This PC
Let a bot work with the files, programs, and screen of your own computer. What it's for, how to set it up, what a bot can do, and every setting in the folder menu.
What it is
Normally a thread works on its own computer in the cloud. That's safe and simple. But sometimes the work is on your computer:
- a folder of invoices or photos to sort,
- a spreadsheet you keep on your laptop,
- a program only you have installed,
- a website you're already signed in to.
For that, switch the thread to This PC. The bot can then use your files and programs and, if you allow it, your screen, mouse, and keyboard.
The bot's thinking still happens on Machine. Only its "hands" reach your computer, through Machine Desktop, and only while Machine Desktop is running (including when it's in the tray).
What works on each system
| Windows | Mac | |
|---|---|---|
| Files and commands in a shared folder | Yes | Yes |
| The Machine browser | Yes | Yes |
| Apps, mouse, and keyboard | Yes | Yes |
| Your own Chrome (with the extension) | Yes | Yes |
This PC is for a bot's own threads, not group chats. You set it up in Machine Desktop, and the work always happens on that computer. Once a thread is set up, you can also send it messages from your phone or another computer: the bot still does the work on the computer the thread belongs to, as long as that computer is online. See Send from your phone or another computer.
Examples
Rename every photo in this folder to the date it was taken, like 2024-06-01-001.jpg.
Open budget.xlsx, add a column for the monthly change, and make a chart on a new sheet.
Find every PDF invoice in this folder from 2023 and make a spreadsheet of supplier, date, and amount.
Open the Settings app and turn on dark mode.
Before you start
Read Safety and stopping first. It takes three minutes and explains exactly what a bot can and can't do, and how to stop it instantly.
On a Mac, screen control needs two permissions. See Mac permissions.
Set up a This PC thread
Open "Where this thread works"
Above the message box, click the chip that says Cloud. If the bot is working, stop it first: you can't switch mid-turn.
Choose This PC
The menu shows Cloud (Its own cloud computer) and This PC. Choose This PC.
The first time, Machine Desktop asks to connect this computer to Machine. The message explains what a This PC thread will be able to do. Read it and confirm.
Choose a folder
A window opens: Choose a folder Machine can work in. Pick a folder and click Share this folder.
Pick the smallest folder the job needs, for example
Documents\Invoices 2024, not all of Documents.
The window opens next to the last folder you chose, so picking a nearby folder is quick. If you cancel, the thread stays on Cloud.
Decide on approvals
For your first few tasks, open the folder menu (click the folder chip) and turn on Ask before each action. You'll approve every file change, command, and click. Turn it off once you're comfortable.
Send your request
The chip now shows This PC and your folder's name. Send a message as normal.
Each thread has its own setting, so one thread can work on This PC while another stays on Cloud.
Where the thread is working
A line under the chat header shows where the thread works and what the bot is doing, for example This PC · Invoices · Opening budget.xlsx. It also shows the connection status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Connecting… | Machine Desktop is connecting. |
| Offline | This computer isn't reachable. Check Machine Desktop is running and online. |
| Needs reconnecting | The connection needs to be set up again. |
| Connected from another window | Another copy of Machine Desktop on this computer took over the connection. Close the extra copy, or carry on there. |
| Stopping… | You pressed Stop and Machine Desktop is making sure everything has stopped. |
| Stopped on this computer | Everything was stopped. Send a message to carry on. |
| Stop could not be confirmed | The stop didn't finish in time, so Machine Desktop ended the work forcefully. If it adds "check for held keys", press and release Ctrl, Alt, and Shift. See Safety and stopping. |
When you look at the thread from your phone or another computer, the line shows the computer's name and folder instead, with online or offline.
What a bot can do on This PC
| Ability | What it means |
|---|---|
| Files | Read, create, change, list, and delete files inside your shared folders. |
| Commands | Run commands and programs in a shared folder. Start long-running ones, like a test website or an install, check their progress, and stop them. |
| The Machine browser | A separate browser window the bot uses for web work. Each thread has its own, with its own history, remembered for that thread. It starts signed in to the sites in your Saved sign-ins. It never sees your own browser, saved passwords, or tabs. It can upload files from your shared folder into websites. |
| Apps, mouse, and keyboard (Windows and Mac) | Take screenshots, click, type, scroll, use shortcuts, open apps, and switch windows, much like a person at your desk. Only one thread can control the screen at a time. |
| Your Chrome | When you ask, work in your own Chrome, signed in as you. See Use your own Chrome. |
Pick files for it: in a This PC thread, type @ in the message box to
choose a file from your shared folders. Its full location goes into your
message.
Attach anything: on a This PC thread, you can attach any kind of file, and the bot opens it from your computer.
See what it saw: screenshots the bot takes appear as small pictures in the chat, labelled Screenshot from This PC. Click one to enlarge it.
The folder menu
Once a folder is shared, click the folder chip above the message box. The menu has a header, two sections, and a footer.
At the top you see the folder's name and full location. Click Change… to share a different folder with this thread.
Control
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ask before each action | Off (the default): "Machine acts right away; Stop anytime". On: "You approve each file, command and click". If a rule set on the bot's project in Machine still holds some actions for approval, it says "A project rule still asks for some actions". This setting covers every This PC thread of this bot. It's Machine's own check, separate from your approval level: Off turns only this check off. The approval level and the Use This PC row in What needs your OK still apply, so under Ask for approval the bot still asks before it uses your computer. |
| Apps, mouse and keyboard | Windows and Mac. On (the default): the bot can see and use your screen, and "the screen glows purple while in use". Off: files and commands only. This setting covers this whole computer. |
This PC
These settings belong to this computer, not to one thread.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Keep this PC awake | Stops this computer going to sleep while it's connected to Machine, so long and overnight jobs keep running. Off by default. See Keep this PC awake. |
| Your Chrome | Whether the Machine extension is connected. If it isn't, the row says Extension not added, with Add and install manually. Once connected it says Say "use my browser" to work in your tabs. See Use your own Chrome. |
| Saved sign-ins | Sites you've signed in to for the Machine browser. See Saved sign-ins. |
| Default apps | Click to open. Shows the Browser, Editor, and Terminal the bot opens on this computer, each with a list to change it. For example Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave or Safari; VS Code, Cursor, Notepad or TextEdit; Windows Terminal, PowerShell, Command Prompt, Terminal or iTerm. Only apps installed on this computer are listed. |
The footer
The bottom of the menu shows the Stop shortcut: Stop anytime: followed by the keys. If another app already uses that shortcut, it says so instead, and you use the Stop button.
Click What can it reach? for a short reminder of what a This PC thread can do: change files in this folder, run commands that can reach anything your user account can, and, with apps, mouse and keyboard on, see your screen and use any program. Click Hide to close it.
Keep this PC awake
Turn on Keep this PC awake when you want a bot to work while you're away, for example overnight. The line under it tells you what's happening:
| It says | Means |
|---|---|
| Off: it sleeps as usual | Your computer follows its normal sleep settings. |
| Starts when this PC is connected | It's on, and starts working once Machine Desktop connects. |
| Won't sleep while connected (the screen can turn off) | Working. The computer stays awake, but the screen can still switch off. |
| Paused on battery: plug in to keep it awake | A laptop on battery sleeps as usual, so the battery isn't drained. It starts again when you plug in. |
It can't stop sleep that you choose yourself, like closing a laptop's lid or choosing Sleep.
Saved sign-ins
Some jobs need the Machine browser to be signed in to a website, like a supplier portal. Instead of giving a bot your password, sign in yourself once:
Open the sign-in window
In the folder menu, find Saved sign-ins and click Sign in (or Add if you've saved some already). A separate browser window opens. The row says "Sign in, then close that window to keep it".
Sign in
Go to the website and sign in as you normally would. If the window gets lost behind others, click Show to bring it back.
Close the window
Close the window to save. The row now lists the sites, for example Signed in: northwind-supplies.com.
From then on, every This PC thread's browser on this computer starts signed in to those sites. Bots never see your password. To remove them all, click Clear ("Forget every saved sign-in"). Threads whose browser is already open keep the sign-in until that browser closes.
When messages wait
If a This PC thread can't run, the bot doesn't start and you see a ⚠ note saying why, instead of the bot quietly switching to the cloud. Fix the problem and send your message again. Common reasons:
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| No folder chosen | The message box says "Choose a folder on This PC to start…". Click Choose folder above the message box. |
| The folder was moved or deleted | Click Change… in the folder menu and pick a folder. |
| This computer is offline | Check Machine Desktop is running and online. |
| The thread's computer is offline | You sent from your phone or another computer, and the thread's computer is asleep or Machine Desktop is closed there. Wake it and send again, or switch the thread to Cloud in Machine Desktop on that computer. |
Send from your phone or another computer
A This PC thread belongs to the computer it was set up on. You can still write to it from anywhere you use Machine: the web, your phone, or Machine Desktop on another computer. The bot does the work on the thread's computer, in the same folder, exactly as if you'd typed there.
- The line under the chat header shows the computer's name and folder, and whether it's online or offline.
- If that computer is offline, nothing is sent. You see "… is offline (asleep, or Machine Desktop is closed there), so nothing was sent. Wake it, or move this thread to Cloud."
- On another computer, the Where this thread works menu lists the thread's computer with "Open this thread in Machine Desktop on that computer". Its folder and settings can only be changed on that computer.
To keep a computer reachable while you're away, turn on Keep this PC awake there.
Switch back to the cloud
Click the This PC chip and choose Cloud. The bot goes back to its own cloud computer for the next message.
Common questions
Can a bot use my computer while I'm away? Yes, while Machine Desktop is running (the tray is fine), the computer is awake, and the thread is set to This PC. You can even send it work from your phone. Turn on Keep this PC awake in the folder menu so the computer doesn't fall asleep while it's plugged in. Quit the app, or let the computer sleep, and the bot can't reach it.
Does This PC cost extra? The bot's turns cost the same as usual. Fast mode costs a little extra, paid to OpenRouter.
Can I use This PC on more than one computer? Yes. Each thread is tied to the computer you set it up on, and always works there, wherever you send from.