime." To adhd a customized day and time, crook connected "Use Custom Datetime." The remainder of the fields are self-explanatory. Then, click "Save."

You tin present tally the travel utilizing the "Run" fastener astatine the top.

Close Select Apps

You tin marque a travel that automatically closes your chosen apps, eliminating the request for you to adjacent each app manually. You tin prime arsenic galore apps arsenic you privation to beryllium closed astatine once.

First, find the process names of the apps you privation to close. To bash that, open Task Manager by right-clicking the Windows taskbar and choosing "Task Manager." Open the "Details" tab and enactment the process sanction for each app you privation to close. The process names look similar chrome.exe, slack.exe, and truthful on.

Launch Power Automate and take New > Flow. Click the "Flow Name" tract and benignant thing similar Close Apps. Choose "Create" to statesman making the flow.

From the near sidebar, grow "System" and double-click "Terminate Process." Click the "Specify Process By" drop-down paper and take "Process Name." Click the "Process Name" tract and benignant the process sanction you noted earlier. Then, take "Save."

Repeat the supra process to adhd the Terminate Process enactment for each app you privation to close. After you’ve added each your apps, click "Run" astatine the apical to trial the flow.

Automatically Empty the Recycle Bin

The default record removal behaviour successful Windows 11 is to nonstop the record to Recycle Bin. This causes Recycle Bin to get cluttered. You tin hole that by emptying it connected a regular basis, and you tin make a Power Automate travel to automate that task.

Open Power Automate and click New > Flow. Select the "Flow Name" tract and benignant thing similar Empty Recycle Bin. Then, take "Create."

In the near sidebar, grow "Scripting" and double-click "Run PowerShell Script." Click the "PowerShell Code to Run" container and benignant the pursuing code. This codification empties the contents of Recycle Bin. Then, astatine the bottom, take "Save."

Clear-RecycleBin -Force -ErrorAction Ignore

To tally the flow, click "Run" astatine the top. It volition instantly wide Recycle Bin.

Automatically Archive Old Files

You tin automatically archive files older than the specified fig of days, making it easier to find caller files. You tin archive your files by moving them to a antithetic folder oregon adding them to a ZIP archive. I’ll amusement you however to bash the former.

To start, motorboat Power Automate and prime New > Flow. Click the "Flow Name" tract and benignant Archive Old Files. Then, take "Create."

In the near sidebar, grow "Folder" and double-click "Get Files successful Folder." Choose the "Folder" tract and prime the folder from which you privation to archive files. Keep the "File Filter" tract arsenic is to see each files. Turn connected "Include Subfolders" to see subfolders from your selected folder. Then, click "Save."

From the near sidebar, grow "Loops" and double-click "For Each." Select the "Value to Iterate" tract and take the "Files" variable. Then, click "Save."

In the near sidebar, grow "Date Time" and double-click "Get Current Date and Time." Then, take "Save."

On the left, successful the Date Time section, double-click "Subtract Dates." Click the "From Date" tract and prime "CurrentDateTime." Choose the "Subtract Date" tract and prime CurrentItem > CreationTime. In the "Get Difference In" field, take "Days." Then, prime "Save."

In the near sidebar, grow "Conditionals" and double-click "If." Click the "First Operand" tract and prime the "TimeDifference" variable. Click the "Operator" drop-down paper and take "Greater Than." Select the "Second Operand" tract and benignant the fig of days aft which a record is acceptable to beryllium archived. Then, click "Save."

Expand "File" successful the near sidebar and double-click "Move File(s)." Select the "File(s) to Move" tract and take the "CurrentItem" variable. Select the "Destination Folder" tract and take the folder wherever you privation to prevention the archived files. Select the "If File Exists" drop-down paper and take what to bash if the record to archive already exists successful the destination folder. Then, prime "Save."

Click "Run" astatine the apical to tally the flow.

How to Manage and Schedule Flows successful Power Automate

After creating your flows, you’ll find them each connected the main interface of Power Automate. It’s from present that you tin edit your flows, delete your flows, and tally your flows.

To tally a flow, successful Power Automate’s near sidebar, click "Flows." Find the travel to run, right-click it, and take "Run." Feel escaped to prime immoderate different enactment you privation to execute connected your flow.

Power Automate doesn’t connection the diagnostic to docket flows, but you tin use this app successful conjunction with Task Scheduler to docket your flows. This allows you to tally your created flows astatine the specified day and clip automatically.

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And that’s however you usage Power Automate to automate assorted tasks connected your Windows 11 PC. You tin play astir with galore different travel variations to make conscionable the benignant of travel you want. And similar that, you tin besides use batch files to automate galore tasks connected your PC.