Getting started with Desktop

This section tells you how to:

  • Launch SS&C | Blue Prism® Desktop, connect to an environment, and log in.
  • Edit a connection before login, and import or create a connection if one is not available. You may be expected to edit and update your own connections, or this may be managed for you via connection files that you import. This depends on the policy within your organization.

If, after following these instructions, you cannot log into Desktop, please contact your system administrator for assistance.

Launch Desktop

To launch Desktop:

  • Click the Blue Prism Desktop shortcut on your computer desktop, or
  • Search for SS&C | Blue Prism Desktop from the Windows Start menu.

The Welcome to Blue Prism Desktop screen displays.

Desktop Welcome screen

If you don't have any connections currently configured, the Connection drop-down will be empty, and you will need to import or create a connection before you can proceed, see Import a connection and Create a new connection.

Change the language

The default language of the Desktop interface is based on your operating system settings. If this language is not supported by Desktop, English (United States) is used as the default.

If required, you can manually change the language using the drop‑down list on the Welcome screen:

Language selection drop-down

Connect and log into Desktop

Before starting, please check that you have the following information:

  • The name of the connection you need to use.
  • Your Desktop username and password, if single sign-on is not used for Desktop in your organization.

If you don't have all the necessary information, please contact your system administrator for assistance.

  1. Select the connection you want to use for this session from the Connection drop-down.

    If you cannot see any connections or the one you require is not listed, you can import or create a connection. See Configure connections (before login) for more information.

  2. Click Next.

    The Login screen displays the login options available to you. The Log in using Active Directory option only displays if Active Directory authentication has been configured in your environment.

    Desktop login screen

    The language drop-down on the Login screen only applies to the Login screen itself. To change the language of the Desktop interface, you must use the language drop-down on the Welcome screen, see Change the language.

    If you have forgotten your login details, click Forgot password and enter your email address on the Forgot password screen. You will then be sent an email containing instructions on how to reset your password.

    If you experience any other problems during login (for example, if logging in via Active Directory fails), please contact your system administrator for assistance.

  3. Log in using one of the following options:

    • Enter your username and password and click Log in.
    • Click Log in using Active Directory. This uses single sign-on, so you do not need to enter any credentials.

    The Library tab displays, listing all the processes available for you to run (these may be listed individually or organized in folders).

    Blue Prism Desktop Library screen

Configure connections (before login)

You can add a new connection to SS&C | Blue Prism® Desktop, or multiple connections, by importing a connection configuration file on the Welcome screen. You can also configure connections from the Settings tab after logging in, see Configure connections (after login).

Alternatively, you can create a new connection yourself using the details of a Desktop environment, if known. You can also edit and delete connections, if you require assistance, please contact your system administrator.

To configure a connection, click Configure connection. The Saved connections screen displays.

Desktop Welcome > Saved connections screen

The following options are available:

  1. Import Connection – Add one or more new connections by importing a connection configuration file usually supplied by your system administrator, see Import a connection.
  2. Add connection – Add a completely new connection, see Create a new connection.
  3. Edit connection – Edit the configuration details of this connection, see Edit a connection.
  4. Delete connection – Delete this connection, see Delete a connection.

Depending on your organization's Desktop environment configuration, you might only have one available connection, or, if you have access to more than one environment, you can have multiple connections available for your account.

Import a connection

You can add connections by importing a connection configuration file. This is a file normally supplied by your system administrator that contains the configuration details of one or more connections. When you import it, these connections are added to your list of saved connections.

Connection names must be unique, and are case‑sensitive. If you import a connection with the same name as an existing one, it will overwrite the existing connection. You will not be asked to confirm the import.

  1. On the Saved connections screen, click Import connection and navigate to the connection configuration import file.

  2. Click Open.

    The connection configuration file is uploaded. The connections configured in the file (there can be more than one per file) are added to your list of saved connections. You can now select the required connection from the Welcome screen and log in.

Create a new connection

You can create a connection by entering the connection details into Desktop. These details will be supplied to you by your system administrator if required.

  1. On the Welcome screen, click Configure connection.

    The Saved connections screen displays.

    Saved connections screen

  2. Click Add connection.

    The Create new connection screen displays.

    Create new connection screen

  3. Enter the connection details, as prompted. All the fields are mandatory.

    Field name Information required
    Connection name

    Enter a name for this connection. Connection names must be unique, and are case sensitive.

    If you try to create a new connection with the same name as an existing one, a warning message displays and you cannot save the connection.

    URL for Authentication Server

    Enter the Authentication Server URL, but do not include https:// in the URL.

    To ensure a secure connection is used, all Authentication Server URLs must include https://. This has therefore been hard-coded into the field and does not need to be entered.

    URL for Digital Worker API Enter the URL of the Digital Worker API to which you want to connect.
    URL for Blue Prism API

    Enter the URL of the Blue Prism API to which you want to connect.

    New connection added

  4. Click Create to add the new connection.

    The connection is created and displays on the Saved connections screen.

    Saved connections screen

Edit a connection

  1. On the Saved connections screen, click the Edit connection icon Edit icon.
  2. The Edit connection screen displays.

    Edit connection screen

  3. Edit the connection details as required.
  4. Click Save changes.
  5. The connection is updated and the Saved connections screen displays.

Delete a connection

This action deletes the connection from your account and cannot be undone.

  1. On the Saved connections screen, click the Delete connection icon Delete icon.
  2. A message displays asking you to confirm the delete.

  3. Click Yes, delete.

    The connection is deleted from your account and the Saved connections screen displays.