Last modified:  02/02/2022


Overview of VMware Horizon’s Remote Applications


Using the “VMware Horizon Client”, you can access programs remotely. Although the programs are running on a remote computer, the virtual applications behave as if they are running on your local computer. Each remote application (i.e. SPSS, SAS, or StataIC) has its own entry in the taskbar. You have the capability to resize, minimize, and/or maximize the program window.


Downloading and Installing the VMware Horizon Client


NOTE: If the VMware Horizon Client is already installed on your computer, skip to Step 10 under “Accessing Remote Applications Using the Horizon Client”

  1. Navigate to https://vdesktops.atu.edu using any browser of your choosing (i.e. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc.)
  2. Click the “Download the Horizon Client for Windows” link at the bottom of your screen.

     
  3. You will be re-directed to VMware’s landing page for downloads. From here, click the dropdown arrow next to “VMware Horizon Client for Windows”. Click the “Go to Downloads” button as shown in the example below. The link will redirect you to the latest application build for Windows.

     
  4. After you are redirected, click the “Download” button to download the latest VMware Horizon Client for Windows. A dialog box will appear. Choose a destination folder to save this installer and click “Save”.

     
  5. Navigate to the location where you saved the installer. Double click on the installer to launch the Horizon Client wizard.
  6. A “User Access Control” dialog box may appear. Click “Yes” to launch the application.

     
  7. Before installing the product, you must agree to the terms and conditions. Click “Agree & Install” to proceed to the wizard.

     
  8. VMware will install the necessary components for the Horizon Client. This may take a few minutes.
  9. Once completed, you should see the following dialog box stating that a restart is required for changes to take effect. Click “Restart Now” to restart your computer OR if you have applications open, click “Restart Later.” Close out of all of your applications and restart your computer


    Accessing Remote Applications Using the Horizon Client
     
  10. Once your computer reboots and you have signed back in to your computer, navigate to the “VMware Horizon Client” application on your computer. To do so, click your Start Menu Icon and start typing “VMware Horizon Client.”
  11. The application should appear in your Start Menu. Click to launch the application. Example below:

     
  12. The application will launch. Next, you will need to connect to a new server. Click “+ New Server” and a dialog box will appear asking for the connection server address. Type in “vdesktops.atu.edu” and click “Connect”.

     
  13. The Login page will then appear. Enter in your Tech username and password into the boxes provided. When finished, click “Login”.

     
  14. VMware will ask if you would like remote applications or desktops to appear in your Start Menu. This is up to you, the user. For this example, “Yes” is selected.

     
  15. Once logged in, remote applications will be displayed. Depending on what applications you have access to will determine what applications are available in the Horizon Client. To access a remote application, double click any application of your choosing. In the example below, IBM SPSS Statistics 23 is selected.

     
  16. The remote application will launch. Click “Allow” if a separate dialog box appears asking for storage redirection. This will allow remote applications to access your external storage devices (i.e. Flash Drives or External Hard Drives). If you do not wish to redirect external storage devices, click “Deny”.
  17. In the Horizon Client, you can launch more than one application at a time. In order to launch another application, click the minimize button in the top right hand corner of your application. Like applications running on your desktop, the remote application will minimize to your taskbar. If you have more than one monitor, you can also move it to a different screen. In the example below, SPSS Statistics 23 is minimized.

     
  18. The VMware Horizon Client should still be displayed. To launch a different application, repeat step 15. In the example below, SAS 9.3 will be launched side-by-side with SPSS Statistics 23.


    Adding an Application to Favorites
     
  19. To add an application to your “Favorites”, right click on the application you wish to add to your favorites and click “Mark as Favorite”. A star will appear on the top right of the application’s icon.

     
  20. Removing an application works the same way. Right click on the application you wish to remove from your “Favorites”. A highlighted checkmark will appear beside the application. Click “Mark as Favorite” By clicking this, you are unselecting this option.

     
  21. To view only your favorited applications, click the “Add to Favorites” button at the top right of the Horizon Client.

     
  22. To display all applications, click the “Show All Applications” button.


    Logging out of vDesktops
     
  23. To log off or disconnect from the vDesktops server, click the disconnect icon at the top left hand corner of the Horizon Client.

     
  24. A dialog box will appear asking for confirmation. Click “OK” to confirm.