“The work load increased the second year, which made the class more difficult than expected, but we all made it through.”
Kayt Racz, Communication Studies
server-based Windows sessions
The application called "Desktop" is a full remote Windows session, with all the standard Office programs, such as Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, etcetera. It has its own taskbar and Start menu, and completely covers your "local" desktop, which can be a bit confusing at first. Most college staff have been using remote desktops for years on their "thin client" systems. While it offers much in the way of convenient web access, effective usage requires a few key concepts. Try it and you will quickly grasp the differences between your local computer and that of the remote session which runs on the campus server.
Point your web browser to the My Apps login page and log in using your college username and password (click here for access links). When logged on look for the icon called "Desktop". Click this icon and the Citrix software connects to a server at the college, where a Windows session starts and runs in the campus network environment*. This remote session of Windows fills the screen and hides your "local" desktop.
The first time you use it you will see a dialog box (pictured above) informing you of this and that pressing Shift-F2 will allow you to minimize the remote desktop and see your local one. This is apt to be a little confusing at first. When you press Shift-F2 your remote session is "framed" as a local window with the familiar minimize, maximize and exit buttons at the top right corner. Clicking the minimize button minimizes the remote session to the local taskbar and thus reveals your local desktop again. If you accidentally click the "X" and exit your session, there will be a warning dialog that the session about to be disconnected can be reconnected. Simply log back in to Myapps to reconnect. Obviously a properly logged out session will not be available for reconnection.
You should also know that the behavior and reliablility of any remote application is dependent upon the quality of the internet connection used to access it. A good broadband connection (cable or DSL modem) is more dependable and responsive. You can use a dialup connection to access the Desktop application, but be prepared for occasional delays in response to your mouse clicks and keystrokes.
The remote Windows desktop session that you get through My Apps generates a "roaming" user profile. This profile contains whatever user settings you make and/or modify, such as when you set up Outlook to work with your email or calendar. This roaming profile is stored on the network and loads whenever you use the Desktop application. The roaming profile is saved at logoff, so personal settings are saved for your next session.
*Your remote desktop session will connect to your P: drive. There will not be access to your "local" computer's system drive (called the C: drive), but there will be connection to any other local drives that were available before logging in to MyApps. These drives' icons appear with the dollar sign "$" in their names. For example, if you use a removable USB storage device (variously called flash drives, thumb drives, memory sticks, etc.) and it's connected before you log in to My Apps, you will be able to save to it. By the same process, a locally connected printer may appear in the remote session. However there is no guarantee that you'll be able to use your local printer, as the server farm may not have drivers for your particular printer.
Please call Information Resources with any questions.
