Accessing DeGroote MBA Apps on Windows 7/8

The DeGroote School of Business has implemented Microsoft RemoteApp to deliver applications to its students remotely over the local McMaster network and Internet (no VPN required).  They are accessible from any Windows based computer using any of the popular web browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Google Chrome (Chrome), and Mozilla Firefox (Firefox).  Applications access is secured by an encrypted SSL connection.

Access to, and use of, the MBA applications varies little between browsers and can be accomplished by following the steps below.  Any differences in behaviours between browsers are covered.

Accessing the MBA Applications Page

1. From your web browser go to the following logon site: https://vmba.business.mcmaster.ca
2. You will be presented with a login page. In the Domain\user name field, enter your MacID in the form of “ads\MacID” where MacID is your personal McMaster MacID
   (no quotes, case is not important – as shown below).
3. Note above that when accessing the MBA Applications login site using Internet Explorer, you have two Security options: Public Computer and Private Computer. Selecting Private Computer will enable your session to remain open for longer periods of time without activity and should only be used on your own personal computer for better security.  When using Chrome or Firefox, you will not have these options and your computer will be treated as a “Public” computer and your session will disconnect sooner after a shorter period of inactivity.
4. Once you enter your MacID and password in IE, you may encounter the warning below. Simply click “Allow”.
5. Once you successfully log in, you will be presented with the MBA Applications page as shown below.From this page you will be able to launch any of the MBA applications being made available for use.  Some groups of applications, such as Microsoft Office, may be in folders that can be opened by a single mouse click.  You can navigate back to the MBA Applications home page/folder by clicking on the “Up” folder visible at far left.

Launching an Application

To launch an application, a single click on the icon will open an application session.  Depending on the browser you use, the application session startup may differ slightly as outlined in the following example launching Microsoft Word.

1. Click on the icon of the application you wish to launch. In this case, Microsoft Word 2010.
2. Depending on your version of Windows and browser, launching an application may be slightly different. Some example cases are as follows:
   1. Windows 7 and IE – you will be presented with the following security warning. Click on Connect to allow the connection.  Your application window will then open.
   2. Windows 8 and IE – no further action will be required.
   3. Chrome – Google Chrome does not support a Microsoft RemoteApp (RDP) connection directly so it will download the *.RDP connection file instead. You will see the downloaded file in the lower-left of the Chrome window as shown.Simply click on the file (and select Open) to launch the application.  You will then be presented with a secondary login prompt.  Enter your MacID and password as shown here:
   4. Firefox – Mozilla Firefox, like Chrome, does not support the Microsoft RemoteApp (RDP) connection directly and will instead download the connection file as shown below. Accept the default action (Open with Remote Desktop Connection) and click OK.  You will then be presented with a secondary login prompt.  You MacID should be shown automatically and you can then enter your McMaster password.

Application Use

After a short time, your application will open in a normal window and act as if it were installed on your local computer as seen here:

Note that the application will behave normally, but expect occasional delays when accessing files on your local computer. REMEMBER: Save your files to your local computer only and on a regular basis while being worked on to avoid losing any work should you become disconnected!  In the event of a disconnection, your application session will remain open for up to 1hour and upon reconnection, you will be connected back to your application with the previous state intact.

Local Drive Access

You can access files on your local hard drives as normally done.  You only need to be aware that your drives will be labelled in the form “C on Computername” in the Windows File Explorer.  When saving a file in Microsoft Word, for example, your local drives will appear as choices in the left navigation pane as shown here:

Note: Folders listed under “Favorites” are not the folders on your local computer.  You must click on your local hard drive under “This PC” (most often C on Computername) and drill into your desired local folder (i.e. C on Computername\Users\username\Desktop).

Local Printer Access

In most cases, common printers installed on your local computer can be accessed normally from within a RemoteApp application.  Simply be aware that your printers will appear with a (redirected) label after the printer name.

Help

For any issues regarding access to the MBA applications portal, or technical issues, please contact the DSB ITS department by sending an email to: dsbits@mcmaster.ca to have a support request ticket created.  Please be sure to include your full name and MacID in your request.