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Access your Azure Virtual Desktop resources directly from a web browser using the Remote Desktop Web client, eliminating the need to install a separate client.
Before you can access your resources, you will require Internet access and a supported web browser. Any HTML5-capable web browser should work, but we support the following web browsers and operating systems:
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Web browser
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Supported operating system
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Notes
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Microsoft Edge
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Windows, MacOS, Linux, Chrome OS
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Version 79 or later
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Google Chrome
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Windows, MacOS, Linux, Chrome OS
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Version 57 or later
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Apple Safari
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MacOS
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Version 11 or later
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Mozilla Firefox
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Windows, MacOS, Linux
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Version 55 or later
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Access your Resources
When you sign in to the Remote Desktop Web client, you'll see your workspaces. A workspace combines all the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin. You sign in by following these steps:
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Open your preferred web browser.
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Sign in with your user UFV assigned account.
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Once you've signed in successfully, your workspace will list the virtual desktops and applications that have been made available to you.
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Select "Virtual Lab PC" to launch a session to Azure Virtual Desktop.
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A prompt for Access local resources may be displayed asking you to confirm which local resources you want to be available in the remote session. Make your selection, then select Allow.
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The Virtual Desktop will take a moment to sign you in. Once you are signed in, you are ready to use the Virtual Desktop.
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To Sign out the Virtual Desktop, click the start menu, click the power button icon and select "Disconnect".
Additional information
Display preferences
A remote desktop will automatically fit the size of the browser window. If you resize the browser window, the remote desktop will resize with it. You can also enter fullscreen by selecting fullscreen (the diagonal arrows icon) on the taskbar.
If you use a high-DPI display, the Remote Desktop Web client supports using native display resolution during remote sessions. In sessions running on a high-DPI display, native resolution can provide higher-fidelity graphics and improved text clarity.
Note: Enabling native display resolution with a high-DPI display may cause increased CPU or network usage.
Native resolution is set to off by default. To turn on native resolution:
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Sign in to the Remote Desktop Web client, then select Settings on the taskbar.
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Set Enable native display resolution to On.
Grid view and list view
You can change the view of remote resources assigned to you between grid view (default) and list view. To change between grid view and list view:
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Sign in to the Remote Desktop Web client and select Settings on the taskbar.
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In the top-right hand corner, select the Grid View icon or the List View icon. The change will take effect immediately.
Light mode and dark mode
You can change between light mode (default) and dark mode. To change between light mode and dark mode:
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Sign in to the Remote Desktop Web client and select Settings on the taskbar.
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Toggle Dark Mode to On to use dark mode, or Off to use light mode. The change will take effect immediately.
You can use a built-in or external PC keyboard, trackpad and mouse to control desktops or apps.
Keyboard
There are several keyboard shortcuts you can use to help use some of the features. Most common Windows keyboard shortcuts, such as CTRL+C for copy and CTRL+Z for undo, are the same when using Azure Virtual Desktop. There are some keyboard shortcuts that are different so Windows knows when to use them in Azure Virtual Desktop or on your local device. These are:
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Windows shortcut
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Azure Virtual Desktop shortcut
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Description
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CTRL+ALT+DELETE
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CTRL+ALT+END (Windows)
FN+Control+Option+Delete (macOS)
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Shows the Windows Security dialog box.
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Windows
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ALT+F3
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Sends the Windows key to the remote session.
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ALT+TAB
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ALT+PAGE UP
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Switches between programs from left to right.
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ALT+SHIFT+TAB
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ALT+PAGE DOWN
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Switches between programs from right to left.
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Note:
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You can copy and paste text only. Files can't be copied or pasted to and from the web client. Additionally, you can only use CTRL+C and CTRL+V to copy and paste text.
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When you're connected to a desktop or app, you can access the resources toolbar at the top of window by using CTRL+ALT+HOME on Windows, or FN+Control+Option+Home on macOS.
You can allow the remote computer to access to files, printers, and the clipboard on your local device. When you connect to a remote session, you'll be prompted whether you want to allow access to local resources.
Backup/Move Files
Due to the nature of the VMs, users should not save data locally with the assumption it will be available at their next login, users will need to keep a copy of their data either on their OneDrive network drive. Below is information on how to use OneDrive and the network drive to store important data for future use/use on different devices.
OneDrive
When students login to a machine their OneDrive should automatically load, this is not the same for employees who will need to manually login (click on the cloud icon and enter UFV email credentials when prompted).
To confirm that OneDrive is logged in check for the cloud icon on the bottom right corner of the screen, if it is blue OneDrive is logged in and ready to go.
Once OneDrive is logged in, users can move files between it and the machine that they are using. To copy files to OneDrive, open the folder where the file is located. Select the file and click ctrl+c to copy or right click and select “copy”.
Open the OneDrive folder ([Name] – University of the Fraser Valley) and go to the location you would like to store the file (this may be another folder in OneDrive). Once in the desired location, press ctrl+v or right click on a blank space and select “Paste” to add a copy of the file to OneDrive.
To add a copy of a file from OneDrive on to the machine for local access (useful when dealing with databases), simply follow the same steps in reverse. Copy the file from its location on OneDrive, and paste it in the desired location on the machine (ex: Desktop).
Make sure to allow OneDrive to finish syncing before you sign out of the machine. You can check the sync status by clicking on the OneDrive cloud icon at the bottom of the screen. You will either see a list of files that are syncing, or a message saying your files are synced
Network Drive
Every employee and student at UFV is given a network drive, where they can store files to access on any UFV networked device.
For students this drive is the R: drive, and will have the student’s student ID number beside it. For employees it is the F: drive, and it will have their login username beside it (ex: doej).
To copy a file from the machine you are using to your network drive, right click on the file and select “copy” or select the file and press ctrl+c. Open your network drive and right click on an empty area in the location you would like to have the file, select paste, or open the location and press ctrl+v.
To copy a file from your network drive on to the machine, follow these steps but in reverse (copy the file in your network drive, and paste it on the machine).
Clipboard
To use the clipboard between your local device and your remote session:
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Sign in to the Remote Desktop Web client and launch a remote session.
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For the prompt Access local resources, check the box for Clipboard, then select Allow.
The Remote Desktop Web client supports copying and pasting text only. Files can't be copied or pasted to and from the web client.
Reset user settings
If you want to reset your user settings back to the default, you can do this in the web client for the current browser. To reset user settings:
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Sign in to the Remote Desktop Web client and select Settings on the taskbar.
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Select Reset user settings. You'll need to confirm that you want reset the web client settings to default.