Before you start


You'll need the following:


  • A computer that meets the minimum requirements to work with Lavalla. If you're not sure, see our specifications on our website here: Lavalla BYOD Specifications
  • Your student's Lavalla username and password. These will be provided to you before the first day of school
  • The charger for the laptop, as you'll need to leave the computer switched on for a while and you don't want it to run out of battery half way through
  • A good internet connection. Everything that is required is downloaded via the internet and may take some time to download.


Please make sure that you read and follow the steps carefully. Each step will explain what is going on and why it's being done. 



Setting up your laptop


Download the Company Portal app


This step will have you download the Company Portal app from the Microsoft Store. This provides access to all the Lavalla-specifc apps your student will need


To download the Company Portal app:


  1. Click on this link to go to the Company Portal page on the Microsoft Store: Company Portal on the Microsoft Store
  2. Click on "Get in Store app" to open it in the Microsoft Store app. Your browser may ask if you want to open the app, so be sure to allow it:
  3. In the store, click on "Install"


If the link to the Microsoft Store doesn't work, you can search for the app from the store:


  1. Click on Start, and locate the Store app:
  2. Click the Search icon up the top, then search for "Company Portal".
  3. Click on "Install" (or "Get") on the listing.


Signing in to the Company Portal app


Next step is to sign in to the Company Portal which registers your laptop with Lavalla


  1. Open the Company Portal app
  2. You'll be prompted for your student's Lavalla email address and password. For example:
    1. Email address: [email protected]
    2. Password: SchoolPassword2023
  3. You'll be presented with a box asking you to stay signed in to all your apps. You MUST keep the box ticked, then click OK. Lavalla will never reset your device and will only install applications your student requires at Lavalla, and cannot access any personal files. 


Wait 5 minutes and then restart your computer


This step is really important! You need to wait 5 minutes, then restart your computer. If you are running Windows 10 or Windows 11 Home Edition, an important update will be applied to your computer. This update lets you install and run the apps Lavalla provides. This upgrade adds features to Windows, but you likely won't notice them because most of them are behind-the-scenes features most useful for schools.


If you are running Windows 10 or Windows 11 Professional or Enterprise Edition, restarting is not required, but is strongly recommended


If you're not sure how to restart your computer, follow these steps:


  1. Click on Start
  2. Click on the power icon and click Restart

Windows will tell you that its updating. If it doesn't tell you that its updating, you'll need to try again later, as it may take a little bit for the upgrade to apply



You're all done!


In this article, you've successfully downloaded the Company Portal and signed in to it to register the laptop with Lavalla.


Troubleshooting


If something isn't working, follow the troubleshooting steps below, and if you're still having trouble, reach out to us on the Helpdesk.


The Username or Password is incorrect


Double check that you've typed everything correctly. "i" (as in ice), "l" (as in "lemon"), ! (an exclamation mark) and the number 1 look similar, same with "o" (as in orange) and the number 0. Also make sure that you've got capital letters where necessary, because "Password" and "password" aren't the same!


Some systems and websites require a username (e.g. smitjoh1) while some require an email address, which is the username (e.g. smitjoh1), with @lavalla.vic.edu.au at the end (e.g. [email protected]) so be sure that you're using the correct one when mentioned above!


I don't see any apps available!


Wait another 5 minutes and restart the laptop. Windows should do an update, but sometimes it may take a minute or two to apply. Also make sure that you've fully restarted your laptop by clicking Start and clicking on the power button. Closing the lid or pressing the power button on the laptop may just put the laptop to sleep which is different from a restart


I'm still having troubles!


If you're still having trouble getting the laptop set up, visit the Lavalla Helpdesk and put in a ticket:


https://helpdesk.lavalla.vic.edu.au/support/tickets/new


Be sure to include an informative title (e.g. "I've restarted but I don't see any apps"), and provide more details in the description, including what type of computer you have, who the student is, and any additional things you've tried to resolve the issue. You'll receive an email when someone replies to your ticket, but please keep in mind that Lavalla IT may be busy at the very start of the year and it may take a moment to get back to you.