Workflow failed to start (retrying)

  • 31 March 2015
  • 9 replies
  • 210 views
R
Badge +2

I have a very basic workflow that sends an email after someone has submitted a nintex form.

It is using sharepoint 2013, nintex 2013 and uses anonymous access.

If I manually start the workflow it works fine but when a new item is created it says "in progress" and then will eventually change to "failed to start (retrying)

I have worked on a number of workflows and this one is literally fill in the form and then send a thank you email, I am not sure why this is happening?

Can anyone help?

Please and thanks,

Renee

9 replies

F
Userlevel 6
Badge +16

Have you tried creating it again from scratch?

R
Badge +2

Hi Sunil,

I have deselected "start manually" and have ensure the "start when items are created" is yes and have set it in the workflow to send to the "email" field in my form.

When I click on the "failed to start" it doesn't appear to have any error message?

It is like the workflow wont trigger with anonymous access but if I use an account/email address within sharepoint it will?

63859_pastedImage_0.png

M
Badge +6

Renee,

There is a nifty option in the common tab of any action (in the main flow of the workflow), that can set the action to be performed under the workflow owner credentials rather than the initiator. The anonymous intiator is probably what is causing the issue here.

You could try changing your controls to run as the workflow owner. But if it still won't start the issue may be before this in which case, the workflow intiator would either need to be changed, or Anonymous given the correct right to run the workflow (Arrgh!).

Once you have turned this feature on, there is a little shield displayed on the control indicating the action is running as the owner - see below:

No individual branch or control of any mutliple branched workflow can be set in this way - you won't see the option. It can only be selected on a main single path of the workflow. you can move multiple controls into an action set and set the control owner on the action set.

Cheers,

Mark

X
Userlevel 5
Badge +12

This seems to be a known problem concerning workflows and Sharepoint: here is a quote I found online

"Here is an interesting issue and subsequent workaround – anonymous users can create list items (if granted the appropriate permissions), but workflows will not start for anonymous users."

So as a work around, what if you scheduled a site workflow to run as often as you needed to check for new items and then trigger the workflow by several mechanisms available to you.   This might not be as real time, but it is a solution to your issue.

Thanks

Mike

R
Badge +2

Hi Mark,

I have done this already and unfortunately still no luck!!

How would we give the anonymous user the correct right to run the workflow?

Regards,

Renee

R
Badge +2

Hi Mike,

Great tip!

I am currently just using the standard alert feature and manually triggering the workflow and it works this way.... annoying but works!

Thanks,

Renee

R
Badge +2

Hi Sunil,

No I did not solve the issue, I have set up an alert for myself when a new item is added and am manually starting the workflow for each item.

Please see print screen of the workflow

Run if: ACTION

66286_pastedImage_1.png

Run if: COMMON

66287_pastedImage_2.png

Send Notification - EMAIL

66285_pastedImage_0.png

J
Badge +8

Good day,

I am having the same issue.  I am using an actin set to run the workflow as the workflow creator and then move the item to a new list and delete it from the old list, but the workflow stays in the 'in progress' state and eventually fails with no error messages.  I have put in logs and it never seems to fire.

I can't put this on a schedule because we don't want users to see any other entries so they need to immediately be moved to the other list. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Jennifer

M
Badge +3

...here's a solution I implemented.  The workflow was failing at the point it was sending an email (like yours, no error, just retrying and it always worked), but would still end up with the "Failed to/on start (retrying).

Using the Store/Retrieve/Start workflow nintex options, created a 2nd workflow...passed the value that needed to be included in the email to the 2nd workflow and it stopped the issue.  Both workflows now run to completion.

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