Software on Windows VMs (UMCU)

Software on Windows VMs (UMCU)

This article is only for UMCU workspaces!

To work with data on your Windows VM in a DRE workspace, you of course need software. 
For UMC Utrecht workspaces, there are a few different ways in which software ends up on a Windows VM:
  1. Some software comes preinstalled;
  2. Owners may install software via the Software store;
  3. Owners may also install software themselves: the self-service option.
  4. In some exceptional cases, software is available on-request.

Preinstalled software

Some software packages will be available from the get-go, because they are included within the image with which the VM was created. An image is a template ('sjabloon') of a VM, including installations of applications. Dependent on which image was used to create a new VM in your workspace, certain software is already preinstalled:
  1. Windows-UMCU/2.0.0: Software Store with SPSS 28, SAS 9.4, R 4.1.3, RStudio 2022.2, Anaconda 3.2021.11 preinstalled. 
  2. Windows-UMCU/3.0.0: Software Store with SPSS 29, R 4.3.2, RStudio 2023.9, Anaconda 3.2023.7 and Notepad++ 8.5.5 preinstalled.
All users of the VM should be able to use the preinstalled software. 
The first VM of a UMC Utrecht workspace is based on the UMCU/2.0.0 image, unless requested otherwise.

Software store

If your required software is not preinstalled on the VM, you can check out the Software store where more applications are available. The software store is by default available on Windows VMs created with recent UMCU images. Cannot find it? Consider creating a new VM with an UMCU image, and deleting the old one - do make sure to move any relevant files from the old C:-drive to Z:! 
In the software store, you will find the following applications:


  1. 3D Slicer
  2. 7Zip
  3. Adobe Acrobat DC Reader
  4. Anaconda 3
  5. Azure Storage ExplorerEndNote 21
  6. G*Power
  7. LibreOffice
  8. Matlab R2023a
  9. MicroDicom
  10. MikTeX
  11. Miniconda
  12. NotePad++
  13. NVivo 12
  14. NVivo 14
  15. NVivo 20
  16. Putty
  17. R
  18. Radiant DICOM Viewer
  19. RStudio
  20. RTools
  21. Sante DICOM viewer Pro
  22. SAS
  23. SPSS
  24. VeraCrypt
  25. Visual Studio Code
  26. WinSCP
  27. WireShark
  28. X2GO
Beware that only Privileged Members or the Accountable can perform installations (because only they have Administrator rights). However, all users should afterwards be able to use the installed software. 
By default, the applications in the Software Store will show a red cross as icon. How to import the icons as shown in the image above can be found here: How to remove the red crosses in the Software Store
Software in the software store is regularly updated. It makes sense to - once every so often - check whether there are updates of the applications you have previously installed. That way, you make sure that you have the most recent software available. 

Self-service installations

If software is neither preinstalled nor installable via the software store, a third option is for the Accountable or Privileged members to install software themselves. Read more about Self-service installing software. 
The software you can install yourself falls into three categories:
  1. Any open-source software without licenses.
  2. Software for which you have purchased your own licenses. Please mind: DRE VMs do not have internet connection (and can only allow specific outbound connections), and therefore cannot activate licenses that need full access to the internet.
  3. Software with UMC Utrecht license, for which you are authorized to use the license. 
Read more about the responsibilities and specifics of using Software licenses in DRE.

On request installations

Are you unable to install particular software in any of the aforementioned ways? Then you can create a ticket in the current help desk to request support from the DRE Support Team. Please use the 'Other' form. We will investigate together with you whether the software can be made available.
Please note that, to install software, a Support Team member will need temporary access to the workspace as Owner. Please don't forget to delete them from the workspace after the installation is complete. 

It's up to the support members to see whether they can make specific software available. This may depend on the availability of licenses and the legal terms for use of the software.

Final notes on software support

  1. Software support for DRE is not organized centrally by anDREa, but rather by the institutes under which a workspace falls. Therefore, available applications may differ between workspaces of different institutions. Also, the other centers may offer more/less comprehensive support.
  1. At UMC Utrecht, we provide software support on a best effort basis. Of course, we recognize that we serve to support IT for researchers and we strive to be as comprehensive as possible.


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