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Installing Universal Capture Classroom

Hannah Petty
  • Updated

Universal Capture is a cross-platform application that turns a classroom Mac or Windows PC into a capture device for the room. Universal Capture software is available through the Downloads page in Echo360. Once downloaded, the installation wizard guides you through the installation process.

Command line installation instructions (for both Universal Capture - Classroom AND Universal Capture - Personal) are also provided later on this page if you prefer. Once installed, Universal Capture will keep itself up to date by downloading and applying updates in the background.

If you have not already done so, review the Universal Capture Specifications to be sure the computer you are using meets the minimum system requirements for Universal Capture.

There are four basic steps to Universal Capture - Classroom installation:

  1. Obtain the Institution ID for your Echo360 tenant and keep it handy (instructions below).
  2. Download the Installer (instructions below).
  3. Launch the installer and complete the process (instructions for Mac and Windows below).
  4. Obtain the MAC address of the computer (specifically the Wifi network adapter) and keep it handy. You won't need this for installation but you WILL need this to add this computer as a capture device to a Room for Echo360. 
    The link is to an external site with MAC address locator instructions for both Mac OS X and Windows.

Beyond installation and setup, be sure to communicate to instructors that in order for Universal Capture - Classroom to successfully capture scheduled recordings:

  • The classroom computer needs to be turned on.
  • If it is a Mac, a user must be logged in so that the program can obtain permissions to capture the recording inputs (video, microphone, computer screen).

The lower sections of this page contain command line instructions for installation as well as uninstallation should you need them. Use the links on the right to jump to those sections as needed.

Use Local Directories for Installation!
The Universal Capture installation and data directories must be on the local drive; they cannot be located on a network, remote (mapped), or USB thumb drive. Use the defaults provided during installation.

Find your Institution ID

When installing Universal Capture software in Classroom mode, the Installer will prompt you for your Echo360 Institution ID. This allows the application to register itself to your Echo360 institution, allowing communication between the two. 

To find your institution ID

  1. Log into Echo360 as an Administrator, click the Settings icon, then select Configurations.
  2. On the Configurations page, select API Configurations from the left, identified in the below figure.
  3. Place your cursor into the Institution ID field, and press Ctrl+A/Cmd+A to select the full value.
  4. Copy and paste the value somewhere you can get it, to provide it to the installer when requested.
    API Configurations page with arrows showing navigation to the page and the institution ID field as described

Download the Installer

The Universal Capture Download link downloads either a .dmg (disk image for Mac) or .msi (Microsoft installer for Windows) file. Installation involves finding the downloaded file and launching it. So be sure you know where your browser puts downloaded files.

  1. While logged into Echo360 as an Administrator, click the Settings menu to open it and select Downloads, as shown in the below figure.
  2. From the Universal Capture: Classroom section of the page, select the download link for the installer that corresponds with the type of computer you are installing it to.
    You have three choices:
    • Mac Download (Intel) - for Mac computers that use an Intel processor
    • Mac Download (Apple Silicon) - for Mac computers that use an Apple processor (also referred to as M1 Macs or similar)
    • Windows Download - for any Windows computer running Windows 10 64-bit or higher
    Downloads page for administrators with navigation identified and showing three download options for Universal Capture as described

DON'T WORRY if you are not sure which Mac installer you need. If you try to install the wrong one, you will get a message like the one shown below, telling you to download and use the other installer.

Example processor support message provided when attempting to use the wrong Mac installer

Installing Universal Capture on Mac

Universal Capture on the Mac does not allow for custom installation directories, which may conflict with programs like Faronics Deep Freeze. Universal Capture must be installed to the default locations on the Mac hard drive.

To install Universal Capture on a Mac

  1. Locate the downloaded Universal Capture Installer .dmg file.
    It should be located in Finder > Downloads.
  2. Double-click the .dmg file to mount the image and begin installation.
  3. In the new Finder window that appears, double-click the UniversalCapture.pkg file to launch the installer.
  4. Follow the prompts to complete the installation, including providing the Institution ID you obtained earlier.

    During installation, you may get a notification regarding updates to the System Certificate Trust settings, like the one shown below. Authenticate yourself and accept these changes. 
    Security notification regarding changes to System Certificate Trust settings for installation as described

When finished, be sure to make a note of the MAC address of the computer, if you have not done so already. You will need this to add this computer as a capture device to a Room in Echo360. Use the link provided at the top of this page if you need instructions for finding the MAC address.

Installing Universal Capture on Windows

If you choose to install Universal Capture to a custom directory, note the following requirements:

  • The program directory and data directory must be different.
  • The application cannot be installed at the root of any drive.
  • The folder(s) chosen as the target installation directories must be empty or non-existent.

And as stated at the top of this page, the installation MUST be to the local drive of the computer. It cannot be installed to a remote, network mapped, external USB, or other non-local drive.

To install Universal Capture on a Windows PC

  1. Locate the downloaded Universal Capture Installer .msi file.
    Unless you select otherwise, it should be located in the Downloads folder.
  2. Double-click the .msi file to begin the installation process.
  3. Follow the prompts to complete the installation, including providing the Institution ID you obtained earlier.

When finished, be sure to make a note of the MAC address of the computer, if you have not done so already. You will need this to add this computer as a capture device to a Room in Echo360. Use the link provided at the top of this page if you need instructions for finding the MAC address.

Launch and Test the Installation

After Universal Capture is installed, launch it. Log in and run a test capture to ensure it works as expected. If it does, you may delete the downloaded installer file and unmount the disk image.

On a Mac: Open Finder, then select Applications and double-click the Echo360 Capture application, as shown below. 

Universal Capture desktop application shown in Applications directory

On Windows: Click the Start button (or use the search box), and find and select the Echo360 Universal Capture application, as shown in the below figure. 

Windows Start menu with UC

When Universal Capture is first launched it takes anywhere from 2-5 minutes for the application to establish a connection to your Institution and make sure that the latest software is being used. During this time a loading screen will appear that disappears once the connection is established. This is a good time to create the Room that will contain this capture device.

Command Line Installation

macOS

Universal Capture allows for command line installation of the software on a target Mac running a supported version.

To install UC Classroom

  1. Identify the computer(s) where you want to install Universal Capture.
  2. Download the Installer to the Downloads directory.
  3. Navigate to the Downloads directory and run the following command to mount the disk image:
    hdiutil mount UniversalCaptureClassroom<Region>_<VersionNumber>.dmg
  4. Copy the package contents to the target directory:
    cp "Install Echo360 Capture Classroom.pkg" "<target directory>"
  5. Create a text file in the same directory as above (Step 4) of the target computer containing only your Institution ID named institutionId.txt. 
  6. Run the following command to install the package:
    sudo installer -package /<target directory>/UniversalCaptureClassroom<Region> _<VersionNumber>/Install\ Echo360\ Capture\ Classroom.pkg -target "/Volumes/Macintosh HD"
  7. Clean up by unmounting the disk image:
    hdiutil unmount /Volumes/UniversalCaptureClassroom<Region> _<VersionNumber>

To install UC Personal

  1. Identify the computer(s) where you want to install Universal Capture.
  2. Download the Installer (UC Personal, not Classroom) to the Downloads directory.
  3. Navigate to the Downloads directory and run the following command to mount the disk image:
    hdiutil mount UniversalCapturePersonal<Region>_<VersionNumber>.dmg
  4. Run the following command to install the package:
    sudo installer -package /Volumes/UniversalCapturePersonal<Region> _<VersionNumber>/Install\ Echo360\ Capture\ Personal.pkg -target "/Volumes/Macintosh HD"
  5. Clean up by unmounting the disk image:
    hdiutil unmount /Volumes/UniversalCapturePersonal<Region> _<VersionNumber>

To add a Desktop Shortcut for Universal Capture

You also have the ability to optionally add a Desktop Shortcut during the installation process.

  1. Navigate to the Desktop
    cd ~/Desktop
  2. Run the following command
    ln -s /Applications/Echo360\ Capture.app <Shortcut Name>

Uninstall from macOS

Uninstalling Universal Capture is easy, however, be aware that sudo access is needed and all data is deleted on the removal of the program.

To remove Universal Capture

  1. Run the following command to run the script:
    sudo /Applications/Echo360\ Capture.app/Contents/Resources/uninstall.sh

Manually Remove the Certificate

In some instances, the uninstallation process for macOS does not remove the certificate from your machine. If you are planning to re-install Universal Capture software, you should leave the certificate in place. In addition, leaving it does no harm. However, you can use the following methods to manually remove the certificate if desired.

Open a Terminal window and enter the following command:

security delete-certificate -Z 6640A82C46F7B7219107666DCA9BFF28A08284E6 /Library/Keychains/System.keychain

This will complete the removal of Universal Capture software from your Mac.

Windows

Universal Capture allows for command line installation of the software on a target PC running a supported version.

To install UC Classroom

  1. Identify the computer(s) where you want to install Universal Capture.
  2. Download the Installer to the Downloads directory.
  3. Launch a Command Prompt as an Administrator.
  4. Run the following command to install the application:
    msiexec /qn /i "<download directory>\UniversalCaptureClassroom<region>_<version>.msi" INSTITUTION_ID=<institutionid>
  5. To install to custom directories:
    msiexec /qn /i "<download directory>\UniversalCaptureClassroom<region>_<version>.msi" INSTITUTION_ID=<institutionid> DATADIR=“<path>” PROGRAMDIR=“<path>”

To install UC Personal

  1. Identify the computer(s) where you want to install Universal Capture.
  2. Download the Installer (UC Personal, not Classroom) to the Downloads directory.
  3. Launch a Command Prompt as an Administrator.
  4. Run the following command to install the application:
    msiexec /qn /i "<download directory>\UniversalCapturePersonal<region>_<version>.msi"
  5. To install to custom directories:
    msiexec /qn /i "<download directory>\UniversalCapturePersonal<region>_<version>.msi" INSTITUTION_ID=<institutionid> DATADIR=“<path>” PROGRAMDIR=“<path>”

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstalling Universal Capture is easy, however, be aware that the Command Prompt must be launched as an Administrator and all data is deleted on the removal of the program.

To remove Universal Capture

  1. Run the following command:
    msiexec /x "~\UniversalCapture<mode><region>_<version>.msi"