FAQ
Frequently asked questions
If there is a question you think everyone would benefit from an answer to, please send it to Bharat Kerai ([email protected])
Who do I contact if I have a problem?
Initially, if you are having issues it would be best to check in with Adam ([email protected])
How do I access my desktop?
You should have received an email with instruction on how to set your password for the new cloud environment, see the instructions.
Your desktop is accessed using a piece of software called Amazon Workspaces. It's icon looks like this:
If you do not have this installed on your laptop, you can download it from: https://clients.amazonworkspaces.com/
It is available for Windows, Mac, Linux and even for your iPad or Phone. We would not advise using it through a web browser as this can present problems especially when printing.
Once you have downloaded the client, you will be asked once for your registration code:
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After that you should be prompted to sign in, you simply enter your firstname.lastname and the password which you set when you received your initial workspaces email.
When I launch Office, it is asking me to sign in
When you launch an office application for the first time you may be asked to sign in to Office 365. This would apply to Word, Excel, powerpoint or Outlook. You will need to sign in to this with the Office 365 username and password which you were initially provided with during the previous O365 transition.
If you have problems with your password, please contact Adam ([email protected])
My 'xyz' software is not installed on my desktop
If you are missing a piece of software you may be able to install it yourself, but we would advise that you check in with Adam ([email protected]) in case it needs to be configured correctly in order for you to use it.
If you are looking for WinZip, please see below.
WinZip
Rather than use winzip we have chosen to use 7Zip. it has the same (if not better) functionality and does not irritate with 10 second delays or licensing requests. Typically if you have a file to unzip you can either double-click it, or preferably right click it and expand it into a folder:
I cannot print / my printer is not showing
In order to print from your desktop using Amazon Workspaces, your printer needs to be installed on your physical machine. If you are able to turn on your laptop and print without using Workspaces, you should be able to print once you have logged in to workspaces.
How do I use my webcam / microphone?
The first time you use your webcam/microphone you may have to make a few settings. It's a stupid point, but to start with you need to have a webcam integrated into your laptop or have a USB webcam plugged into your machine.
Firstly you need to tell workspaces to redirect your webcam to your desktop. You do this when you are logged in by clicking the small cloud icon top right of the window:
From there you should be able to set your camera and microphone to redirect to your workspace.
Where are my applications? Why are there no icons on the desktop?
Icons on the desktop are so 1980's! We have neatly placed all the launch icons in the taskbar which is at the bottom of your screen.
My screen is pixelated / the screen looks 'zoomed-in'
If you have a modern laptop, your may be used to seeing your desktop in 'High DPI' mode. You can enable this on the workspace client by selecting the 'Display Settings' option under the Settings menu.
Once you have selected this, you can enable (or disable if you wish) High DPI mode
I have two taskbars / how can I make the Amazon Workspaces Client full screen?
If you seem to confusingly have two taskbars visible, you are probably running your new desktop inside a window on the top of your existing one. You can make the workspaces client full screen by using the 'Enter Full Screen' option on the view menu of Amazon Workspaces:
How do I quit Workspace Client?
When you have finished using your desktop for a period, or for the day you can either quit the workspaces client by moving your mouse to the top-left of the desktop and holding it there for a few seconds:
alternatively simply log out of your desktop using the user icon under the start menu
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