General FAQ

Does the Internet Explorer EOL impact my running automations if none of my bots are automated using Internet Explorer 11?

No, your running automations are not impacted by the EOL.

Does the Internet Explorer EOL impact my running automations if they are running on OS versions other than Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise licensed through Semi-Annual Channel (SAC)?

No, if your automations are running on devices other than Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise licensed through Semi-Annual Channel (SAC). For more details, check the FAQ available from Microsoft: Internet Explorer 11 desktop app retirement FAQ.

If you are on Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise licensed through Semi-Annual Channel (SAC), the bot will continue to run till the IE browser is removed from the OS.

My organization has legacy apps and websites based on Internet Explorer 11 that are automated using Enterprise 11. We plan to move our legacy apps to Microsoft Edge with IE mode before the EOL date. What will happen to my existing automations built on Internet Explorer 11?

After you move your legacy apps to Microsoft Edge with IE mode, your existing automations that were previously built on Internet Explorer 11 will not run until you edit them and make them work for Microsoft Edge with IE mode.

You might have to capture the objects again and update the corresponding actions on these objects so that the automation can run successfully on Microsoft Edge with IE mode.

What do I need to do to ensure my automations built on Internet Explorer continue to run after Internet Explorer reaches EOL?

Keep the following consideration in mind to ensure your automations continue to run on Internet Explorer after EOL.

• Register your site or application running on Internet Explorer to the Microsoft Site List manager.

  For details, see Enterprise Mode and the Enterprise Mode Site List.

• Upgrade your Enterprise 11 environment to the latest Version 11.3.5.6 patch release with support for Microsoft Edge with IE mode.
• Use the bot conversion utility to convert each bot running on Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge with IE mode.

Remember:

• If a bot does not use Internet Explorer related commands, it will not be converted.
• Check the bot conversion report to see if you have to take any action or review the updated bot.
• Run the updated bot to validate that the bot runs successfully in Microsoft Edge with IE mode.

My application is running on Microsoft Edge with IE mode. Can I create and run object-based automations on Microsoft Edge with IE mode using Enterprise 11?

Yes, after upgrading to the latest Version 11.3.5.6 patch, object-based automations are supported for Microsoft Edge with IE mode. You can record objects and perform various actions to automate your application running on Microsoft Edge with IE mode.

Note: A separate plug-in extension is not required.

How can I determine which bots use Internet Explorer related commands or actions and hence require conversion to Microsoft Edge with IE mode?

For Enterprise 11 bots, you can run the bot scanner utility with an option to scan bots for Internet Explorer usage. This utility generates a report which lists all the bots that use commands related to Internet Explorer.

You can also use the bot conversion utility to scan the bots, which provides you a CSV file with the details of bots using the Internet Explorer browser, line number, and other information.

Will this conversion utility provide scenarios that are not convertible or any status report?

Yes, before conversion, the utility provides a CSV file with details (such as the line number) about bots that use Internet Explorer and can be converted.

After conversion, the utility provides a different CSV file with the conversion status (Success or Failure) and other details for each line item for all the bots.

Will this patch support my current Enterprise 11 (v11) version? Do I need to upgrade or change anything?

The latest Version 11.3.5.6 patch is applicable only for the 11.3.5.x releases. Customers on any other v11 version should upgrade to a 11.3.5.x release to use this patch.

If you are on a different v11 version than 11.3.5.x, upgrade your environment to a 11.3.5.x release to use this latest Version 11.3.5.6 (Microsoft Edge with IE mode) patch.

11.3.5.x upgrade involves additional server requirements. Is it mandatory to upgrade to the 11.3.5.x trail to use this Version 11.3.5.6 patch?

Yes, the Version 11.3.5.6 patch will work only with the Version 11.3.5.x trail. For more details on upgrading to the Version 11.3.5.x trail, see the Version 11.3.5 release notes.

Version 11.3.5 Release Notes

Is this Version 11.3.5.6 patch a cumulative patch?

Yes, customers using any of the versions in the 11.3.5.x trail can upgrade using this patch. Note that customers who are not affected by the Internet Explorer EOL can skip this patch.

Is there a way to bulk update the bots to work in Microsoft Edge with IE mode?

Yes, we will soon provide a conversion utility that will convert and update all the bots using the Internet Explorer browser to work in the Microsoft Edge with IE mode.

Note: This conversion utility will only update bots that are using the Internet Explorer browser for automations and will not update bots using other browsers.

The utility will provide complete details of the bots and the line number that have to be updated. After the utility is successfully run, a detailed report will be generated that provides details of the bots, the respective line numbers, update information, and status.

Will Enterprise 11.x continue to work in Internet Explorer?

Yes, we are not blocking the Internet Explorer browser in this patch (Version 11.3.5.6). It will continue to work as long as the browser is available in the system.

Note: For Version 11.3.5.6, you can configure either Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge with IE mode in the settings.(Open Microsoft Edge browser > Settings > Default browser. You can list certain websites to open only in IE mode using the Microsoft Edge with IE mode compatibility settings. Note that these settings should be updated every 30 days). However, the version does not support both Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge with IE mode simultaneously. The bots cannot work partially in Internet Explorer and partially in Microsoft Edge with IE mode on the same device and therefore all the bots should be using the same browser.

What is this Microsoft Edge with IE mode patch?

This patch is for Enterprise Client to enable automations to run on Microsoft Edge with IE mode. Before you install Version 11.3.5.6 patch setup in run as administrator mode, ensure that you perform the pre-upgrade check: Pre-upgrade checklist

After the Windows update, Internet Explorer requests are redirected to Microsoft Edge - will the Internet Explorer mode be automatically set or does it have to be set manually?

The Microsoft recommended approach is to register your site or applications running on Internet Explorer to the Microsoft Site List manager.

For details, see Enterprise Mode and the Enterprise Mode Site List.

Alternatively, you can list certain websites to open only in mode using the Microsoft Edge with IE mode compatibility settings in the Microsoft Edge browser settings. Note that these settings should be updated every 30 days.

I am currently on Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 and plan to migrate to Automation 360 or in the middle of the migration. What is the Automation Anywhere recommendation for migration planning considering the Internet Explorer EOL?

Migration scenario A- Completed: If you are new to Automation 360 v.24 or earlier and have bots built using Internet Explorer or if you have completely migrated from Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 or Automation 360 v.24 or earlier and have bots built using Internet Explorer, review the following information.

For more information on migration-related questions and EOL, see Migration FAQs.

Migration Scenario B - Planning phase: If you are currently on Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 and plan to migrate to Automation 360, review the following information:

• Migration to Automation 360 involves the conversion of the Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 to A360 compatible format so that the converted bot runs successfully in Automation 360.
• If these bots are automated using Internet Explorer 11, you might have to factor in the efforts involved in further converting these Internet Explorer 11 bots to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode and validating the bots against the new browser.
• If you are on Enterprise 11 and are impacted by Internet Explorer EOL, we recommend you to continue on Enterprise 11 and convert the Internet Explorer-related bots to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode so that you can test and validate before the EOL date.
• If you are on Enterprise 10 and are impacted by Internet Explorer EOL, we recommend you to migrate to Enterprise 11 and then convert the Internet Explorer-related bots to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode so that you can test and validate before the EOL date.
• For any new bots that you plan to build on Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10, we recommend building these bots in Automation 360 using any of the supported browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge to minimize the further impact of Internet Explorer EOL.

Migration Scenario C - middle of migration: If you are currently on Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 and are in the process of migration to Automation 360, review the following information:

• If you are in the middle of your migration journey maintaining two parallel environments and there are bots based on Internet Explorer in both Enterprise 11 and Automation 360 versions, ensure the bots are converted to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode in their respective environment. In the scenario, you cannot complete the migration of your pending Enterprise 11 bots to Automation 360 before the IE EOL.
• For Enterprise 11 bots based on Internet Explorer, upgrade your Enterprise 11 to the latest Version 11.3.5.6 patch release, which supports the Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. Once upgraded, use the Enterprise 11 conversion utility to convert these bots to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode so that the bots continue to run in Enterprise 11 even after Internet Explorer EOL.
• Similarly, for Automation 360 bots based on Internet Explorer, upgrade to the latest Automation 360v.24 patch release, which supports Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. Once upgraded, use the Automation 360 Bot update wizard to convert these bots to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode so that the bots continue to run in Automation 360 even after Internet Explorer EOL.
• You can decide later when to migrate the Enterprise 11 bots converted to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode to Automation 360. When you decide to do so, note that you can use the Automation 360 Bot migration wizard without the option Convert bots built Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.

Is there a test build currently available for us to test?

You can use the early access release (Release candidate version) scheduled for 22nd April 2022 to upgrade your Dev environment, convert the bots using utility and test them.

Please note RC version is not production-ready. Once the General Availability (GA) build is released, you can upgrade your production environment.

Does this patch affect the Enterprise 11 login using SSO authentication? The Enterprise 11 client application depends on Internet Explorer to render the login page within the client window.

Microsoft only disables the Internet Explorer browser. The Internet Explorer engine is not removed from the operating system (OS). Enterprise 11 uses this engine to load the login page. There will not be any issues with the Enterprise 11 SSO authentication since the Internet Explorer engine is not removed.

Limitations

• Bot conversion utility does not consider the commands that store the window title using variables. These commands are displayed in the Review Required section, so you can review these commands manually to verify if the window title is based on the Internet Explorer browser window.
• When you use the conversion utility, the Open Program/File that contains a file path to store the location of the program/file property is not converted to use Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. This command is displayed in the Review Required section, so you can review and verify it. If the file path is pointing to Internet Explorer, update the path to point to Microsoft Edge browser instead.
  The following commands developed using Internet Explorer browser controls, such as the menu bar or non-HTML objects cannot be converted. We recommend that you review and recapture the screen, or update the properties, if required.

  • Image Recognition
  • Mouse
  • OCR
  • Insert Keystrokes
  • Object Cloning
  • Manage Window Controls
• The conversion utility will not work for bots created using the Citrix remote agent.
• Object Cloning
  • The Object Cloning command is supported in Microsoft Edge with IE mode. You cannot use the browser extension approach to list certain websites to open only in Microsoft Edge.
  • Commands such as Object Cloning or MetaBot that are developed on Silverlight and Flash technologies, after conversion to Microsoft Edge with IE mode are not supported. Also, Flash technology is not supported for new bots.
  • Objects captured on Internet Explorer using Standard or Legacy technology will not work after conversion. If you select the Properties type as a path from the Object Search Criteria, the output might not be as expected for Microsoft Edge with IE window.
  • Bots created using Legacy technology and if captured with a static text are not supported. The text is not detected in Microsoft Edge with IE after conversion.
  • Object Cloning commands (with coordinates play mode) where Internet Explorer based toolbar is enabled and locked are not converted.
  • Due to the difference in the height of the header bar in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge with IE mode, an incorrect Y-axis might occur after the conversion. This difference can be seen in Object Cloning and Mouse actions with the coordinates play mode (Get text, Set text, Left click, Right click, Middle click, Double click).
• Image Recognition : In the Image Recognition command, when the target image is on the lower and upper boundaries of the source image, the command might not work because of the difference in the height of the header bar in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge browsers. The following target actions are impacted: Right click, Left click, and Double click.
• Insert Keystrokes : For Insert Keystrokes based commands that are based on the menu bar of a browser are not converted. The following shortcut keys are not supported in Microsoft Edge with IE mode:
  • Save as: Ctrl+S
  • Private browser: Ctrl+Shift+P
  • Duplicate Window: Ctrl+K
  • Favorites: Ctrl+Shift+I
  • History: Ctrl+Shift+H
  • Feeds: Ctrl+Shift+G
  • View Downloads: Ctrl+J
• MetaBots :
  • If you have used the image play mode in your bots to capture the image of an object, after running the conversion utility, the image might not render the correct results. Similarly, if you have bots that use the coordinate play mode to capture the coordinates of an object, such bots might fail after conversion due to a change in coordinates.
  • If you select the Properties type as a path from the Object Search Criteria, the output might not be as expected for Microsoft Edge with IE window.
• Manage Window Controls : Bots created using the following Manage Window Controls actions or using the Manage Window Controls condition from IF/ELSE or Loop command will not work in the Microsoft Edge with IE browser.
  • Table
  • Text
  Controls such as drop down, click within the object properties (Table and Text ) will not be captured.
  Note: These are not supported in Version 11.3.1.12.
• Due to differences in the height of the header bar in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge with IE mode, the output of the actions might not be as expected in some cases. The following commands are impacted:
  • OCR> Capture area
  • Mouse:

    Button: Left button, Middle button, Right button

    Event: Click, Double click, Button down, Button up

  • Screen > Capture area
• Image-based commands might not work because browser components such as the menu bar, status bar, favorites bar, command bar, and other non-web page components differ in each browser. This can potentially impact captured screens or properties of the actions. We recommend that you review and recapture the screen, or update the properties if required.
• Coordinates-based commands might not work because the position and size of the selected components might differ in each browser. We recommend that you review and recapture the coordinates of an object if required.
• For image-based commands such as Object Cloning with image mode and Image Recognition might fail because of differences in the look and colors of objects between browsers.
• There is no conversion support for triggers created with Internet Explorer window title. We recommend that you manually update the triggers.
• MetaBots created using Web Java technology will not work in Microsoft Edge with IE mode.
  Note: These are not supported in Version 11.3.1.12.
• Object Cloning and MetaBot commands developed on a Citrix environment with Xen App Remote Agent are not supported.
• When you run the conversion utility and you have a large number of bots, the conversion process might take a long time to complete. Also, the CSV report might be generated with a huge data set. We recommend that you divide the data set into smaller fragments and do this in stages instead of converting them at once. For example, if you have thousands of bots, break them into smaller fragments and convert.
• Bots created in Enterprise 10 will not be considered for conversion by the conversion utility. To convert these bots, you must edit and save them again in Enterprise 11.
• The conversion utility does not support the conversion of protected or paid bots downloaded from the Bot Store as these bots are the intellectual property (IP) of developers, which the utility cannot decode.
• After bot conversion, the last modified date and time of the bot will not be updated in the Control Room.
• When the Internet Explorer wait mode is enabled and the IE page is not responsive, the IE window is not detected. This is not supported in Microsoft Edge with IE mode. When your bot is converted to Microsoft Edge with IE mode and if the IE page is not responsive, Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode is not detected by Enterprise Client.