Troubleshooting the UMD Virtual Workspace


Table of Contents

Upcoming changes to the UMD Virtual Workspace

Through November and December 2024 there will be updates made to all desktop and application resources provided in the UMD Virtual Workspace. You may receive error messages when trying to access older resources. This is usually an indication that the selected resource has been moved to our new workspace. Look for a workspace that says "*New* UMD Virtual Workspace" for access to your desktops and/or remote apps.

Use the Refresh option on ANY workspace to refresh your entire workspace view in the Remote Desktop Client or Windows App. See our Troubleshooting page for additional information. Desktop resources associated with courses, such as the UMD Desktop, will not be moved until after finals week.

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General Troubleshooting Suggestions

Some questions we ask when customers are running into trouble with the virtual workspace:

  1. Is this issue occurring when connecting through the web interface? This helps to eliminate the local client as a problem.
  2. Is this customer an employee or registered student? If not, resources are unlikely to be available to them.
  3. Is the customer logged in to the remote desktop client (Windows App) with their standard UMD account (username@umd.edu) credentials? Special UMD accounts, Terpmail, or personal accounts can't be used for authentication to the client because they are not configured to present resources to the customer.
  4. Has the customer tried to engage their local IT support team or the team responsible for the resource they're attempting to access?
  5. Has the workspace been refreshed recently?
  6. Have the remote desktop client (Windows App) and the OS been updated recently? Are there any known issues?

Error Launching a Desktop or RemoteApp

If you receive an error message when attempting to launch the virtual desktop you should:

  1. Ensure you are running the latest version of the Remote Desktop client.
    1. Look for any indication in the upper right hand corner of the application that an update is needed. For example, a green "up" arrow.
  2. Restart the Remote Desktop Client or Windows App.

If you receive an error message when attempting to launch the virtual desktop you may need to refresh your list of available desktops.

Refresh Your Workspaces

Open the client you're using to connect to AVD.

In the Remote Desktop Client the ... icon is used to access the more options menu.
Select Refresh from the list.
Click refresh to update the list of available desktops.

In the Windows App, this is handled with the circular arrow in the upper right. 

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In the MacOS client, you can click the heading and select Refresh.

Right click the heading to refresh the list of desktops

No Available Resources Error Message

This error may pop up when attempting to connect to a Desktop or RemoteApp. This indicates that all resources are currently in use. If you receive the following error message, please wait 5-10 minutes and try your connection again.  If the error persists, submit a ticket for assistance. 

Error message - There are no available resources

No Resources Shown in Workspace (No Errors)

Resources are assigned to different groups of users depending on their affiliations with various departments and groups within UMD. However, all users should be able to see the UMD Desktop. If you aren't able to see the UMD Desktop in the list, this is usually caused by one of the following:

  1. You are not logged in to the virtual workspace using the correct account. Some members of the university are assigned special or privileged accounts for special roles that they hold at UMD. Logon to clients must always be completed with your standard account.
  2. You have an affiliate status, but are not listed as an employee. This is a PHR issue and must be addressed by our department's HR team.
  3. You are a student, but haven't yet registered for classes for the following semester. This is a course registration issue and must be addressed with your department's undergraduate or graduate office OR by completing your registration for the following semester. 

The UMD virtual workspace support team doesn't have control over the issues listed above. Please seek assistance from the appropriate personnel in your department.

Can't See Specific Resources

If you can see the UMD Desktop, but not the specific resources you are looking for, then the team responsible for the requested resource will need to be contacted. 

Examples:

Lenel - bss@umpd.umd.edu

AD/MECM Tools - winmac-request@umd.edu

College/department apps or desktops - the local IT team for the college or department