Virtual PCs

Our Virtual Teaching PCs allow staff and students to connect directly to a physical PC on campus.

Virtual Teaching PC

Please note: This service is no longer available. Please see Computers for information on other services.

All physical computer rooms on campus remain closed due to social distancing restrictions.

Our Virtual Teaching PCs allow you to connect directly to a physical PC on campus reserved for you for the duration of your class. This will ensure you have access to the software you need for your class.

You will be signposted to a Virtual Teaching PC via the Moodle page for your course/module. You will then be able to access your allocated PC via the Desktop@UCL Anywhere interface. See How to log in to a Virtual Teaching PC for further guidance.

Virtual Study PC

We have introduced the Virtual Teaching PCs to support teaching however access to Virtual Study PCs is also available.

When Virtual Teaching PCs are not in use students are welcome to use them on an ad-hoc basis as Virtual Study PCs.

Please note: There won’t always be a Virtual Study PC available, often they will be in use for classes. They are more likely to be free outside of teaching hours such as evenings and weekends.

See How to log in to a Virtual Study PC for further guidance.

For further information about our Virtual PCs, please take a look at our FAQs below.

Help & Support

Urgent support

If you encounter an issue during a taught class and require urgent support, please dial the hotline on +44(0)2031081972 or extension 51972. Alternatively, you can use the Live Chat function on the Help & Support page.

Non-urgent support

For non-urgent support, please log your incident with IT Services by emailing itservices@ucl.ac.uk or phoning +44 (0)2076795000.

FAQs

Can I use Desktop@UCL Anywhere for teaching events?

You can use Desktop@UCL Anywhere for general use to access software however, we anticipate high demand for this service due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Virtual Teaching PCs will help us to manage demand during Teaching Events and ensure the increase in usage doesn’t negatively impact the speed or reliability of the service. In addition, Desktop@UCL Anywhere cannot be used in all situations. Some applications make heavy use of computer resources (CPU, RAM, Disk) and some software cannot run on the Desktop@UCL Anywhere service for technical or licencing reasons.

Will the Virtual Teaching PC have the software I need?

You will be assigned a Virtual Teaching PC that meets your software requirements.

How do I access a Virtual Teaching PC?

You will be signposted to a Virtual Teaching PC via the Moodle page for your course/module. You will then be able to access your allocated PC via the Desktop@UCL Anywhere interface (my.desktop.ucl.ac.uk). See How to log in to a Virtual Teaching PC for further guidance.

Please note: If you are already logged into a Virtual Study PC for ad hoc use prior to your class, you will need to log out and log back in again to ensure you get access to the PC for your class. This will have the software you need.See How to log in to a Virtual Teaching PC for further guidance.

How do I access a Virtual Study PC?

If teaching is not taking place you will see a Virtual Study PC icon on your Desktop@UCL Anywhere interface (My.desktop.ucl.ac.uk). You will only be able to connect to a PC if it is not in use. See How to log in to a Virtual Study PC for further guidance.

Can I access a Virtual Teaching PC from my Mac?

Yes.

Are UCL’s Macs part of the Virtual Teaching PC service?

No, the service only works with Windows cluster room PCs.

Can I share my screen with a teacher when I’m using a Virtual Teaching PC?

Yes, you can share your screen via the digital teaching platform that you are using (E.g. Blackboard Collaborate, Zoom or MS Teams).

Can students in China access the virtual teaching cluster rooms?

Yes, the Desktop@UCL Anywhere service is generally available from China. However, as with all UK services accessed from China, local restrictions out of UCL's control may apply. For more information, see the China Connect service. The China Connect service provides reliable access to teaching and learning resources for students studying remotely in China.

What do I do if I have problems accessing a Virtual Teaching PC?