Students Tech Guide

Zoom is a video conferencing application similar to Skype, Webex, Google Hangouts, etc. Founded in 2012, the app was in competition with other video conferencing apps but became the most popular platform during the COVID-19 pandemic when stay-at-home mandates were in effect. 

Zoom and Webex are most likely going to be part of some of your classes and virtual activities here at HCCC. This guide will help you navigate through the Zoom application.

• Download and Run the Zoom Client
• Joining a meeting
• Start a meeting
• Choosing a video If you have more than one video input
• Choosing audio If you have more than one audio input
• Invite participants
• Scheduling a meeting
• Viewing your meetings
• Sending Invitation for Scheduled Meetings
• Recording a Zoom meeting
• Muting participants
• Screen sharing
• Remote Control in Screen Sharing
• Meeting Controls

1. Download and install the Zoom client.

Navigate to https://zoom.us/download in your web browser.​

2. Click the "Download" button to download the latest Zoom client for your computer.

After the download completes, run the installer to complete the installation.

To join a meeting, you can either click the link given to you or join via meeting ID number.

On the start of the app, you can click "Join a meeting" without having to sign in.

But if you do sign in to your Zoom account, click the "Join" icon.

Type in the meeting ID.

There may be a password for the meeting. Type the password if there is and click "Join meeting".

If you come early to a meeting, this notice will pop up and you may have to wait for a while or the date and time for the meeting to start.

You may also click a meeting link and this prompt will pop up from your browser. If you have the Zoom program downloaded on your computer, you can click "Open Zoom Meetings". Otherwise, you may have to download it to you computer.

If the prompt does not come up click "Launch meeting".

1. Open the Zoom application.

2. Click the "new meeting" button.

3. Click join with computer audio.

1. Click on the Settings link in the upper right corner of the Zoom Home Screen.

2. Click on the video button in the left panel of the window.

3. Click on the Camera drop-down menu and choose the camera that you intend to use. 

4. And you'll see yourself in the camera preview screen.

1. Click on the Settings link in the upper right corner of the Zoom Home Screen.

2. Click on the "Audio" button in the left panel of the window.

3. Under Microphone settings, choose the Microphone that you will be using.

4. Click on the "Test Speaker" button to test your speaker so you can hear participants.

5. Under Microphone settings, choose the Microphone that you will be using.

6. Click on the "Test Mic button" to test your Microphone to ensure participants can hear you.

1. Click the Invite button after starting a meeting.

2. After you click the Invite button, you should see this screen.

3. Click the "Copy URL" button and send it to anyone you want to invite.

Click on the "Schedule" icon.

The dialog box will then come up.

Type in the topic of the meeting, choose the date and time, and how long the meeting will last.

If you have a basic Zoom account, you will only be limited to 40 minute meetings between groups of three or more people. This dialog box will appear if you would like to upgrade.

Check the "Recurring meeting" box if you want this meeting to be repeated at the date and time you specified. Otherwise, leave it blank.

You can generate a Meeting ID or use your own Personal ID.

Zoom will give you a randomized password or you can erase that and create your own password. In certain cases, depending on the place you work/go to school in, you do not have the option of not needing a password as is the case here where the password switch is blocked off. If you click directly on a link you will not have to enter the password. If you are typing in the meeting ID, you will need to enter the password.

You can enable the waiting room to monitor participants that are coming in. For security reasons certain institutions/companies require that the waiting room is always enabled when Zoom meetings are scheduled.

Choose if you would like you and/or your participants to have video on or not.

Choose which calendar to sync your scheduled meeting in. You may have to adjust settings on your calendars to enable the sync.

Under "Advanced Options" you can check other requirements that you would like for your meeting.
1. Allow participants to join anytime - Participants can join late into the meeting or come back when they step off for a bit.
2. Mute participants upon entry - Participants will be muted so as not to disturb the meeting if there is noise in their background.
3. Automatically record... - Meeting will be recorded and saved into the computer as soon as it starts.
4. Approve or block entry... - You can allow or block users from certain countries/regions that you do not want interfering your meeting.

If you check the "Approve or block entry..." box, the following dialog box will appear. Choose whether to allow or block users and specify which countries/regions to allow/block in the box. You can save or cancel your changes.

After you are done scheduling your meeting, click "Save". If you do not want to schedule a meeting, click "Cancel".

To view your scheduled or accepted meetings, click on "Meetings" at the top of the app.

Your list of meeting(s) will be on the left side. Click on one to view details of the meeting.

View your meetings as shown above and click "Show meeting invitation".

It will expand and show details of the meeting. You can copy and paste the message or link in an email or other messaging platforms.

You can also click "Copy Invitation" and it will copy the entire message that you can paste in an email or other messaging platforms.

Starting a Local Recording.

The host must record the meeting or grant the ability to record to a participant.

1. Start a Zoom meeting as the host.

2. Click the option to Record.

3. If there is a menu, select "Record on this Computer."

Hosts will see the following recording indicator in the top-left corner while recording is active.

Participants will see the following indicator in the top-left corner while the recording is active.

4. After the meeting has ended, Zoom will convert the recording so you can access the files.

Once the conversion process is complete, the folder containing the recording files will open.

You can mute all participants that are already in the meeting as well as new participants joining the meeting.

1. Select "Manage Participants" button.

2. From here we can mute participants.

3. Select "mute" on a participant.

4. Or if you want to mute everyone "Select Mute All" button.

1. Open any applications or windows that you want to share during your screen sharing session. 

2. Click on the "Screen Share" button on the toolbar.

3. When the window selection screen appears, click on the window you would like to share to select it.

3A. If you intend to share any computer sound that you want your participants to hear, remember to click to the "share computer sound" checkbox.

4. After you are done making your selections, click the "Share" button.

5. When you're done sharing your screen click the "Stop Share" button on the top of the screen.

1. While viewing another participant's screen share, click the "view options" dropdown menu on the top of the screen.

2. Click the "request remote control" button, then click Request to confirm.

3. Whoever was the original participant sharing there screen will get a notification asking if they want to allow you to control their screen and they will have to confirm to allow you control.

4. Click inside the screen share to start controlling the screen.

5. To stop controlling the screen, click the "view options" dropdown menu and click the "give up remote control" button.

 Mutes/Unmutes your mic. Located on the bottom left of your screen.

 Turns on/off your video. Located on the bottom left of your screen.

 Ends the meeting for you. Meeting might still be continuing without you. Located on the bottom right of your screen.

 Shows how many participants in the meeting. Click to view them. If you are the host, you are able to mute/unmute people and allow people that are in the Waiting Room.

 View the chat. You can hide the chat room if you find it distracting.

 Share your screen with other participants. If you are not the host, the host has to allow you to share your screen.

 Record the meeting. Participants will be notified that the meeting is being recorded. If you are not the host, the host has to allow you to record the meeting.

 React to whatever is being said in the meeting using an emoji. 

Under Reactions, you can also raise your hand. You can choose more reaction emojis by clicking the 3 dots on the right side.