Using JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion with Remote Access Software
It is possible to use JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion in remote/virtual environments like Remote Desktop, Citrix, VMware Horizon, and Amazon WorkSpaces (AWS). There are a couple ways to deploy Freedom Scientific software for use in these environments.
- To provide the best experience for blind and low vision users, you must add remote authorization to an existing local or network license of JAWS or Fusion. The software must also be installed correctly on both the client work station as well as the server/remote computers or virtual machines. Once properly authorized, the version of JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion on the remote computer sends information through a virtual channel which then relays this output on the client computer through speech, braille, or magnification.
Note: There is a one-time fee to add this Remote Access authorization option and once purchased, you can use the software in remote access environments for the life of that license. For information and cost to add this remote option to your existing license, contact your Freedom Scientific representative or dealer. For ZoomText only users, please note that you will be required to upgrade to a Fusion license in order to use ZoomText in a remote access session.
- You can also choose to install the software only on the remote/server computer or virtual machine and not on the client workstation at all. In this setup, remote authorization is not necessary since nothing is installed on the client. You will experience lower performance as the Freedom Scientific virtual channels are not installed. This means that there will be no braille output on the client and speech will be routed using standard Windows audio and port forwarding. Using JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion this way is ideal for sighted testers or software developers who just want to remotely connect to a computer or virtual machine where the software is installed and run it to verify functionality.
Helpful External Resources
While there are a number of online resources available that cover configuring various remote/virtual environments, a few that may be helpful include:
- How to Use Remote Desktop
- Install and configure Citrix virtual apps and desktops
- Quick start tutorial for VMware Horizon
- Amazon WorkSpaces (AWS)
System Requirements
In environments where multiple users may be connecting at once, the minimum system requirements for Freedom Scientific software installed on the server are:
- Operating System: Windows Server 2016 or later.
- CPU: 2 CPU-cores with 1 additional CPU-core every 2 users.
- Memory: 500 MB per user. The requirements of the operating system and other third party applications must also be taken into account and added to this value.
- GPU: A virtual or physical GPU.
For more information on tuning your server, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/performance-tuning/hardware/.
For client computers as well as Windows workstations that support a single user connection, the standard system requirements for JAWS, Fusion, and ZoomText are fine.
Expected Behavior
The following sections provide an overview of how things should work depending on what software is running on the client and server and whether or not remote access authorization is available.
ZoomText Running on Client
| License Location | Server ZoomText | Server JAWS | Server Fusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion License including Remote Access installed locally on client or network license server | Virtual channels load and magnification works as expected | n/a | Error message, requires matching products |
| Fusion License including Remote Access installed locally on server | If server is a workstation operating system, virtual channels load and magnification works as expected. Otherwise, displays error message and shuts down | n/a | Error message, requires matching products |
| Fusion license available, but no remote authorization | Displays error message and shuts down | n/a | Error message, requires matching products |
| No license available | Displays error message and shuts down | n/a | Error message, requires matching products |
JAWS Running on Client
| License Location | Server ZoomText | Server JAWS | Server Fusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAWS or Fusion License including Remote Access installed locally on client or network license server | n/a | Virtual channels load and speech and braille work as expected | Speech, braille, and magnification if licensed for Fusion only speech and braille if licensed for JAWS |
| JAWS or Fusion License including Remote Access installed locally on server | n/a | If server is a workstation operating system, virtual channels load and speech and braille work as expected. Otherwise, displays error message and shuts down | If server is a workstation operating system, speech, braille, and magnification (Fusion license only). Otherwise, displays error message and shuts down |
| JAWS or Fusion license available, but no remote authorization | n/a | Displays error message and shuts down | Displays error message and shuts down |
| No license available | n/a | Displays error message and shuts down | Displays error message and shuts down |
Fusion Running on Client
| License Location | Server ZoomText | Server JAWS | Server Fusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion License including Remote Access installed locally on client or network license server | Error message, requires matching products | Speech and braille work as expected, but no magnification | Speech, braille, and magnification all work as expected |
| Fusion License including Remote Access installed locally on server | Error message, requires matching products | If server is a workstation operating system, speech and braille work as expected, but no magnification otherwise, displays error message and shuts down | If server is a workstation operating system, speech, braille, and magnification all work as expected otherwise, displays error message and shuts down |
| Fusion license available, but no remote authorization | Error message, requires matching products | Displays error message and shuts down | Displays error message and shuts down |
| No license available | Error message, requires matching products | Displays error message and shuts down | Displays error message and shuts down |
No Freedom Scientific Software on Client
| License Location | Server ZoomText | Server JAWS | Server Fusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| License available locally on server or network license server | Provides magnification on the client using Windows port forwarding | Provides speech on the client (no braille) using Windows port forwarding | Provides speech and magnification on the client (no braille) using Windows port forwarding |
| No license available | Runs in 40-minute mode and provides magnification on the client using Windows port forwarding | Runs in 40-minute mode and provides speech on the client (no braille) using Windows port forwarding | Runs in 40-minute mode and provides speech and magnification on the client (no braille) using windows port forwarding |
Setting up Standalone Authorizations
- Whatever product (Fusion, JAWS, or ZoomText) is going to be running on the client side, must also be installed on the server/virtual environment side. For best results, we highly recommend installing matching versions on both sides if at all possible.
- You must run the same product on both the client and server. For example, if Fusion is installed on the server but only ZoomText is running on the client, you can only run ZoomText on the server.
- In order to use the Freedom Scientific virtual channels over a remote access connection, a JAWS or Fusion license with remote authorization support must be available on the client or a network license server. If the server is running a workstation operating system such as Windows 11 Professional, the license with remote authorization can also be installed locally on the server/remote computer.
- If JAWS, fusion, or ZoomText is only installed on the server/remote computer, it will still work when launched from the client, however, the virtual channels will not load, causing Windows port forwarding to be used to provide speech and magnification on the client. Braille support is not available at all in this mode.
- Since the Remote Access Flag can only be added to Fusion or JAWS licenses, ZoomText users will be required to have Fusion Authorization.
- Confirm the Remote Access authorization is enabled for your license by going to the Remote Desktop dialog box located in the Options menu in JAWS or the Fusion or ZoomText menu under Support.
Options to Consider Based on Each Product
ZoomText
ZoomText only users should install and authorize ZoomText using the new Fusion Authorization code with the Remote Access authorization that was acquired.
Note: If there was previously a ZoomText license installed, please be certain to delete the ZoomText License as described below after updating to a Fusion License. This is the only way to be certain that ZoomText will use the Fusion License with Remote Access Enabled when it starts. If both a Fusion and ZoomText license are on the computer, ZoomText will default to the ZoomText license rather than the Fusion license which will prevent Remote Access from working.
To remove the ZoomText license, do the following:
- From the ZoomText UI, open the ZoomText Menu (ALT+Z).
- Open the Manage License submenu.
- Select Explore Utilities Folder.
- When the folder opens, choose Remove ZoomText Activation.
- Restart ZoomText and it will now use the new Fusion Activation you previously installed.
JAWS
JAWS only users can install JAWS and authorize with either a JAWS or Fusion Authorization, provided the remote access option is enabled for the authorization (license) to be used. Please verify if Remote Access is Enabled or Disabled in the Remote Desktop dialog box located in the JAWS Options menu.
Note: If there was previously a JAWS license installed, and you now have a Fusion License with Remote Access enabled, you must first delete the JAWS only License off the client computer as described below and activate with the Fusion License. This is the only way to be certain that JAWS will use the Fusion License with Remote Access Enabled when it starts. If both Fusion and JAWS licenses are on the computer, starting JAWS only will default to the JAWS license rather than the Fusion license preventing Remote Access from working.
To remove the JAWS only license, do the following:
- From the JAWS UI, open the Utilities Menu (ALT+U).
- Select Explore Utilities Folder.
- Choose Remove JAWS Activation.
- Restart JAWS and it will now use the new Fusion Activation you have installed.
Fusion
Fusion users should install Fusion and activate with the Fusion Authorization with remote access enabled. Please verify if Remote Access is Enabled or Disabled in the Remote Desktop dialog box located in the Fusion menu under Support.
Note: In all cases, you should install the same software on the server/remote computer that matches the software running on the client. In other words, if you are only using ZoomText on the client, you only need to install ZoomText on the server.
Authorizing the Software on the Server/Remote Computer
If you only intend on using JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion from client workstations, then it is not necessary to activate a license for the instance of the software installed on the server computer. The software installed on the server/remote computer will get its authorization during the Citrix, Remote Desktop, VMware Horizon, or Amazon WorkSpaces Session from the client-side license that has Remote Access Enabled.
If you remote into a computer running a work station operating system like Windows 11 Professional which only supports a single user connection, the software can get its remote authorization from the local license on the remote computer instead of being limited to the license on the client. For example, you use JAWS on a computer at your office which you sometimes need to remote into from home. Your copy of JAWS on your home computer is not authorized for remote access, however, the copy of JAWS on your work computer is. When you establish a remote connection between your home and work computers, JAWS will use the license on your work computer to enable the remote access flag.
Since server operating systems like Windows Server 2019 support multiple users being connected at one time, the server side JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion always uses the client side license or a network license to get authorization. In this case, you will not put a local license on the server computer. The only time you might activate a local license on a system running a server operating system is if you ever need to sit down and run the product locally. You will also need to put authorization on the server if you are using XenDesktop or another thin client solution where you remotely connect to a server from a terminal that does not support installing JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion.
Note: Thin client software like XenDesktop only works with JAWS or ZoomText when each product is running by itself. It will not work when both products are running together or as Fusion at this time.
Network License Server Authorization
- In the event the Client version of your product is being Authorized using a Network License Server Key, Remote Access would need to be added to all seats for the Multi User License Server.
- When this is true, the Remote Desktop dialog box will reflect “Remote Access: Enabled” as it does for standalone licenses.
- In the event only one person on the network needs the added support, consider purchasing a single standalone license for that client machine.
Available Modes When Running Freedom Scientific Software on a Server
JAWS
JAWS on the server/remote computer offers the following modes:
- Server Mode: Requires a JAWS client to be connected in order to output speech and Braille. Authorization is obtained from a local license on the client, a network license server, or a local license on the server if running a workstation operating system.
- Dormant Mode: There is no speech or Braille output and JAWS does not look for a license until a JAWS client connects. Consider using this mode when not everyone connecting to the server requires a screen reader. When a client with a running instance of JAWS connects, the dormant instance of JAWS on the server wakes up and begin sending speech and Braille to the client. If JAWS is not running on the client when it connects, then the server instance of JAWS remains dormant and uses a trivial amount of resources.
To enable Dorman Mode, launch JAWS on the remote computer with the /WaitForClient command line argument while a client is currently not connected. A JAWS icon appears in the System Tray with the following two options:
- Run Standalone: Starts a full instance of JAWS.
- Exit: Completely shut down JAWS on the server/remote computer.
Once a client JAWS connects, JAWS on the remote computer instantly switches to Server Mode and begins to output speech and braille on the client computer.
If a client is currently not connected, you can also set JAWS to always use Standalone Mode by launching JAWS with the /StandAlone command line argument. A license must be installed on the remote computer in order to run JAWS in this mode.
ZoomText or Fusion
If you start ZoomText or Fusion with the /WaitForClient command line argument and no client is currently connected, ZoomText or Fusion will display the full UI, however, “Disconnected” will be displayed in the title bar. This will change to “Connected” as soon as a client connects.
For remote environments like Citrix where you need to publish applications to the client computer, you can start ZoomText or Fusion with the /PublishedApps command line argument. When using this option, the ZoomText or Fusion UI is displayed on the client side, but no UI is displayed on the server side. Any settings changes that are made using the UI on the client computer will still be applied on the server as expected. This setting prevents two instances of ZoomText or Fusion appearing on the client’s taskbar or in the ALT+TAB order, which could cause confusion.
Troubleshooting
You can use the Remote Desktop dialog box to help troubleshoot issues when using JAWS, Fusion, or ZoomText over a remote connection. This dialog box is located in the JAWS Options menu, or in the Fusion or ZoomText menu under Support. From this dialog box, you can:
- See whether or not your Freedom Scientific software is authorized for remote access.
- Check the status for each supported remote channel; Remote Desktop, Citrix, VMware Horizon, or Amazon WorkSpaces (AWS).
- Test the connection between the client and server/remote computers.
- Repair any channel that is reported to not be working. For example, if you install the Citrix client software on a computer where JAWS or Fusion is already installed, the Repair option becomes available since the Freedom Scientific remote channel for Citrix was not properly configured. Selecting Repair properly configures the Citrix channel. If the Citrix client is installed before JAWS or Fusion, the channel is set up during the JAWS or Fusion installation and the Repair option is not shown.