# Power Automate Desktop Application: Microsoft Corporation Also called pad, power automate, rpa desktop Microsoft Corporation, Productivity Microsoft's RPA tool included with Windows 11. The process is PAD.Console.Host.exe. It is not AutoHotkey. ## What you need to know PAD.Console.Host.exe is Power Automate Desktop. AutoHotkey is a different script host. Windows 11 includes Microsoft's RPA designer. AutoHotkey is community scripting. Cloud Power Automate is a browser service. The desktop console is this exe. - **What is it?**: Desktop automation **Still current?**: Yes, see Current status **Official download?**: Use the vendor link in this article Feex says If PAD.Console.Host.exe is open, that is Microsoft RPA, not AutoHotkey. I would not debug a .ahk file to fix a desktop flow. I also would not reinstall Word to add this console. ## What is Power Automate Desktop? Power Automate Desktop is Microsoft's Windows RPA designer. PAD.Console.Host.exe is the usual console process. AutoHotkey is AutoHotkey.exe and a different language. Power Automate cloud flows live on make.powerautomate.com. ## If you have never used it If Windows 11 already has Power Automate, this is Microsoft's desktop RPA designer, not AutoHotkey. Open Power Automate from Start or install it from Microsoft's desktop-flows install article. PAD.Console.Host.exe is the console. AutoHotkey is a different scripting community tool with a .ahk file. Cloud-only Power Automate flows in a browser are a cousin, not this exe. ## What is it used for? **Desktop flows** Record and play UI steps Microsoft calls desktop flows. An .ahk script is AutoHotkey, not this designer. **Connect to cloud Power Automate** Attended flows can call the service. That license story is Microsoft's, not an AutoHotkey forum pack. **In-box on Windows 11** Many PCs already have the console. You do not download AutoHotkey to get PAD. ## Who is it for? - Windows 11 users exploring the in-box RPA tile - Citizen automators in a Microsoft 365 tenant - Anyone who should not paste AutoHotkey into this designer ## Current status Actively developed. This article is Power Automate Desktop on Windows, not only cloud flows. ## How old is it? Microsoft shipped Power Automate Desktop in 2020 (from WinAutomation roots) and included it with Windows 11. AutoHotkey is a long-running open-source hotkey language. They do not share a script format. ## Versions Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here. Power Automate Desktop (Windows 11) Cloud Power Automate ## System requirements Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need. ### Minimum | Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. | ## Resource profile - **CPU demand**: Follows what you open inside the app **RAM demand**: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries ## Installed processes These executables belong to this product when it is installed. | PAD.Console.Host.exe | Power Automate Desktop console | | -------------------- | -------------------------------- | | PAD.Robot.exe | Flow runtime helper on some jobs | ## Startup components PAD does not need to start with Windows unless you scheduled an attended flow. That is not AutoHotkey's #Persistent scripts. ## File locations | Typical install | C:\Program Files (x86)\Power Automate Desktop\PAD.Console.Host.exe | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ## File formats desktop flows, Power Automate packages ## Common problems ### Flow needs a premium license Some connectors and unattended runs are paid. That is a Microsoft license, not an AutoHotkey donation. ### Recorder breaks after a UI change Desktop flows are brittle. Rewriting in AutoHotkey is a different product choice, not a PAD repair. ## Getting unstuck ### Open Power Automate from Start on Windows 11 before you download a third-party RPA zip Microsoft's install article is the source if the tile is missing. ### Confirm PAD.Console.Host.exe, not AutoHotkey.exe Open file location. Power Automate Desktop is this product. AutoHotkey is the sibling people swap. ### Use Learn docs for desktop-flow errors A cloud flow error on make.powerautomate.com is a different surface than this console. ## Alternatives AutoHotkey, PowerToys Keyboard Manager, and a cloud-only Power Automate flow overlap. AutoHotkey is the sibling this article is not. ## Official help and downloads Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel. | Download | [learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/desktop-flows/install ](https://learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/desktop-flows/install)Official installer or vendor page | | ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Help | [learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/ ](https://learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/)Vendor support | | Official site | [learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/desktop-flows/install ](https://learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/desktop-flows/install)Start here, not a random exe host | ## Related hardware UI recording wants a stable display scale. A GPU does not run the flow logic. ## Technical details Technical details Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build. ## Related These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link. [How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager) ## Sources and verification Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research). - [Power Automate Desktop official site ](https://learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/desktop-flows/install)· Vendor product page - [Power Automate Desktop help ](https://learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/)· Vendor support - [Power Automate Desktop install ](https://learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/desktop-flows/install)· How Microsoft ships PAD on Windows 11 - [Power Automate docs ](https://learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/)· Cloud flows versus desktop flows - [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark. ## Was this article useful? A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note. Quick facts The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article. - **Developer**: Microsoft Corporation **Category**: Desktop automation **Process**: PAD.Console.Host.exe **License**: Included with Windows 11. Premium connectors and attended/unattended RPA can need extra licenses **First released**: 2020 **Official site**: [learn.microsoft.com/power-automate](https://learn.microsoft.com/power-automate/desktop-flows/install) **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026 --- Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/microsoft-power-automate/) [Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)