Computer use lets DataMind Oda work the apps on your computer much as you do: it looks at the screen, moves the mouse, clicks and types. The feature is off until you turn it on, and the first turn-on asks you to accept its risks.
Worth knowing:
The switch sits in the settings area described in Memory, skills and connectors.
While Computer use is on, Oda can:
Together these let Oda operate any app on your computer. The feature is available in the DataMind Oda desktop app and the VS Code extension; the web app does not offer it.
Oda works the screen through a small component called the driver. How it reaches your computer depends on where you run DataMind Oda:
Two rules shape how drivers behave:
Content Oda reads, including what is on your screen, can carry hidden instructions aimed at it. Turn computer use on only when you need it, and watch what Oda does.
| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
already registered | Something else already holds computer use; only one driver can run at a time. | If nothing else should be using it, restart DataMind Oda and try again; if it repeats, ask your administrator. |
driver unavailable | DataMind Oda could not start the driver, so the feature stays off. | Check that nothing else holds computer use, then try again; if it repeats, ask your administrator. |
The download failed. | The driver could not be downloaded, which can happen in the VS Code extension, where it is fetched on first use. | Try again; if it keeps failing, ask your administrator. |
native library initialization failed | The driver's native part could not start on this computer. | Restart DataMind Oda and try again; if it repeats, ask your administrator. |
The feature could not start, so it was turned back off. | The turn-on could not start the feature, so it was rolled back and the switch is off again. | Meet the requirement, then turn the switch on again. |
Oda could not act without taking over the screen | The driver refused one action because it would have needed to take over your screen; the action did not run. | Ask Oda to try the step again; the refused action changed nothing. |
Oda can look at your screen, move the mouse and click, and type on the keyboard, in any app. The feature is off until you turn it on.
No. The switch is offered in the DataMind Oda desktop app and the VS Code extension.
The feature could not start, so DataMind Oda rolled it back and left the switch off. The reason shows under the row; the messages are listed above. Meet the requirement and turn the switch on again.
Something else already holds computer use. Only one driver can run at a time, so a second one does not switch on even if it is the same kind. If nothing else should be using it, restart DataMind Oda and try again.
No. You accept the feature's risks once for your account, and the row records who accepted them and when. Turning it off never asks, and turning it back on later asks nothing.
It depends where you run Oda. In the desktop app the driver comes with the app; in the VS Code extension it is downloaded the first time it is needed, and you can also fetch it ahead of time from Settings > Components, where it is listed as Computer use driver.
No. Stopping cancels what has not happened yet, but clicks and typing the desktop already received cannot be undone.
The driver refused one action because it would have needed to take over your screen, so the action did not run. Ask Oda to try the step again.