Amazon AppStream allows faculty & students access to SPSS and Stata for academic use only. AppStream can be used from any computer with a compatible web browser.

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For questions about Amazon AppStream access, contact the Help Center at help.center@bc.edu or 617-552-HELP (4357).

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Note: 天美传媒app Apps retired on May 31, 2025. Please use Amazon AppStream to access SPSS and Stata software.听With the retirement of 天美传媒app Apps, your AppsStorage (L: Drive on Windows) will retire on December 1, 2025.听Learn how to move your data from AppsStorage below.

Accessing Amazon AppStream

To access Amazon AppStream:

  1. Using one of the supported browsers, go to: bc.edu/app-stream
  2. On the 天美传媒app Single Sign On (SSO) login page, enter your 天美传媒app Credentials (the username and password you use for Agora Portal) and complete 天美传媒app 2-Step Verification.
  3. Click Continue with browser.
    Note: 天美传媒app does not support the AppStream client app.
  4. Click the desired application.
  5. Use the instructions below to set up Google Drive or OneDrive to use with AppStream.

Amazon AppStream is supported on computers on the following web browsers only:

  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Safari
  • Microsoft Edge
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Note: Amazon AppStream is not supported on mobile devices or the AppStream client app.

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Working with Files on AppStream

You can only store files used with AppStream in these cloud-based services:

  • Google Drive
  • Microsoft OneDrive
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Setting up Google Drive or OneDrive on AppStream

To configure Google Drive or OneDrive to use with AppStream:

  1. In AppStream, open the app you want to use.
  2. On the top menu, click My Files.
  3. Click Add Storage.
  4. Sign in to your 天美传媒app Google Drive or 天美传媒app OneDrive account.
  5. Follow the online prompts to give AppStream access.
    When opening or saving files through AppStream, you can browse to your files by clicking This PC, then OneDrive or Google Drive.

Best Practices for Personal File Storage

If you have a large number of files in Google Drive or OneDrive, it may take several minutes to sync your files and folders. To speed up this process:

  • Create a folder in the root of your Google Drive or OneDrive called "AppStream" & put all files you need for AppStream in this folder. Also, save all output to this folder.
  • Organize your files into folders
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Copying & Pasting

When using AppStream, sometimes you cannot use Command-C to copy or Command-V to paste text. Instead, you can use the secondary menu to copy & paste text.

To copy text:

  • From the Edit menu, select Copy.听
  • Control-click (or right-click) the item you selected, then select Copy from the shortcut menu.
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To paste text:

  • From the Edit menu, select Paste.听
  • Control-click (or right-click) the item you selected, then select Paste from the shortcut menu.
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Removing Google Drive or OneDrive Access From AppStream

When you no longer want AppStream to have permission to access your Google Drive or OneDrive account (for example, when you no longer have any classes that need AppStream), you can remove its access.

To remove access to Google Drive from AppStream:

  1. Sign in to your 天美传媒app Google Account at: https://myaccount.google.com听
  2. On the left navigation, click Security.
  3. In the section 鈥淵our connections to third-party apps & services,鈥� click Amazon AppStream 2.0.
  4. Click 鈥淒elete all connections you have with Amazon AppStream 2.0鈥� and when prompted, confirm.
    This will not affect or delete any files stored in your Google Drive. It only removes AppStream鈥檚 access to them.

To remove access to OneDrive from AppStream:

  1. Sign in to your 天美传媒app Microsoft Account at: https://myaccount.microsoft.com
  2. On the left navigation, click My Apps.
  3. Click the three dots on the Amazon AppStream 2.0 tile, then click Manage your Application.
  4. Click Revoke Consent.
    This will not affect or delete any files stored in your OneDrive. It only removes AppStream鈥檚 access to them.

Using Stata on AppStream

Every time you launch Stata on AppStream, a Stata script (profile.do file) runs automatically. The profile.do script does three things:

  • Installs Helpful Tools - It automatically installs the bcuse package, which gives you access to a library of commonly used datasets, which are especially useful for economics courses.
  • Simplifies File Saving - Allows you to enter commands (use_google and use_microsoft), which create a folder called Stata inside your connected cloud drive and sets it as the default working directory. Any files you save in Stata will go directly there.
    • For Google Drive: Google Drive\My Drive\AppStreamFiles\Stata
    • For OneDrive: OneDrive\Files\AppStreamFiles\Stata
  • Checks Cloud Connection - If your Google Drive or OneDrive isn鈥檛 connected properly, you will see this error message when you use commands use_google/use_microsoft:
    鈥淕oogle Drive/OneDrive not connected. Please connect your Google Drive/OneDrive to AWS AppStream and restart Stata.鈥�

Before loading any datasets in Stata:

  1. Make sure your Google Drive or OneDrive is connected in AppStream. Use the "Setting up Google Drive or OneDrive on AppStream" instructions above to set up your preferred cloud drive.
  2. Make sure Stata is open in AppStream.
  3. At the start of each Stata session, in the command line, enter use_google or use_microsoft
    These commands create a folder called Stata inside your connected cloud drive and set it as the default working directory. Any files you save in Stata will go directly there.
    • For Google Drive: Google Drive\My Drive\AppStreamFiles\Stata
    • For OneDrive: OneDrive\Files\AppStreamFiles\Stata

Frequently Asked Questions (Amazon AppStream)

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天美传媒app Apps: Moving Your Files from AppStorage

天美传媒app Apps retired on May 31, 2025. Please use Amazon AppStream to access SPSS and Stata software. With the retirement of 天美传媒app Apps, your AppsStorage (L: Drive on Windows) will retire on December 1, 2025. Learn how to move your data from AppsStorage below.

To download your data from AppsStorage (L: Drive):

  1. Make sure you have mapped a drive to AppsStorage (L: Drive). Learn how to map a drive below.
  2. From your AppsStorage drive, copy files and/or folders (not system folders) you want to save, and then paste them to your hard drive, flash drive, or cloud storage (Google Drive or OneDrive). Or, you can drag & drop the files/folders to the new location.

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Mapping a Drive to AppsStorage (L: Drive)

You may create a shortcut (or "map" access) to the AppsStorage space (L: drive) on your computer so that it is easily accessed. You must open an application in 天美传媒app Apps first, before mapping the drive.

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