Virtual Desktop (VDI) - How To Install and Configure the Horizon View Client

Objective

Following these steps will install and configure the local Horizon client on your machine.

Environment

Virtual Desktop (VDI)
Windows
macOS

Before You Begin

It is not necessary to install the Horizon client to access your VDI. You can access it using any web browser by going to vdi.msu.edu. As of now the primary difference is that the web version will not have access to your local drives, while the Horizon client version will. Network drives are accessible from either version.

Steps

  1. Open a web browser and go to the Omnissa Horizon Client page (link)
  2. Find your Operating System (Windows, macOS, etc) and select Go To Downloads
  3. Select Download Now
  4. Install the file it downloads, keeping all the default options
  5. After installation, open the Horizon Client
  6. Select the Add Server button in the upper-right corner
  7. In the prompt that appears, enter the following: vdi-a-uag.campusad.msu.edu
  8. This should create an icon with that as the name. Select that icon
  9. You should now be presented with a list of all virtual desktops you have access to connect to
  10. Select the virtual desktop you wish to open and it will launch in a new window
  11. You're done! You've installed the local Horizon client and connected to your virtual desktop with it

Additional Info

User guides are available on this page (link) from tech.msu.edu.

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Virtual Desktop grants authorized students, faculty, and staff seamless access to licensed university software and applications via a user-friendly online portal at vdi.msu.edu.