What is Appsanywhere?

AppsAnywhere is an ‘app store’ for accessing software. You can use it on University computers and from September 2020 you can also use it on your own computer*. The applications are streamed on-demand, rather than being installed on individual computers.

What are the benefits?

Using AppsAnywhere allows us to offer you a bigger range of software. It takes up less storage space than traditional installations, leads to improved computer performance, provides greater security and means we can apply software updates more efficiently.

Will I be able to use all the apps on my own computer?

Not all of them. Some app licences do not permit use off-campus or on non-University computers. However, we are providing alternative methods of accessing the apps that you need. Please refer to Remote Software Access for more information.

There are some apps that you can install on your own computer for free without using AppsAnywhere. Please refer to the Free and Discounted Software page.

How do I get AppsAnywhere on my own computer?

1. Go to AppsAnywhere.shu.ac.uk
2. Sign in using your standard university username and password
3. Select It’s the first time using AppsAnywhere on this device. Lets go (Note – if you select the other option you will not get another chance to install it - see below)
4. Follow the prompts to install it
5. When you open AppsAnywhere you will be prompted to log in. Enter your username in the format username@hallam.shu.ac.uk and your usual password

If you selected the wrong option at step 3 or didn't get the option at all you can install it manually as follows:

1. Download this install file
2. Click ‘Run as Administrator’. You may be required to accept permissions or log into your PC using your computer’s administrator password.
3. Follow the prompts to install it
4. When you open AppsAnywhere you will be prompted to log in. Enter your username in the format username@hallam.shu.ac.uk and your usual password

How do I use Appsanywhere?

On University computers: Double click the AppsAnywhere shortcut on the desktop.

On your own computer*: Go to AppsAnywhere.shu.ac.uk

Note: If you are working on your own computer you may need to use the VPN for some apps to appear in AppsAnywhere or for them to run – see below for more information.

When prompted to log in, use your Microsoft username in the format username@hallam.shu.ac.uk and your usual University password

AppsAnywhere will then quickly validate your account in order to present the applications available to you. (Students on certain courses will be able to access specialist software on a restricted licence). You will be notified with a green banner at the top of the page once validation is complete.

You can then browse the app or use the search box at the top right of the page to find the app you want to use (if you don’t see the app you need, see the VPN section below).

Each application has a title, a vendor and a description. These are all searchable; for example you can search for ‘Adobe’ to find all of the available Adobe products, or search for ‘video’ if you’d like to see all the apps that might help you edit a video file.

Once you have found your app, simply click ‘Launch.’

Most software will provide links to its own instructions and learning resources, and you can also check LinkedIn Learning for online tutorials.

When do I need to use the VPN?

When working on your own computer* some apps require a connection to the University network to get a licence to allow it to run. These apps will not even show up in AppsAnywhere unless you are connected to the University network BEFORE you log in to AppsAnywhere. You can connect to the University network using a service called a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

For more information see the Student VPN page.

Troubleshooting

Connect to the Virtual Private Network (VPN)

If you are working off-campus you should do this anyway as many apps won’t even show up in AppsAnywhere unless you do

For more information see the Student VPN page.

Try another browser

Your default web browser maybe causing an issue. Try a different browser and copy & paste https://appsanywhere.shu.ac.uk/ into the address bar

Log out of AppsAnywhere

In your web browser, log out of AppsAnywhere by clicking on your name in the top right corner and selecting Log out. Then try logging in again.

Clear Cache and Cookies

If It is good practice to do this occasionally. You will find the option to clear the various aspects of your browsing history in the browser settings. Clearing cache and cookies are the most likely to help with the Validation error.

Browser anonymous mode

Another option with your browser is to use it anonymously by turning on the Incognito or InPrivate mode from the browser settings. This should ignore any information that you have previously entered such as your username and password thus allowing you to use it as though it were the first time.

All dependencies launched?

Have all the dependencies launched correctly? Some pieces of software require dependencies to be launched and "READY" in cloud paging player

Do you have enough F drive (Homespace) space free?

Check your F drive is not too full. Try freeing up space and launch AppsAnywhere again

If on a personal computer, clear cloud paging player cache

i) Open cloud paging player from the system tray
ii) Select File > Options from the menu
iii) Click on Clear Cache button

Try removing any applications from Cloudpaging Player

i)close all running applications
ii)open Cloud Paging Player from system tray
iii)right click on every application and select Remove
iv)once the player is empty, reboot your computer

Try using another computer if possible

Is anyone else having an issue with AppsAnywhere?

If all the above has failed, contact the IT Service Desk

* Note for Mac users:

AppsAnywhere only works in a Windows environment meaning that to use it on your own Mac you need Windows installed. You should then run both AppsAnywhere and the VPN in that environment. You can use Windows on your Mac by dual booting or by using Parallels. If you need Windows and don't have it installed on your Mac please see Free and Discounted software for information on how to get Windows 10 for free and Parallels at a discounted rate. Note: To use the VPN for any purpose other than AppsAnywhere on your Mac you do not need Windows.