Setting up your AccountEdge Hosted Connection with Microsoft Remote Desktop
When you sign up for AE Hosted – you should receive your invoice for the first month shortly afterwards. You should receive your hosted desktop details and your users login credentials within 24 – 48 hours from our hosting provider / partner Apps4rent. The email from Apps4rent will contain Hosted desktop Name, User Names and Passwords.
To connect to the Hosted desktop from your computer – you’ll need the Microsoft Remote Desktop application installed. If you need help configuring the MS Remote Desktop application you can contact the AccountEdge support team or the Apps4rent support team.
Mac users can download the free Microsoft Remote Desktop v10 software through the Mac App Store. Mac users on Sonoma will want to download the beta version which is compatible with that new Apple operating system.
Windows users can use the Remote Desktop Connection app within Windows.
Windows users can use the Remote Desktop Connection app built into the Windows by searching for Remote Desktop Connection using Search next to the Start menu or by right mouse clicking the Start menu and choosing Search.
Once launched, click the Show Options button on the bottom left of the software. Enter your provided RDP Hostname in to the Computer field and enter the user name provided. Before connecting to your cloud desktop, you may want to review the settings for the connection. Once connected, these settings should be saved for future connections. You may wish to connect a local directory from your PC to your cloud desktop to enable you to copy files back and forth.
For the recommended settings for your Remote Desktop connection including printing, clipboard and shared local directories, please see the following Knowledge Base article or watch the video linked above.
Once your connection is set, click Connect. You may be asked to enter in your user password which may be saved for future connections depending on your settings enabled.
To disconnect from your cloud desktop, it is recommended to use the Sign Out option within Windows. For more information on the differences between Disconnect, Sign-Out and Shut Down, please see the following Knowledge Base Article
Launch the Microsoft Remote Desktop software and click the + button and choose Add PC. Paste in to the PC Name field the provided RDP Hostname which is similar to this: mycompany.vdi.hostingcloudapp.com:12345.
Next click the dropdown next to User Account and choose Add User Account. Enter into the Username filed the user name provided as well as the password.
It is recommended to uncheck the setting for Start session in full screen. You can always enable this setting later. If you are using a Retina display, choose the Optimize for Retina Display checkbox. Also, enable the “Update the session resolution on resize” checkbox.
For the recommended settings for your Remote Desktop connection including printing, clipboard and shared local directories, please see the following Knowledge Base article or watch the video linked above.
Once your connection is set, click Connect. You may be asked to enter in your user password which may be saved for future connections depending on your settings enabled.
To disconnect from your cloud desktop, it is recommended to use the Sign Out option within Windows. For more information on the differences between Disconnect, Sign-Out and Shut Down, please see the following Knowledge Base Article.
Sign-out vs Disconnect vs Shut Down Your AccountEdge Hosted Cloud Desktop
When you are done using the virtual desktop, you have 2 options from the start menu. You can disconnect or sign out.
Disconnect - keeps the user's desktop session active, which can be useful if you are performing a task but need to close your connection to your virtual desktop (you are going to lunch, or need to restart your computer, etc.). Otherwise, it is recommended that you use Sign Out when leaving your Virtual Desktop.
Sign Out - frees up resources for other users and may also be more secure.
Admin Users Additional Options
Restart and Shut Down
An Admin user has the additional options to restart or shut down.
Restart should only be done once all other users are signed out of their virtual desktop accounts and have AccountEdge shut down. You will see a warning about other users being connected.
Shut Down
This admin-only option will shut down the virtual server and disconnect all users. To restart your virtual server, you will need to log into your Control Panel with panel credentials provided.
Your AccountEdge Hosted cloud desktop requires a serial number and workstation licenses for your users. Your cloud desktop comes pre-registered using your existing serial number with an additional workstation license added to allow you to evaluate AccountEdge Hosted while your local AccountEdge software on your computer remains registered.
The total number of cloud desktop users you are signing up for must match the number of AccountEdge licenses you have associated with your serial number. Additional workstation licenses can be added to your serial number at any time contact customer service via chat or email.
When signing up for AccountEdge Hosted, we check to make sure you own enough workstation licenses associated with your serial number to match the number of cloud desktop users you are signing up for.
Moving your Company File and other Files to the Cloud Desktop
If you need assistance migrating your files to your cloud desktop, please contact AccountEdge support or Apps4rent support and we can step you through the process.
The following videos can be viewed which follow the steps below:
It’s recommended that you backup your AccountEdge files including the AccountEdge Documents directory found in your user Documents folder for AccountEdge Pro users and in your Library/Application Support/AccountEdge NE directory for Network Edition users.Once you have migrated your files, it is also recommended that you rename your company file so that you don’t mistakenly enter data into the original file on your Mac after you have migrated your company file to the cloud desktop.
Launch AccountEdge to Create Directories
If you haven’t done so already, launch AccountEdge Pro in your cloud desktop and open the sample company file. This will create the appropriate directories in your Documents folder for AccountEdge.
Moving Your Files
Once you have successfully connected to your cloud desktop, you will need to move your company file(s) to your cloud desktop.
There are multiple ways to move your files to your cloud desktop account including:
Using Dropbox or similar services on your cloud desktop account - Keep in mind that if you install Dropbox on your cloud desktop as opposed to accessing Dropbox via the browser, depending on your settings, the full content of your Dropbox directory may be sycing/saved to your cloud desktop. Just be aware of how much space this may consume.
Clipboard Copying - From within Microsoft Remote Desktop there’s a setting under Devices & Audio to “Redirect” your Clipboard. Basically this means that you would be able to copy and paste text and files between your local Mac and the cloud desktop. This method would only be recommended for small files.
Folder Sharing - Also from within Microsoft Remote Desktop is an option to “redirect” folders. This allows you to share a local folder from your PC or Mac with your cloud desktop so that you can copy and paste files between your local computer and cloud desktop. For information on how to set up a shared local directory, see the following knowledge base article: Sharing a Local Directory
Files to be Migrated and their Locations
The following files should be copied to your cloud desktop and placed in the appropriate locations:
Company Files - any of you AccountEdge company files you would like to access within your cloud desktop.
Custom Forms - Unfortunately customized forms created on the Mac are not cross platform compatible and cannot be used in AccountEdge Pro for Windows. Mac users will need to recreate their customized forms.
Custom Reports - any custom reports you may have created in AccountEdge
Spreadsheets- if you have edited any of the Excel templates used with OfficeLink, you will want to copy those to your cloud desktop. You do not need to copy all of these templates but just any that you may have edited.
Letters - If you have edited any of the Word templates used with OfficeLink, you will want to copy those to your cloud desktop. You do not need to copy all of these templates but just any that you may have edited.
Graphics - these are graphics that are linked to your company file. You’ll want to copy this directory to your cloud desktop.
AccountEdge Documents directory - this folder located in your Mac’s Documents folder contains files that have been attached within your Company File. You’ll need to copy this entire directory to your cloud desktop. If you are using AccountEdge Network Edition, this directory is found in Library/Application Support/AccountEdge NE/AccountEdge Documents.
Single User File Locations
If you only have one user that requires accessing your company file and have one AccountEdge Hosted cloud desktop account, you’ll be placing your company file and related AccountEdge files on the cloud server in a similar location as you are using now. They would be placed in your users Documents directory in AccountEdge Pro 2019 US.
The other files including your custom reports, your graphics files and any edited Excel spreadsheet templates and Word templates would all be placed in their respective directories. To navigate to these locations, click the File Explorer icon (looks like a Folder) in your Task Bar (similar to the Mac’s Dock) to open a File Explorer window (similar to a Mac Finder window).
The AccountEdge Documents directory which contains files that are attached to your company file, should be located in your Documents folder.
Multiple User File Locations
Company File
If you have multiple cloud desktop users who will be sharing the company file, the file needs to be placed in a location which all users have access to. This may be the Public users Public Documents directory which is accessible by all users. You can navigate to this directory by using the File Explorer and navigating to C:/Users/Public/Public Documents.
AccountEdge Documents
Your attachments are stored in this directory and this directory must be stored in the same location as your company files. Graphics, Reports, Spreadsheets, Letters
These files and directories are user specific, meaning that each user has their own directory storing these files. You will need to copy these to each users AccountEdge Pro 2019 folders found in their Documents directory.
Customized Forms
Since Mac customized forms are not cross compatible with AccountEdge for Windows, you’ll need to recreate your customized forms. Each user will need a copy of any customized forms that are created since these are stored within each users AccountEdge Pro 2019 directory found in their Documents folder.
Changing your AccountEdge Hosted Cloud Desktop Password
When your AccountEdge Hosted account is provisioned, you're provided with login credentials for each user. It is recommended that you change your user's passwords once you have successfully logged in to your cloud desktop.
Once you change your password within your cloud desktop, you will also need to change the password used in your Microsoft Remote Desktop client connection to match.
Passwords can be changed for all users by the Administrator user through the Control Panel (right mouse click the Start menu and choose Control Panel and choose Users) or each user can change their own password.
Windows Users
Use the Key Command Alt+Ctrl+Delete
Mac Users
Use the Key command Ctrl+Option+Delete or Fn+Ctrl+Option+Del
