THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ONLY FOR WINDOWS COMPUTERS!
This is, by FAR, the easiest way to get Aspen v14 to run on your Windows computer. It only requires downloading two files, installing one, and a bit of patience. Before proceeding make sure your computer meets the following minimum requirements:
Intel Core i5 or i7, or Core Ultra CPU
8 GB of RAM
100 GB free hard drive space
Windows 10 or 11 Operating System
Step 1: Download VirtualBox (operating system virtualization software)
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
Choose the Windows Hosts option
After you download the installer, run it and go through the installation wizard, accepting all of the default options.
Step 1.5: Install VirtualBox Extension Pack. While not strictly necessary, it provides VirtualBox with enhanced features.
Congrats! Virtualbox is now ready to load the Windows Virtual Machine!
Step 2: This next step is the most time-consuming, as you’ll need to download the preconfigured virtual machine file, which is 46.5 GB. It’ll take a few hours, depending on the quality of your internet connection, so I’d suggest starting this download at night so it’s ready for you in the morning.
You can download the virtual machine file from my University MS OneDrive cloud storage. Click this link to access my Student Resources folder:
Browse to Virtual Machines > Windows Users folder, and download the file in there called:
“Windows 11 with Aspen.ova”
I suggest creating a folder on your C: drive called “Virtual Machines” and saving it there.
Once that .ova file has finished downloading, simply double-click on it, and it will automatically open VirtualBox and begin importing the virtual machine.
Once it finishes importing, click the Start button to boot up your new virtual machine and instantly start using Aspen!
If you have any questions, or need any help, please contact:
Jason Barborka - jason@che.utexas.edu
CHE Information Technology Manager
Matt Batina - mbatina@che.utexas.edu
CHE IT Systems Administrator