Using NVivo via the WCER Application Delivery Service (ADS) is very similar to using an NVivo client installed locally on a desktop or laptop, but there are some configuration differences with the ADS version.  This document explains how to set up an ADS NVivo client for first-time use.

The first time you launch the NVivo client, you will be asked to enter your name and initials, which will be used by NVivo to identify you when working on a shared project, or when notifying other users that you have locked a non-shared NVivo project to edit it.  Enter your name and initials (and uncheck the "Participate in the Customer Experience Program" box) and click "OK".

This window will disappear and the NVivo client window will be launched.  You should not see this window again when using NVivo through ADS.  You should now change your default file settings in the NVivo client to a network shared location that you can access from outside ADS, so that you can import and export files easily into ADS NVivo.

From this point, the configuration options will be different depending on whether you are using the NVivo version 10 client, or the NVivo version 11 client.

NVivo version 10 Only

From the NVivo client, select "Options" under the "File" menu, and when the options window appears, select the "File Locations" tab:

Note that the default locations are all "C:\(username)\Documents", which will store these files as part of your ADS profile.  While you'll be able to see these files from ADS, they are not accessible outside of it, and you can't access them directly to move files into or out of NVivo. Therefore, it's best to change all four of these default locations to folders on your network drives, usually your personal drive (H: for WCER users, P: for School of Education/MERIT users). Just click the "Browse. . ." button next to each file location to select a new path, then click "OK" when you've changed all four to save your preferences. Once you have changed these defaults they should remain for all future uses of the ADS NVivo client.

NVivo version 10 and NVivo version 11

Nvivo is configured, by default, to create project recovery files for NVivo projects you are working on.  These are backup saved copies of projects you have open, and are saved to disk at a set frequency - by default once per day.

To change the directory project recovery files are saved to, select "Options" under the "File" menu of the NVivo client, then select the "Project Recovery" tab.

Like the File Locations specified in the NVivo 10 client, the default project recovery file location will be a directory on the C:\ drive of the Nvivo ADS server, which will be accessible only from within the NVivo ADS client.  You may wish to change this directory to a folder on one of your network drives, usually your personal drive (H: for WCER users, P: for School of Education/MERIT users). To do this, click the "Browse. . ." button next to the project recovery file location to select a new path.  You can also change the project recovery file creation frequency, and how many separate recovery files to save for each project.  Click "OK" when you have finished updating these settings to save them.

NVivo Server Connection

If you use the WCER NVivo server to work on shared NVivo projects, you will also need to configure your connection to the NVivo server.  To do this, select "Options" under the "File" menu of the NVivo client, then select the "Connections" tab.

You'll see a connection labeled "Standalone", which is a placeholder for opening non-shared NVivo projects.  Click on the "Add. . ." button to add a new connection.

The connection "Name" can be anything that you like, it will be the description used on the "Connections" tab.  In the "Host" field, enter "nvivo.ad.education.wisc.edu" (without quotes), the address of the NVivo server.  Under "Connect As", you must select "Specified User", and enter your NVivo server username and password - note that you will need to add "nvivo\" before your username to make sure you're using the server account (see above).

Click the "Test Connection" button and make sure that the connection is successful, then click "OK" to save the connection.  If you work with the NVivo server regularly, you should also check the "Default" box next to the new NVivo server connection, so that the NVivo client looks for shared projects on the server by default.  You can then click "Apply" and "OK" on the main options dialog box to save your options.

At this point, you should be ready to start using the ADS NVivo client.  If you have any issues, please open a ticket with your technical support team.