UNBC ITS has provided the following guide to help our staff, students & faculty navigate through the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure environment.
In this guide we have the following sections:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Logging into VDI
- Windows 11 Navigation
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure?
The UNBC Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), provides instructors, students, and staff access to a Windows 11 desktop. It comes with popular software already installed and can be accessed from any location or device.
How do users access the Virtual Desktop?
Check to see if you have the VMware Horizon Client installed. If your UNBC machine has been imaged by the ITS department then it will already have the Horizon Client installed.
If you do not have the VMware Horizon Client installed or you are using a personal device, please go to https://www.vmware.com/go/viewclients and download the latest version of the appropriate client:
- VMware Horizon Client for Windows
- VMware Horizon Client for macOS
If you have the VMware Horizon Client installed, please go into the application and select from the following desktops.
How do I set up a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure environment?
IT support staff can enable the Virtual Desktop for their department or faculty by submitting a service request to ITS Support <support@unbc.ca>
I have blank icons on my desktop.
This system uses a Dynamic Environment Manager, so you may notice unexpected behavior such as orphaned icons copied over from a different environment. It is safe to delete these blank icons as shown below, and it will be clear from your desktop moving forward.
Logging into Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
1. Run the VMWare Horizon Client, and double-click the "desktop.unbc.ca" icon. If you are running VMWare for the first time after installation, please click "Add Server" and type: desktop.unbc.ca
2. Enter in your UNBC credentials. Your user name is the same <username> you would enter when logging into a regular UNBC workstation.
3. Double-click the desktop pool you wish to access.
4. The desktop will log in, and the appropriate applications will load.
Windows 11 Navigation
1. This is the new Windows 11 operating system. The start menu is highlighted by the red circle, at the center of the task bar! This is where everything starts.
2. The start menu contains your customizable pinned apps, but you can access all applications by using the search feature or clicking the "All apps" button.
3. The All apps button will list the installed applications in alphabetical order and will allow you to traditionally scroll down.
4. You can search for the application by clicking the search button. This search tool is capable of much more, but it will quickly find the installed appllications you need. By default search results will show installed apps first, then files, then web searches last.
5. You can access your files by clicking on the folder icon, and further navigating to your intended destination, whether it's your 'Documents' or the 'G drive.'
6. To log out of your desktop, click the start menu, and then the person icon.
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