Skip to main content
Solved

Black screen instead of screenshots

  • June 3, 2025
  • 6 replies
  • 261 views
A
Forum|alt.badge.img+11

Hi everyone,

 

I have an AARI process and bots running on production for six months. 

The AARI process displays screenshots at the end of the bot.

I have just encountered an error : all the screenshots, in AARI or in the runner are all black screen. Note that the bots ran normally (with some errors related to screen interaction) and logs were written down.

Did anyone ever face a similar error ?

The only explanation I may have is that there were some bank holidays, thus no activity for 5 days in a row. Could the virtual machines have somehow gone to sleep/hibernating/standby ?

 

Best answer by Matt.Stewart

Here is some info that might help:
 

  1. Automation Anywhere logs in to a device and creates a windows session to use it for automation.
  2. These sessions are subject to all the constraints of a regular windows session.

Therefore if you log in to the device and then “wait” for a period of time with no activity, the device will go to sleep, resulting in the black picture or picture of the lock screen.

Normally on logging in this will wake up the device, but you have to have that setting configured in the control room.  (In the link you provided those are steps 16 through 16.3.2)

 

However there is one thing that is often forgotten about here.  If this device is logged into by someone else or by the same ID from another location, the original session is removed.  

Is anyone else logging into the VM between the start of execution and the time you are attempting to see the screenshots?  If so, you are overwriting the windows session.

Vatsy
Lu.Hunnicutt

6 replies

Aaron.Gleason
Automation Anywhere Team
Forum|alt.badge.img+14
  • Aaron.Gleason
  • Automation Anywhere Team
  • June 3, 2025

Your thoughts about the bank holidays are probably correct. Normally, scheduled processes wake up the VMs and screenshots work properly. If there is something interfering with the wake-up process, you would likely get what you see above.

On the other hand, most AARI processes are interactive. Are these scheduled bots that use AARI?

Vatsy
Lu.Hunnicutt
Shreya.Kumar
A
Forum|alt.badge.img+11
  • Augustin
  • Author
  • Flight Specialist | Tier 4
  • June 3, 2025

I have tried to follow this page, I hope this won’t happen again…

 

https://apeople.automationanywhere.com/s/article/Issue-with-Commands-like-Object-Cloning-Image-Recognition-Keystrokes-It-Error-Out-With-Black-Screenshot

Vatsy
Lu.Hunnicutt
A
Forum|alt.badge.img+11
  • Augustin
  • Author
  • Flight Specialist | Tier 4
  • June 3, 2025

 

On the other hand, most AARI processes are interactive. Are these scheduled bots that use AARI?

 

Hi Aaron, those are triggered by the end-user

Vatsy
Lu.Hunnicutt
Stefanie
Most Valuable Pathfinder
Forum|alt.badge.img+7
  • StefanieMost Valuable Pathfinder
  • Most Valuable Pathfinder
  • June 5, 2025

We faced this error when our virtual Bot Runner machines had no connection to a physical machine. We made sure, that all our bot runner machines are connected (Horizon Client Window is opened) on a “real” PC.

Let's connect at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanie-kozlik-2951491a0/
Shreya.Kumar
AbdulBasit
Forum|alt.badge.img
  • AbdulBasit
  • Cadet | Tier 2
  • June 16, 2025

This usually happens when the bot runner session isn't active or visible. If the VM was idle during the holidays, it’s likely it locked or disconnected, which prevents screen capture and causes black screenshots.

Disabling sleep and ensuring the display is active before the bot starts usually resolves this.

Shreya.Kumar
Matt.Stewart
Automation Anywhere Team
Forum|alt.badge.img+10
  • Matt.Stewart
  • Automation Anywhere Team
  • Answer
  • June 16, 2025

Here is some info that might help:
 

  1. Automation Anywhere logs in to a device and creates a windows session to use it for automation.
  2. These sessions are subject to all the constraints of a regular windows session.

Therefore if you log in to the device and then “wait” for a period of time with no activity, the device will go to sleep, resulting in the black picture or picture of the lock screen.

Normally on logging in this will wake up the device, but you have to have that setting configured in the control room.  (In the link you provided those are steps 16 through 16.3.2)

 

However there is one thing that is often forgotten about here.  If this device is logged into by someone else or by the same ID from another location, the original session is removed.  

Is anyone else logging into the VM between the start of execution and the time you are attempting to see the screenshots?  If so, you are overwriting the windows session.

AutoMattic Ambassador
Shreya.Kumar
Terms & ConditionsCookie settingsAccessibility statement