Free Cloud Desktop Help
Overview
Setup
Troubleshooting
Macs
Linux
The first time you use the Desktop Anywhere Free Cloud Desktop on any particular computer, there is a Java component that requires minor setup and permissions granted to run. This can take a minute or so to complete for the initial access. Be patient, but you should see progress often in the form of changing windows, messages, system requests and a red progress bar.
If you have issues logging in the first time, make sure you close your Browser Windows and start again as F5, History, Java Cache don’t work as well as closing down your Browser and starting fresh.
Once you have successfully accessed your new Cloud Desktop once, logging in to your Desktop will be simply a matter of accessing the proper Web Address and entering your User ID and Password.
Access Instructions for the Free Cloud Desktop
The Following is a short video that shows how to Access and Use your Free Cloud Desktop after your first access on a particular device is completed. The instructions for the initial setup for Windows Users are just below the video and a Troubleshooting section is near the bottom of this page:
Most end users are going to use some variety of Microsoft Windows to access their Free Cloud Desktop. Linux and Macs can typically be used too. The steps directly below are for Windows Users. The Java component may reference NX Client, nxssh.ese, etc. and these are a part of your Free Cloud Desktop Setup. and you will need to allow them. If you wish want to launch your Virtual Desktop from an operating system other than Windows, see: Macs or Linux.
As you can imagine, there are a wide variety of versions and configurations of Browsers, Operating Systems, Virus Software, Firewalls and Systems to contend with on individual devices. Because of that, you may see something a little different than the specific steps shown below as the Java Component configures itself. For the most part during the initial configuration, you will need to “Allow” the install and “Trust” the source to be able to access your Free Virtual Desktop. When there is an “Always” option available, we recommend selecting that too so you don’t have to run the setup every time.
1) In your favorite Browser Window input the address you were given (for example – go.desktopanywhere.com) and press enter.
2) Java should start initializing.
Simply Wait while Java Initializes
There will be a number of messages in this panel as you access your Virtual Desktop and they are shown below:
3) Once the above Desktop Anywhere Setup Panel is shown with the message “The sessions is ready to run. Click on the button to start.”, simply click the Continue Button. If nothing happens, try waiting a second or two and clicking the Continue Button again as it sometimes appears a second before it is clickable. Also, if you don’t see the Login Window below, try the keystroke alt-tab or simply look for it in the task bar at the bottom of your screen.
4) The Setup Panel message should change to “running nxclient……” and the following Log On Box should appear:
Enter your Login User ID and Password and Click the Login Button at the bottom of the login window
A Series of Messages will display in the Setup Panel as your Cloud Desktop Session begins just above the Red Progress Bar:
Messages that may display in the above Window while Setup completes:
- Running nxclient…..
- Setting up the environment
- Connected to demo.desktopanywhere.com
- Waiting for authentication
- Authentication completed
- Downloading the Session Information
Sometimes, as is all too typical with computers, when having troubles, simply starting over and trying again will work. Any other messages you get will likely request permission to run, trust or allow the component to start, install or complete. You must answer in the affirmative for your Cloud Desktop to run. This is a standard Java experience and is simply to help you protect your system so that you control what is installing.
If you have issues logging in the first time, make sure you close your Browser Windows as F5, History, Java Cache don’t work as well as closing down your Browser and opening a new Browser Session to start fresh. It does take a minute or so on some machines on the first session.
The only reason we have found that a device would not eventually work was at a large Organization’s strict Firewall configuration through the use of a “White List” policy. Some larger organizations, highly security conscious or perhaps sometimes looking for an easy fix, IT folks block everything unless the user complains. There have only been a few cases we have seen. The Desktop Anywhere Free Cloud Desktop uses java and typically it merely needs to be “allowed” to run by the user.
Also, right now we only have the server running from 8 a.m. to 8 at night. We are working on the server at night.
Here are a couple of examples of what you might see and need to do to allow the Cloud Desktop to run on a machine.
Select Always Trust Content From This Publish and then click the Run Button
Each browser may have a message in a bar below the address bar requesting permission to run the applet, allow the exception or similar request. Here is an example of how Google Chrome shows this:
Under the Address Bar is a message that the Java Plugin was Blocked...Simply click the Update Plugin button or Run This Time to proceed.
Click the Settings Button in the Temporary Internet Files Section
Click the Delete Files Button to Clear the Cache
Click OK (both boxes checked) to Empty the Java Cache
The above clears most browser and Java related issues. Here are a couple of other errors that may help you resolve any issues.
Make sure you have your Elastic IP set if you shutdown your instance. AWS does not release the associated Elastic IP on restart, but does if you shutdown your instance for any reason.
The Connection Timeout error message may appear from time to time. If you get this message you can click on the Details button to determine the error. However, if you get this message you will likely just need to delete the hosts file (in Windows this is in the relative path “Documents and Settings\Username\.ssh”. Simply navigate to the directory and delete the known_hosts file. That should clear the issue.
Most issues with access are resolvable by the user. Devices that don’t allow Java (like my iPhone!) just won’t work. Most devices don’t have issues and for those that do the steps above will resolve any issues you have had for the first access to your free cloud desktop.
Technology can be frustrating, and we hope you haven’t had to read this far and had no trouble using the Desktop Anywhere Free Cloud Desktop. The technology will get better all the time and we will bring you those improvements as they become available.
You run your Free Cloud Desktop from most Linux systems as well. You have to have java and it must be Sun Java, not any Java substitute. It appears that it must be the JDK package as well as the JRE. And it must be an alternative repository.
Running the Mac version of you Free Virtual Desktop is similar to Linux as it seems to require a different Java version than it shipped with. You have to get the sun version and set the profile to run sun-java.
If you are still having issues. Please send us and email by using our Contact Us Page.
Enjoy your Free Cloud Desktop from Desktop Anywhere!
