Overview
Some courses may instruct students to complete an assignment using the virtual labs service provided by Oakland University. This article details how to access these virtual labs.
Note: This article pertains the new virtual labs service provided by Propeller. As of March 2026, Propeller's virtual labs are in a "demo" phase. This article is subject to change is subject to change as the "demo" period ends.
Accessing a Virtual Lab
- Launch a new virtual desktop with the following link:
- Sign-in with your Oakland University email and password.
- Note: If you receive an error message stating, "Your organization does not allow you to update your password." Please reset your password from: netid.oakland.edu. See the "Troubleshooting / FAQ" section below.
- Upon sign-in, it will take approximately 2 minutes for the virtual lab to prepare.
- Note: If you receive a message asking to enable notifications in your web browser, click "Allow"
- Once the virtual lab platform has finished starting, you can access an application that may be needed for a course from the "Installed Applications" folder on the Desktop:
- Once you are done using the virtual lab, save your data (see the next step) and close out the virtual lab by closing your browser tab or the virtual lab window. Please do not click the "End Session" button under "Profile" unless you are experiencing an issue with your desktop session.
Saving Data to Google Drive / Microsoft OneDrive
Virtual labs are non-persistent, meaning that when you close out of the browser tab all data saved within the virtual lab will be deleted. In order to save data, you can connect the virtual lab to your Oakland University Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive account and upload files from within the virtual lab.
To connect the virtual lab to your OneDrive/Google Drive account, take the following steps:
- Click on "My Files" --> Click "Add Storage"
- Choose to sign-in with Google Drive/Microsoft OneDrive --> Sign-in with your Oakland University email/password.
- Once you have signed-in to your account, open the File Explorer application in the virtual desktop and navigate to "This PC". You should see your Microsoft OneDrive/Google Drive files present there.
Note: Once you sign-in to Google Drive/OneDrive you will remain signed-in when you start up your next session. You can only sign-in with an "@oakland.edu" email address.
Example: Uploading the save file from IBM SPSS to Google Drive (Applies to any other program you are working in)
As an example, if you are working in SPSS and need to save your progress before exiting the virtual lab, you could take the following steps to upload the save file to Google Drive:
- Click "File" --> "Save as.." --> From the drop-down, select "Google Drive" or "OneDrive" under "This PC"
- When browsing your Google Drive, you can click on "My Drive" to open your personal drive.
- Save the file anywhere within your personal drive.
Downloading Saved Data
Once you have saved your data to Google Drive/Microsoft OneDrive, you can access that data by going directly to the Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive websites. You can also download files directly to your computer through the lab by taking the following steps:
- Click on "My Files" --> Select Google Drive/OneDrive --> Open the folder you saved your file to.
- Click the "check box" next to your file. Select the "Actions" drop-down and click "Download". This saves the file directly to your computer.
Transferring Files to the Lab without OneDrive/Google Drive
You can take the following steps to transfer files between your own computer and the lab environment without connecting it to Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive by using the "Temporary Files" location. Please note, any files stored in this location will be deleted once the virtual lab session ends. If you need to retain files after closing the session, it is strongly recommended to store them in OneDrive / Google Drive:
Uploading Files to the Lab from Your PC
- Within the lab, click on "My Files" --> "Temporary Files" --> "Upload Files"
- Navigate to the file you would like to upload and click "Open"
- Once the file has been uploaded, open the File Explorer application --> Click on "This PC" --> "Temporary Files"
- You should be able to see the file that was uploaded under "Temporary Files". You can open the file directly from this location or move it elsewhere in the virtual lab environment.
Downloading Files from the Lab to Your PC
In order to download files from the lab to your personal device, you can take the following steps:
- Open the File Explorer application --> Navigate to "This PC" --> Open the "Temporary Files" folder --> Drag and drop any files you would like to download into this folder.
- Open "My Files" from the bar at the top of the screen --> Click "Temporary Files" --> Click the "check box" next to the file you would like to download to your PC.
- Click the "Actions" drop-down, followed by "Download" on the file you would like to download.
Troubleshooting / FAQ:
Q: I received an error message about needing to update my password/having an incorrect password upon logging in. What do I do?
A: You will need to reset your NetID password using the resources below:
Q: I have received an error stating there are no streaming resources available. What do I do?
A: If you receive this message, please wait 5-10 minutes and try again.
Q: The session is not loading and it appears to be hanging. I cannot see the desktop. How do I fix this?
A: From the top-bar of the session, click the "Profile" button followed by "End Session". Wait up to 1 minute and re-attempt accessing the virtual lab.
Q: Is the 2 minute lab loading time normal?
A: It takes up to 2 minutes to set up the virtual lab. This is expected behavior. If you enable browser notifications and switch browser tabs, you can work on other tasks or minimize the window and you will get a notification once the lab session is ready.
Additional Support
- OU Technology Center
- 44 Oakland Center
- Rochester, MI 48309-4479
- (248) 370-4357
- Office Hours: M-F 8:00am - 5:00pm