Services: Virtual Lab

Last Updated Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 7:53 pm

Virtual Lab makes University-supported software available to students, faculty, and staff on their personal computers and tablets. In fact, it can be accessed through any Windows PC, Mac, iPad, or Android tablet on a high-speed Internet connection. The software has the same functionality as if it was installed on a personally-owned computer. While not all of the University-supported software is installed in the virtual lab, over 100 applications, including Microsoft Office, are available.

Virtual Lab Web Access

On a Windows or Mac computer, it is possible to connect to the LTS Virtual Lab.

1. Open a web browser and navigate to https://vlab.uwec.edu. You will see the following screen. Enter your UWEC email address and click Next.

2. This will take you to the UWEC authentication page. Enter your password and click Sign in.

3. Use your preferred OKTA authentication method.

4. Answer prompt if you would like to stay signed in to this account.

5. Based on your access level, you should now see different pools of computers that you have access to. Select the pool of virtual machines you would like to connect to.

6. Select which local resources you would like Azure Virtual Desktop to have access to and click Allow.

7. Enter your credentials (UWEC email address) and click Submit to connect.

8. You may see a black screen in your browser window during the initial connection. When the connection is completed, you should be able to see the desktop of the virtual machine you are connected to. Use any programs or apps installed.

9. When your session is done, please make sure to go to the Start Menu and click Sign out. After signing out, you can close your browser window.

Connecting from Windows (Windows App)

1. Navigate to the following link to download the Windows App Installer: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n1f85v9t8bn?hl=en-US&gl=US. From this page, click the Download button.

2. Find the file Windows App Installer.exe in your browser download window or Windows Explorer and run the file.

Browser example

Windows Explorer

3. After you run Windows App Installer.exe, a progress window should open. Download the file, check for updates, and launch the Windows App.

4. In the Windows App, click Next through the wizard or skip to go to the end and open the program.

5. If you are logged into a university computer with an account that has access to the Virtual Lab, you should now see the pools of virtual machines listed that you have access to. If you are on a personal computer and have Office 365 installed, you may also already see the list of virtual machines you have access to. If you do not see anything listed, you may need to log into the Windows App (see next steps).

6. If you do not have automatic access, then click Sign in.

7. Enter your full UWEC email address and click Next.

8. Sign in to the UWEC authentication prompt.

9. Use your preferred OKTA authentication method.

10. The Windows App should now open. Click Connect to the appropriate virtual machine.

11. Enter your UWEC password into the prompt.

12. You may see a black screen in your window during the initial connection. When the connection is completed, you should be able to see the desktop of the virtual machine you are connected to. Use any programs or apps installed.

13. When your session is done, please make sure to go to the Start Menu and click Sign out. After signing out, you can close the Windows App.

Connecting from Android (Windows App)

1. Open the Google Play Store and search for Windows App. Tap on Windows App or Windows App (Preview).

2. Tap Install.

3. When the app finishes installing, tap Open.

4. Once the app opens, enter your UWEC email address and tap Next.

5. Log into the UWEC authentication prompt.

6. Select your preferred OKTA authentication method.

7. Based on your access level, you should now see different pools of computers that you have access to. Select the pool of virtual machines you would like to connect to.

8. Select which local resources you would like Azure Virtual Desktop to have access to and tap Connect.

9. You may get a permission prompt for All files access. If you are ok with the Windows App having these permissions, select Allow permission slider, then press the < arrow to the left of the All files access title.

10. Enter your UWEC email address and password, and tap Continue.

11. You may see a black screen in your window during the initial connection. When the connection is completed, you should be able to see the desktop of the virtual machine you are connected to. Use any programs or apps installed.

12. When your session is done, please make sure to go to the Start Menu and tap Sign out. After signing out, you can close the Windows App.

Connecting on a Mac (personal or unmanaged)

NOTE: On a UWEC-managed Mac, the Windows App will already be installed. You can find it in the Applications folder. On a UWEC-managed Mac, you can skip to Step 2 in this section.

1. On a Personal/Unmanaged Mac Only: Go to the App Store, search for Windows App, and click Get.

2. Open the Windows App. Click the plus (+) symbol and then click Add Work or School Account.

3. Enter your UWEC email address and click Next.

4. Enter your username and password on the UWEC authentication page.

5. Use your preferred OKTA authentication method.

6. Based on your access level, you should now see different pools of computers that you have access to. Select the pool of virtual machines you would like to connect to.

7. You may see a black screen in your window during the initial connection. When the connection is completed, you should be able to see the desktop of the virtual machine you are connected to. Use any programs or apps installed.

8. When your session is done, please make sure to go to the Start Menu and click Sign out. After signing out, you can close the Windows App.

Connecting with iPad (Windows App)

Unmanaged/Personal iPad

1. Go to the Apple App Store.

2. Tap on the magnifying glass to search for the app.

3. Enter "windows app mobile,” and tap on the search results.

4. Tap Get and install the app. You can now go to the Launch Windows App section.

UWEC-managed iPad

1. Open the Self-Service application.

2. Use the Menu in the upper left corner and tap on Search.

3. Search “Windows app" and tap the Install button for Windows App Mobile. Proceed to the Launch Windows App section.

Launch Windows App

1. After the app is installed, go back to the home screen and launch it.

2. Tap Skip on the Welcome to Windows App splash screen or swipe through the info, if needed.

3. Tap Work or School Account.

4. Enter your UWEC email address and tap Next.

5. Enter your UWEC email address and password and tap Sign in.

6. Select your preferred OKTA authentication.

7. Based on your access level, you should now see different pools of computers that you have access to. Select the pool of virtual machines you would like to connect to.

8. When prompted, enter your UWEC email address and password and tap Continue.

9. You may see a black screen in your window during the initial connection. When the connection is completed, you should be able to see the desktop of the virtual machine you are connected to. Use any programs or apps installed.

10. When your session is done, please make sure to go to the Start Menu and click Sign out. After signing out, you can close the Windows App.

FAQs

Is Microsoft Office available on the virtual lab?
- Yes! Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and all of the other applications in the Office suite are available to use.
Is Creative Cloud (Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, etc.) available on the virtual lab?
- No. The software license for Adobe Creative Cloud does not allow for this software to be installed on the virtual lab. LTS will continue to explore options for increasing the availability of Creative Cloud applications.
VPN is a related technology; will this interfere with the virtual lab?
- VPN will not interfere with the virtual lab. In fact, one could be running both simultaneously.
What should I do if I have a problem with the virtual lab?
- Please contact the LTS Help Desk and let them know about the problem. The Help Desk is located in Old Library 1106. You can also contact them by phone at 715-836-5711 or by e-mail at helpdesk@uwec.edu.