Using Apporto Virtual Desktops

1. Launch an internet browser (Google Chrome is recommended) and navigate to https://bcit.apporto.com/.
2. Click the Log in button
   

1. Enter your BCIT email address in the username field
   
2. Enter your BCIT password
   
3. Follow any MFA prompts that appear
   

Note: The desktops and applications tiles within the Apporto App Store are made available based on your enrolment in certain courses that require specific desktops and/or applications.  As a result, you may see additional tiles in your Apporto App Store.

1. Locate the desired application or desktop and click the Launch button.
   
2. The selected app or desktop will open in a new browser tab.
   • Note: Some applications and desktops may take a few minutes to launch, because the server needs to start before the application can be launched.  In these cases, a popup will notify you when the server is starting.  Starting a server typically takes 1-2 minutes.

1. Click on the Start button in the taskbar.
   
2. Click on your BCIT username.
   
3. Click on Sign out.
   
4. Once signed out your session should display the Disconnected message as seen below.  You can now close the browser.
   

AppsAnywhere should automatically launch in a Google Chrome Browser when logging into a Virtual Desktop session.  If it doesn’t:

1. Launch Google Chrome from the desktop.
2. Go to appsanywhere.bcit.ca/.
3. Login using your usual BCIT login credentials (BCIT email address and password).

OneDrive is accessible online through a web browser while connected to your Virtual Desktop session.

1. Open a web browser (Google Chrome is recommended).
2. Go to onedrive.bcit.ca/ and login using your usual BCIT login credentials (BCIT email address and password).

Microsoft 365 (M365) applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint are subscription based which require a sign-in with your BCIT credentials.

1. Launch an M365 application.
   • Note: Signing in to one M365 application will provide access to any of them during that session.
2. Click the Sign in button.
   
3. Login using your usual BCIT login credentials (BCIT email address and password).

You should now be signed into the Microsoft 365 application and it should be ready for use.

Resolving an “Unlicensed Product” error

If you encounter the following error message:

Navigate to the sign-in menu at the top right corner of the Microsoft 365 application, locate the logged in @apporto.com account and click on the options button and click the sign out button as shown below.

Restart the Microsoft 365 application and the error should be resolved.

In order to connect to BCIT File Shares through a BCIT Virtual Desktop, you must first use the Cloud Mounter tool to authenticate to each resource.  Ensure to check the Connect at login/startup checkbox as explained below to prevent you from having to authenticate for any subsequent Virtual Desktop sessions.

Please note that files saved directly to the Virtual Desktop session (Desktop, Documents, Pictures folders) will NOT be available on subsequent Virtual Desktop sessions.

1. On the Desktop, double click on the Cloud Mounter icon.
   
2. Click on the Share In or Share Out button.
   
3. Enter your usual BCIT login credentials (BCIT email address and password) in the Username and Password field, and ensure that you check the Connect at login/startup checkbox as shown in the screenshot below
   
4. Click the Connect Now button.
5. Once connected, the network drive should open on screen.
6. Repeat these steps to connect to other available network drives.

Any connected network drives can be accessed by clicking on a drive within the Cloud Mounter tool under the Existing Connections section and will be available in subsequent Apporto sessions.

In order to connect to BCIT File Shares through a BCIT Virtual Desktop, you must first use the Cloud Mounter tool to authenticate to each resource.  Ensure to check the Connect at login/startup checkbox as explained below to prevent you from having to authenticate for any subsequent Virtual Desktop sessions.

Please note that files saved directly to the Virtual Desktop session (Desktop, Documents, Pictures folders) will NOT be available on subsequent Virtual Desktop sessions. 

1. On the Desktop, double click on the Cloud Mounter icon
   
2. Click on the Network Drive connection from the list.
   
3. Complete the form, including your usual BCIT login credentials (BCIT email address and password), as follows:
   Note: The path to your home drives uses your BCIT ID (the A0… that appears number on your BCIT ID card) in two ways (in full and the last digit only). The format is as follows:
   \\student.fs.bcit.ca\DevX\A0..
   where the X in “DevX” is actually the last digit of your BCIT ID.
   Example: user A00123456 would use Dev6 and their home drive path would be
   \\student.fs.bcit.ca\Dev6\A00123456

4. Click on the Connect Now button. Once connected, the network drive should open on screen.
5. Any connected network drives can be accessed by clicking on a drive within the Cloud Mounter tool under the Existing Connections section and will be available in subsequent Apporto sessions.
   

1. On the Desktop, double click on the BCIT Pay Printers icon.
   
2. Enter your usual BCIT login credentials (BCIT email address and password) and ensure that you check the Remember my credentials button, then click Okay.
   
3. Double-click on the appropriate printer.
   
4. The selected printer will install and the following window will appear on screen.  You may close this window
   
5. The selected printer should now be available under the printer dropdown list from the document that you would like to print
   

For more information on using Pay Print, please refer to the Printing from Computer Labs article.

In order to print to a local printer on a Virtual Desktop session you must first ensure that your printer is connected to your computer, any necessary drivers have been installed and that the printer is functioning properly. BCIT’s Service Desk is unable to provide support for personal devices such as printers.  If your printer is connected and functioning properly, follow the instructions below to print from a Virtual Desktop session.

1. From the document or application that you would like to print from, navigate to the Print menu.
2. In the Printers drop-down menu, select the Apporto Printer (redirected) option and click the Print button.
   A second print menu will appear.
3. In the Destination drop-down, select your locally installed printer.
   
   • Note: If your printer doesn’t appear in the Destination drop-down, click on the ‘See more…’ option to see a list of all locally installed printers.
4. Adjust any other printing settings that you may need and click the Print button on the bottom right corner of the print menu.
   

Your document should print successfully on your locally installed printer.

Students that are enrolled in certain courses are automatically provisioned access to be able to remotely access an on-campus lab computer for the duration of the course.

1. In the Apporto Appstore, locate the tile that corresponds to the Lab that you would like to connect to and click the Launch button.
   
   Note: All Remote Labs tiles in the Appstore will include the lab’s building and room number in its title.  In the example above, the lab is located in SE12 Room 102.  Depending on your course enrolment, you may have access to multiple remote labs and/or workstations so please ensure that you are launching the appropriate tile.
2. A new tab will open in your browser and you will be presented with the login screen for the on-campus lab computer.  The username will be pre-populated in the appropriate field.  Log in with your usual BCIT credentials.
   

You’ll now be logged into the on-campus lab computer and should have access to any specialized applications installed locally on the computer.

All on-campus lab computers are in use

Apporto will automatically assign you to an on-campus lab computer that is not currently in use, both remotely and locally logged into.  If all on-campus lab computers are in use, you will see the following error message that denotes “The server is currently unreachable.”