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===== Accessing the UWP from your web browser =====

The most simple variant to connect to the virtual UG workspace is by opening [[https://uwp.rug.nl|uwp.rug.nl]] in a web browser of your choice.

After specifying your UG credentials, you will be redirected to a page where you can start the virtual session, but also manage your session's settings (see screenshot below). 

{{ dcc:itsol:remoteaccess:wiki_uwp_remote_1.png?direct&600 |}}

In the top menu bar, you will find three different tabs:
  * **HOME**: Here you can find your favorite apps, etc. This should be empty if you did not modify the default settings.
  * **APPS**: Contains a selection of apps that can be started in a virtual session. You can choose this instead of starting the whole virtual desktop, if you want to improve performance. 
  * **DESKTOPS**: This is the section to start a virtual desktop session. 

To start a new virtual desktop session, go to the //DESKTOPS// tab and then click on //Workspace Desktop// to start your new virtual session in the browser.

**Note:** When starting the session, your browser might ask you if you want to give microphone/camera access to your virtual desktop. Whether you need this or not depends on your use case and has no major impact on your session. You can choose whichever option fits you better.

The screenshot below shows you what the browser session will look like:

{{ dcc:itsol:remoteaccess:wiki_uwp_remote_2.png?direct&600 |}}

Once you are logged into the virtual session, you can use the start menu to access all the software that is available in the virtual version of the UWP. Please take into account that not all software available on a physical UWP is also available on a virtual UWP. If you cannot find the software you need in your virtual session, it might be that you need to use a physical station to access it. Finally, the X:/Y: drive network locations are also available in this environment.

If you need to move data to and from your local system to the virtual UWP, you have the option to download (and upload) data from the virtual environment. This can be done either by selecting the "Osplaan naar mijn apparaat" option from the file explorer, which will let you download the data only, or by using the Download/Upload functionality from the menu that can be revealed at the top of the virtual session. See the screenshot below for a full view of all the options:

{{ dcc:itsol:remoteaccess:wiki_uwp_remote_3.png?direct&600 |}}

**Note:** The option to transfer data via the browser works well for single files, but is not advised for transferring folders. If you need to access data from a folder, it is recommended to bundle it to a single file, for example ''*.zip'' or ''*.tar'', then transfer the bundle, then unbundle the folder once it is on the virtual UWP. 

If you need to access and transfer files often from your local environment to the UWP, then we advise you to have a look at the section [[dcc:itsol:remoteaccess:uwpcitrix|Accessing the UWP using the Citrix Workspace App]] of this guide, which explains accessing the same virtual environment via the Citrix app, which allows you direct access to your local file structure. 

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