Virtual Computer Labs

– reference guide

Last edited – 2nd July 2020

Virtual Computer Lab –
reference guide
Virtual Computer Lab (VCL)
As we move to delivering teaching online, Virtual Computing Labs will allow you
to access applications needed for your courses from home. Virtual Computing
Labs are virtual desktops, accessed via your preferred browser, which run
specified software applications.

By accessing a VCL you are able to remotely connect to those applications

from any location.

Prerequisites
To access a VCL, you must:
 be a currently enrolled Murdoch University student
 have access to a personal computer
 use Google Chrome, as the recommended browser for Windows and Mac
devices.

Accessing the Virtual Computer Lab

You can access the Virtual Computer Lab via the Remote VCL access.

When prompted, log in with your Murdoch University user ID in the format of
<studentnumber>@student.Murdoch.edu.au and your password.

Once logged in, you will be allocated a virtual machine, select the Session
Desktop to commence your session. This may take several minutes if this is
the first time connecting to a virtual machine. Please be patient.

Allocated virtual machine 

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Virtual Computer Lab (VCL)
If you receive the following error when attempting to connect, you must contact
your unit coordinator:

“It looks like your system administrator hasn’t set up any resources for
studentnumber@student.murdoch.edu.au yet. Please choose a different
account or try again. If you believe you have received this message in error,
please contact your system administrator”.

Accessing local resources

After selecting the Session Desktop, a window will appear, asking for
permission to access local resources. By selecting Clipboard or Printer, you
are allowing the virtual machine access to your personal device. Select Allow
to proceed. This will allow you to share information and print between your
personal device and the VCL.

Permission to access local resources 

Connected
When successfully connected, you will be allocated a Windows 10 desktop.

Proceed as you normally would on a desktop device, select Start to access

your desired applications.

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Allocated virtual machine 

Printing
To print from the Virtual Computer Lab:
1. Start the printing process as you would normally.
2. Select Remote Desktop Virtual Printer.
3. Amend your printing preferences, then select Print.
4. Your browser will generate a PDF file.
5. Open the PDF and print its contents to your local printer or save it to
your personal device.

OneDrive
Students should select the OneDrive cloud icon in the task bar of the
virtual PC to sign in. OneDrive or Moodle are the only ways that files can be
transferred from a physical home PC to the virtual one. Students should
use OneDrive to transfer files between the devices.

OneDrive is an online storage service that you can use to store documents,
notes, photos, music, videos, or other types of files.

With OneDrive you can access your files from nearly any device, and you
can share them with others.

OneDrive is part of the Office 365 suite of applications, available on your

preferred browser or you can install the application onto your device.

For more information on how to use OneDrive, visit the OneDrive reference
guide.
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Copy/Paste between devices
When copying and pasting between devices, you must use the keyboard
shortcuts:

On a Windows device, select Ctrl+C to copy and select Ctrl+V to paste to

your desired location.

On a Mac device, select Command+C to copy and select Command+V to

paste to your desired location.

Sign Out
When you are finished with your session, within your virtual PC:

1. Select Start.
2. Select the user profile icon.
3. Select Sign out, to complete your session.

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Further support
If you have any issues using this service or need further support, please
contact the ITS Service Desk.

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