Accessing ArcGIS Pro From Home

This short guide will get you up and running using ArcGIS Pro on your home computers and laptops. Please read through this guidance carefully and contact the linked support for the relevant sections if you get into any trouble.

ArcGIS Pro (Version 3.2) has the following minimum  hardware specifications :

• Windows 10 Operating System (64 bit) or Windows 11 (64 bit)
• CPU Speed: 2 Cores (4 or more recommended)
• RAM: 8GB (32 GB or more recommended)
• Storage (HDD or SSD Drive): More than 32 GB available space.

 Click here  to run a tool which will check your computer's hardware if you're unsure of your computer's specifications.

You will note the requirement above for a Windows 10 Operating System. This must be a full Windows 10 Operating System and not Windows 10 ‘S’ – as the added security with the ‘S’ system will not allow you to install external applications. If your computer is currently running in Windows 10 S mode then you can unlock it following the instructions  here 

Most specialist software, such as ArcGIS Pro, is not compatible with Apple iMac’s, Apple MacBooks or Google Chromebooks. If you already own a Mac, it is possible is run the software through different applications (such as Bootcamp or Parallels - see below). However the Mac must still meet (and ideally exceed) the above hardware requirements. Some of these applications do also come at an additional cost to you and may not be available for your specific Mac. Performance is also reduced even on high-specification computers. Unfortunately there is currently no similar software that we are aware of for Chromebook users.

If you choose to attempt to use ArcGIS on a Mac, then it is your responsibility to get it up and running using the support links in this guide. Teaching staff are not experts in this and will have limited capacity to help you do this.

For anyone with an Apple (Mac) computer, you can install Windows 10 on your Mac in one of two ways:

• Bootcamp: This is a partitioning application that allows you to apportion some of your Mac setup to run Windows. The two run on the same computer – but not at the same time. Bootcamp is free to use and  information can be found here . A  user guide can be found here .
• Parallels: This allows you to set up a Virtual Machine to run Windows – within the Mac environment. So the two run in parallel at the same time. This typically leads to better performance than Bootcamp but does come at a cost of £69.99/year. However there is a 14 day free trail - so you can test it out on your Mac before purchasing it. Information about Parallels  can be found here . 

Both applications come with installation instructions and further detail is in the links above. There is also some more  UWE IT guidance available here for Bootcamp. 

With both applications you will need a licensed version of Windows 10. As a UWE student you can get this through the Microsoft Azure Cloud. Go to the AppsAnywhere site (following the below instructions) and locate Azure Dev Tools. If you click 'More Info' on this app icon, then there are some steps to follow to set up an Azure account. Alternatively if you struggle with AppsAnywhere you can access the Azure portal directly  following this link .

In a nutshell when you access the Azure site you should see a link for software. There are many versions of Windows 10 available on there but we recommend "Windows 10 Education version, 21H2". It will probably be best to copy and paste that into the search bar to find it quickly. Once you click on that there will be a button to view the product key you will need to activate windows.

If installing from scratch you can use this product key as part of the Parallels or Bootcamp installation process. If you already have Windows through Parallels or similar and need to activate it you can find some  guidance on how to do this here . Follow the steps to activate using a product key.

For returning students to UWE Bristol who installed ArcGIS Pro on their machine previously, we recommend updating to ArcGIS Pro 3.2 so you'll be using the same version of the software that is currently installed on campus. To download the updated version of ArcGIS Pro, go to the  UWE AppsAnywhere  page by following the steps below.

To open AppsAnywhere you just need to type in  appsanywhere.uwe.ac.uk  into your browser search bar.

You will then be taken through a Microsoft sign in process. Just sign in with your normal UWE Username and Password.

The first time you open AppsAnywhere you will be prompted to install their app onto your computer. This is so the service can deliver the software you need. Follow the steps in the video below to complete this installation.

Once you install the AppsAnywhere App you can then access all of the different software you might need for your course, including ArcGIS Pro.

Returning students: if you installed ArcGIS Pro 3.1, or any earlier version, on your own computer in the previous year, it's really important that you uninstall this older version before installing ArcGIS Pro 3.2. The instructions below show you how to do this. You can skip these steps if you do not currently have an earlier version of ArcGIS Pro installed on your computer!

• Open the 'Windows Menu' in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen.
• Search for 'add or remove programs' and open it once you've found it.

• 3. The 'Apps & Features' settings window should have opened in the centre of your screen.
• Search for 'ArcGIS Pro' in the search bar near the centre of the window and locate ArcGIS Pro from the list below.

• Left-click on ArcGIS Pro and select 'Uninstall'.
• A pop-up will open, select 'Uninstall' again.

• A final pop-up will then open and ask you (again) if you 'Are sure you want to uninstall this product?'
• Press 'Yes'.
• ArcGIS Pro will then begin to uninstall - This may take a few minutes.

The video below shows you how to download and install ArcGIS Pro - Please note that the version of ArcGIS Pro currently installed on campus is V3.2, not V2.9 as referenced in the video - But the same process applies.

When you download ArcGIS Pro for the first time via AppsAnywhere you might be prompted to select the License Type. If so you should change the License Type from 'Concurrent Use' (or whatever it is set to) to 'Named User License'.

You will then be prompted to sign in with your ArcGIS Username and Password. You will have received your username in an email to your UWE Student Account and been invited to set up your own password in the same message. This email would have arrived when you first used GIS in a module at UWE.

Each time you open up ArcGIS Pro you will need to sign in (most computers will remember your log in). This is very important to ensure that you have access to the tools and datasets you will need for your studies.

Sometimes AppsAnywhere isn't perfect, and we have created a guide for some of the common issues when using ArcGIS Pro and AppsAnywhere here. Check here before asking for help to see if the noted solution works for you.

If you run into any difficulties using AppsAnywhere or for general help with getting ArcGIS Installed on your computer please contact the  UWE IT Help Desk .

If you need help accessing your ArcGIS Pro account to sign into the software please contact either:

•  Harry West  (FET Courses - Geography/Geology/Planning/Architecture/Civil Engineering/Environmental Management)
•  Flora Tiley  (CHSS Courses - Environmental Science/Conservation Science/Wildlife Ecology)

If you need support using Parallels or Bootcamp, you can look at the following help and support pages (depending on how you are using Windows on your Mac computer):

•  Apple support for Bootcamp 
•  Parallels support forum 

If you have any questions regarding what’s covered in this guide (or any other technical aspect of working with geospatial data), please email me at  mason.rhode@uwe.ac.uk , or stop by the office (3Q77) and I'll be happy to help.