AnpingUsing a remote desktop link
For people who open Anping links and the helpdesk that supports them. The remote desktop page is in English.
Browsers
| Browser | Status |
|---|---|
| Chrome on a computer | Tested; our automatic tests run in Chrome's engine. Copy and paste work by themselves. |
| Edge on a computer | Works like Chrome (same engine); not tested on its own yet. |
| Firefox | Most of our automatic tests pass; the newest haven't run there yet. See clipboard. |
| Safari | Most of our automatic tests pass in Safari's engine (WebKit); the newest haven't run there yet. See clipboard. |
| Phones and tablets | Touch works like a mouse, and a tap opens the on-screen keyboard. |
Touch
On phones, tablets and Windows touch laptops, your finger is the mouse pointer.
| What you do | What happens |
|---|---|
| Tap | Click; also brings up the on-screen keyboard. |
| Double tap | Double click. |
| Long press (half a second) | Right click. |
| Drag with one finger | Drag with the left button held, to move a window or select text. |
| Two fingers up or down | Scroll. |
| Quick tap with two fingers | Right click. |
| Not possible | Pinch to zoom, scrolling sideways, moving the pointer like a trackpad. |
The toolbar
| Button or label | What it does |
|---|---|
| 1The small arrow at the top centre | Opens the toolbar: click or tap it, or press Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Ctrl+Option+Shift on a Mac). It closes after you choose something, on Esc, or when you click the desktop.MoreClosed, the remote desktop fills the whole window. Point at a button to see its name. A dot on the arrow means new text copied on the remote (see Clipboard). |
2Transfers (⇅ 45%, ✕ 1, ⎙ 1, ✓), next to the arrow | File transfers, failures and printed documents, also while the toolbar is closed. Click: the list.MoreShown while files go up or down, after a failure, or when a document was printed. The list shows each file, where an upload goes, progress with speed and time left, the reason a transfer failed, and Open for a printed PDF; × removes an entry. While Files is open, the list is at the bottom of Files instead. |
| 3Name or logo at the left | Your product, if your organization set one up. |
| 4Computer name | The computer this link opens.MoreA long name is cut short; the full name is in its tooltip and Connection info. Not shown on a phone. |
| 5Mark and signal bars | Whether you are connected: ✓ connected, ⚠ connecting or reconnecting, ✕ disconnected (Connecting…, Connected, Reconnecting…, Disconnected in its tooltip); the bars show how good the connection is. Click it for Connection info.MoreWhile connected: three bars good (an answer in under 100 milliseconds, the round trip), two fair (under 250 milliseconds), one poor. Connection info shows the computer, the state, the quality, the round trip in milliseconds, the screen updates per second, the session's and the window's size, sound and the protocol. A slow round trip means a slow or distant network. |
| 6Enable sound, Mute, Unmute | Enable sound, next to the arrow: click it (or anywhere) so the browser plays the remote's sound. Then Mute, Unmute in the toolbar.MoreEnable sound means the remote plays sound but the browser has not allowed it yet: click it, or click or press a key anywhere in the page. |
| 7Clipboard | The Clipboard panel (below). A dot means new text copied on the remote. |
| 8Keys | Send keys: Ctrl+Alt+Del, Alt+Tab, Alt+Shift+Tab, Alt+Esc, Ctrl+Esc (Start), Ctrl+Shift+Esc (Task Manager), Explorer, Run, Win.MoreKeys your own computer or browser would otherwise keep. Explorer sends Win+E and Run sends Win+R. Up and down arrows move along the list. |
| 9Windows IME | Type Chinese and other languages with the remote computer's own input method.MoreA menu: the remote computer's input method puts the characters together and shows its own choices; keep your computer's input on English (ABC on a Mac). Its Win+Space button switches the remote input language. Shown when your browser's languages include Chinese, Japanese or Korean, unless the computer's settings say otherwise; never without a mouse or trackpad. |
| 10Upload | Puts files in the folder open in Files, or the top folder; up to 100 MB each.MoreThe top folder of your shared folder; 100 MB per file is the default. |
| 11Files | Your shared folder, like a file manager: Up, Refresh, Upload, Download. Click a folder to open it and a file's name to download it, or tick files and click Download. × closes it.MoreThe list shows each name and its type. Transfers show under the list while it is open. |
| 12Full screen, Exit full screen | Fills the screen; Win, Alt+Tab go to the remote (Chrome, Edge). Hold Esc to leave.MoreIn Chrome and Edge, Win, Alt+Tab and similar keys go to the remote. In a page embedded in another site, use Keys for those keys. |
| 13Fit to window | Scales a fixed-size screen up to fill the window.MoreOnly for a remote screen of a fixed size (or your screen's size). Off, it shows centred and at most at its own size, so it stays sharp. |
| 14Disconnect | Ends the connection; Reconnect brings it back for a while.MoreAsks first while a file transfer runs. |
| 15End session | Ends the session and the link for good. For shared computers.MoreIt asks first. No Reconnect or reload afterwards. Windows keeps your session signed in (disconnected), as after Disconnect: sign out on the remote first to log off. |
| Reconnect (in the message box) | Same browser, up to 10 minutes after the last disconnect.MoreConnects again; your organization sets the 10 minutes. After a network drop the page first reconnects by itself for a minute. |
| Use here (in the message box) | Brings the desktop back from another tab or window. |
Clipboard
| Browser | Your text to the remote | Remote text to you |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome, Edge | After one permission prompt: when you click into the remote screen. | To your clipboard while the page is in front. |
| Firefox | Ctrl+V on the remote (Cmd+V on a Mac). | To your clipboard if copied with a key or click a few seconds before (as with Ctrl+C); otherwise the Clipboard panel. |
| Safari | Cmd+V. | Always the Clipboard panel. |
| Clipboard panel (every browser) | Put text in the box, click Send to remote, then paste on the remote. | It shows there: click Copy. |
Text up to 256 KB; to paste files, see Files. When remote text could not reach your clipboard, a dot marks Clipboard and the toolbar's arrow, and the first time the page says Copied on the remote computer. Open Clipboard to copy it here.
Keyboard and Mac shortcuts
| Keys | What happens |
|---|---|
| Cmd+C, V, X, A, Z, Y, S, F, P, O on a Mac | Go to Windows as Ctrl (Cmd+Shift+Z as Ctrl+Shift+Z). |
| Cmd+N | As Ctrl+N only in full screen; otherwise Chrome and Edge open a new window. |
| Cmd+Tab, Cmd+Q, Cmd+W, Cmd+T, Cmd+H, Cmd+Space | Stay on the Mac. |
| Win, Alt+Tab, Ctrl+Alt+Del | Keys in the toolbar, or full screen in Chrome or Edge. |
| Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Ctrl+Option+Shift on a Mac) | Opens the toolbar and moves the keyboard there: Tab, Esc and F6 stay on the remote, so keyboard users need this way out. Esc closes it again. |
| Chinese and other input methods | Your computer's input method as usual, or Windows IME in the toolbar. |
Files, printing and sound
Each session has its own shared folder. Windows shows it as a drive, and the page calls it by its name, such as Anping drive. It is deleted when the session ends, so keep nothing there.
| Task | How |
|---|---|
| Paste | Copy files on your computer (File Explorer or Finder), click the remote screen and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac): they land where you paste on the remote, such as the desktop or an open folder. Up to 100 files, 100 MB each; no folders.MoreThe files upload first (Transfers shows them), then the remote pastes them. If you copied something on the remote since you last pasted these files, Ctrl+V pastes that instead: copy them together with another file, or use Upload. Where the remote computer can't take pasted files, they go to the shared folder, and a note under the arrow says where, such as\\tsclient\Anping. |
| Upload | Drag or click Upload. Files go to the folder open in Files, or the top folder. Up to 100 MB each; no folders.MoreDrag files onto the screen or click Upload; 100 MB is the default. A file pasted after a click in Files goes there too. If that folder already has a file of the same name, the page asks (where the link offers Files): Replace, Keep both (the new one gets a number, such asreport (2).pdf) or Cancel. |
| Folder size | Up to 1 GB by default. Uploads that don't fit are refused; if the remote computer saves more, the session ends. |
| Download | Click its name in Files (or tick several, then Download), or save it into the shared folder on the remote computer: it comes to your browser about two seconds after the program closes it.MoreUnless the link turns this off (on some setups only from the shared folder'sDownload folder). Several files come one by one; the browser may ask once to allow multiple downloads. A file over 100 MB (by default) stays in the shared folder, and Transfers says so. |
| Transfers | Under Transfers, next to the arrow at the top, or at the bottom of Files while it is open; Disconnect asks first during a transfer.MoreProgress, speed, time left and failures show there. |
| Printing | Off unless your organization turned it on. Then print to the PDF printer on the remote computer (Anping PDF Printer): the PDF downloads, and Open under Transfers shows it.MoreThe printer may have another name, if the link gives one. Open shows the PDF in a new tab. Printing is off by default because turning it on needs a desktop engine with Ghostscript, which is AGPL-3 or a commercial license from Artifex. |
| Sound | After the first click or key press (until then: Enable sound). No microphone.MoreMute and Unmute turn it off and on. |
Messages and what to do
The page shows these sentences exactly as written here, most of them in a message box over the screen. After a session ends, the box also shows Reference:, the link's code and the time (UTC), which lets the helpdesk find it in the connection log, and Details, the technical reason. When you call the helpdesk, give the time, the computer name and the exact message.
Opening the link
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Connecting to (computer name)…, Still trying… | Wait, or click Cancel.WhyThe connection is starting; after 10 seconds the remote computer is slow to answer. |
| This link has already been used or has expired. | Open the desktop again from your app to get a new link.WhyThe link was opened before (maybe in another browser), it expired (10 minutes unused by default), its reconnect time is over, or the remote desktop service restarted. The page never says which. |
| Sign in to (computer name) | Type your Windows account. It is used for this connection only.WhyThe link has no Windows user name or password. |
| Wrong user name or password. 4 tries left. | Type it again.WhyThe remote computer refused the sign-in. The page may make you wait a few seconds. After the last try the link is locked. |
| This link was locked after failed sign-ins. | Open the desktop again from your app to get a new link.Why, helpdeskToo many failed sign-ins with this link. Helpdesk: check the Windows account. |
| Too many failed sign-ins from this network. Try again in 9 minutes. | Wait that long, or call the helpdesk.WhyToo many failed sign-ins from your network, across links. |
| Too many attempts. | Wait a minute, then reload.WhyToo many failed link opens from your network this minute. |
| The remote desktop service is busy. | Wait a minute, then try again.WhyThe remote desktop service already runs as many sessions as it is allowed. |
| All 2 licensed sessions are in use. | Wait until someone closes a session, then Reconnect.Why, helpdeskThe remote desktop service's license allows that many sessions at once, and they are all open. Helpdesk: the license's number and sessions in use are at the top of/log.html; ask for a license with more sessions if this happens often. |
| The remote desktop service's license has expired. | Ask your administrator to renew the license.Why, helpdeskThe license expired more than 14 days ago, so no new session starts; open ones keep running. Helpdesk: install the renewed license file (license). |
| The remote desktop service is not available right now. | Wait a minute, then try again.Why, helpdeskThe remote desktop service is not answering. Helpdesk: check that the Anping server and its desktop engine are running (/readyz, the guacd container). |
| This window size can't be used. | Resize the window or reset the page zoom, then try again.WhyThe browser window or its zoom gives a size the remote computer can't use. |
| The remote desktop service refused this page's request. | Ask your administrator.Why, helpdeskThe page and the remote desktop service are not on one web address, for example because something in between changes the name. Helpdesk: check the address the Anping server is published at. |
During or after a session
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Reconnecting… | Wait, or click Try now.WhyThe network dropped. The page keeps trying for a minute, and the remote session keeps running. The last picture of the remote screen stays, dimmed, until it is back. |
| Disconnected. | Reconnect while offered, otherwise open the desktop again from your app.WhyYou clicked Disconnect, or the remote session ended normally (for example you signed out of Windows). The message box says until when Reconnect is offered. |
| Lost the connection to the remote desktop service. | Check your network, then Reconnect.WhyThe network dropped and the page could not get back within a minute. |
| This desktop was opened in another tab or window. | Click Use here to bring it back to this tab.WhyThe same link was opened again in this browser, and the newer tab took the desktop over. |
| The remote desktop service restarted. | Open the desktop again from your app: this link no longer works.WhyThe remote desktop service was restarted or updated, and it keeps links only in memory. |
| The session link expired. | Reconnect.WhyThe connection took too long to start. |
| The remote computer rejected the sign-in. | Ask your administrator to check this computer.Why, helpdeskThe link's own user name or password was refused, or the account may not sign in there. Helpdesk: check the Windows account and lockout. |
| Can't reach the remote computer. | Wait a minute, then try again.Why, helpdeskThe computer is off or restarting, or the remote desktop service can't reach it. Helpdesk: check that the computer is on and the Anping server can reach it (port 3389). |
| The remote desktop service could not verify the remote computer's certificate, so it did not connect. | Ask your administrator to check this computer.Why, helpdeskThe remote computer could not prove who it is: its certificate is not trusted, or is not the one Anping expects. Helpdesk: Anping's log says which certificate the computer showed (certificates). |
| No input for a while: the session ends in 0:59. Move the mouse or press a key to stay. | Move the mouse or press a key: the warning goes away.WhyNo key press, click, touch or file transfer for almost the idle limit (60 minutes by default). The countdown is an orange bar with a warning sign at the top of the screen. |
| The session ended after a period without input. | Open the desktop again from your app.WhyThe idle limit passed: the remote desktop service's (60 minutes without input by default) or the remote computer's own. |
| The session reaches its time limit in 4:59. Save your work. | Save your work.WhyThe session is about to reach its maximum time (12 hours by default, from its start or from the link's first open). |
| The session reached its time limit. | Open the desktop again from your app.WhyThe maximum time passed. The link is closed with it. |
| The session ended: the remote computer put more on the shared drive than its size limit allows. | Reconnect: the shared folder starts empty.WhySomething on the remote computer saved more into the shared folder than its limit (1 GB by default). The folder was deleted. Keep large files out of the shared folder. |
| Session ended. You can close this window. | Close the window. To continue, open the desktop again from your app.WhyYou chose End session: the session and its link are closed for good. |
| Disconnected, but the link could not be ended. | Close this browser window.WhyYou chose End session, but the remote desktop service could not be told, so the link might still open again in this browser. |
| The remote computer ended the session. | Reconnect if that was not meant.WhySomeone else signed in with the same account, or an administrator ended the session. |
| This action is not allowed for this computer. | Ask whoever set up the link.WhySomething the link or computer does not allow, such as an upload. |
| The connection failed. | Reconnect. If it keeps failing, give your helpdesk the Reference.WhyAny other failure; Details says more. |
Files, clipboard and keyboard
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Larger than the 100 MB limit. | Use a smaller file. |
| Folders can't be uploaded. Upload the files inside it. | Select the files instead of the folder. |
| Can't read this file. Folders can't be uploaded. | Close the program that has it open, or pick the files inside the folder.WhyThe browser could not read it. |
| The remote drive is full. Delete files from it on the remote computer, then try again. | On the remote computer, delete files from the shared folder, then upload again. |
| Can't save it there: the folder is gone, or a folder has that name. Refresh Files and try again. | Click Refresh in Files, open an existing folder, then upload again. |
| The remote drive refused it (detail), The remote drive did not answer., The remote drive is not available. | Reconnect.Why, helpdeskHelpdesk: check the Anping server's file storage (Files:DriveRoot). |
| Over the 100 MB limit for automatic downloads (size): download it from Files. | Open Files and click it.WhyThe file stays in the shared folder. |
| The remote drive is too full to download it by itself (size): download it from Files. | Open Files and click it. Delete files you no longer need from the shared folder. |
| Folders can't be downloaded., Not a folder. | Download the files one by one; refresh Files. |
| Pasted into Anping drive (folder) (\\tsclient\Anping on the remote computer). | Find the files in that folder on the remote computer, or in Files.WhyThe remote computer can't take pasted files where you paste (the link, its settings, or the desktop engine), so they went to the shared folder. |
| The remote computer's clipboard is not available (still starting, or turned off there). Try again in a moment, or use Upload., The remote computer didn't answer. Try again. | Wait a few seconds after connecting, then paste again.Why, helpdeskThe remote computer starts its clipboard a little after you sign in. Helpdesk: if it stays, check that clipboard redirection is allowed on the remote computer. |
| The remote computer doesn't take pasted files (its clipboard settings). Use Upload instead., The remote computer didn't take the pasted files. Use Upload instead. | Use Upload, then copy the files from the shared folder on the remote computer.Why, helpdeskHelpdesk: Windows allows file copy through the clipboard unless a policy turns off clipboard or drive redirection. |
| Paste at most 100 files at a time., A file is too big to paste. Use Upload instead., A file's name is too long to paste. | Paste fewer files at a time, or use Upload. |
| Copied on the remote computer. Open Clipboard to copy it here. | Open Clipboard and click Copy.WhyShown once, where the browser could not copy by itself (Safari, sometimes Firefox). |
| Copy failed: select the text and press Ctrl+C. | In the Clipboard panel, select the text and press Ctrl+C (Cmd+C on a Mac). |
| Windows IME is on: switch this computer's input to English (ABC on a Mac) | Switch your input method to English, or turn off Windows IME.WhyWindows IME is in the toolbar. |
| Hold Esc to exit full screen, Press Esc to exit full screen. Use Keys in the toolbar for Win, Alt+Tab and Ctrl+Alt+Del. | Hints that go away by themselves. |
| Failed. | A transfer failed without a reason: try again, or Reconnect. |
Questions the page asks
| Question | When | Choices |
|---|---|---|
| Replace (file name)?, Replace 3 files? | The upload folder already has a file of that name. | Keep both (the new one gets a number), Replace, or Cancel. |
| Disconnect now? | You chose Disconnect while a file transfer runs: it stops if you disconnect. | Keep transferring, or Disconnect. |
| End this session? This link will stop working. | You chose End session. The browser asks in its own box. | OK ends the session and the link; Cancel keeps both. |