Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started with Zoom Workplace

Install the Application

To get started, install the Zoom Workplace application and check for updates.

1. Go to zoom.lbl.gov and download Zoom from the Download Center.

2. Once the application is installed, open it on your computer and click Sign In.

3. Select Sign in with SSO from the right side menu. 

4. Enter LBNL under the "your company name" field. You will be redirected to the Berkeley Lab LDAP login page.

5. Enter your LDAP credentials and follow the prompts to complete the account activation.

If you are unable to complete the self-activation process, email the IT Help Desk with the subject “Zoom Account Upgrade."

Set Up Your Account

How do I create a Zoom account using my lbl.gov email address?

All Lab staff are automatically provisioned a licensed Zoom Workplace account at no cost. To activate your account:

1. Follow the steps in the previous section to download the Zoom Workplace app

2. Once the account is set up, click your profile picture in the upper right corner, scroll down to Check for Updates.

3. An update requirement will be enforced at 6pm on the 3rd Thursday of each month. It applies to all lbl.gov Zoom Workplace users.

Zoom will not update. It says Contact IT Administrator.  Help!

1. If your Zoom client is below the current version, it cannot be updated by IT. 

2. Uninstall the desktop application from your computer and install the latest version from the Download Center. 

Account Capacity

What is the maximum number of people that can join my zoom meetings?

1. To view license details, go to zoom.lbl.gov > My Account > Profile. 

2. The limit is 300 max concurrent participants (joined at the same time).

3. If you need a temporary upgrade to a large meeting license (500 or 1000) enter an AV support request.

Sign In Before Joining

When scheduling a Zoom meeting with doe.gov or science.doe.gov do not require authentication.  

Open the Zoom desktop application (not the browser). There are two options:

1. Join a Meeting

2. Sign In

If the host selects 'Only authenticated users can join' when scheduling, attendees must Sign In with SSO or Sign In with Google:

1. Sign into Zoom - Using any valid zoom account 

2. Sign into Zoom - Using lbl.gov account

IMPORTANT:

• Do not use the authentication option for external DOE.gov or zoomgov accounts.

Setting Up Collaboration Resources

AI Companion

Does the Lab have access to the Zoom AI companion?

Yes. For more information about the Zoom AI companion feature, click here.

Can I use third-party transcription services at the Lab?

No. Due to security and privacy concerns, third-party transcription services are prevented from joining LBL hosted Zoom meetings. As an alternative, use Zoom's native AI Companion tool.

Impact: Read.ai, Otter.ai, Fathom AI Notetaker and other third-party transcription services no longer work with LBL hosted Zoom meetings, per IT policy. 

My Notes

My Notes is a built-in AI note-taking tool by Zoom that automatically captures, transcribes, and summarizes your conversations. It works across Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and in-person meetings - without the need for third-party bots. It syncs seamlessly across your desktop and mobile devices.

1. Personalized Summaries: My Notes focuses on capturing your priorities and the specific details that matter to you.

2. Manual & AI Collaboration: Type your own notes during the meeting which are automatically linked to the exact timestamp of the meeting's AI-generated transcript.

3. Cross-Platform Compatibility: You don't have to be in a Zoom meeting to use it. It functions identically for in-person discussions, phone calls, or video chats on competing platforms.

4. Host Control: The host can disable the 'My Notes' feature when scheduling or at any time during active meetings.

For more about the My Notes feature, click here.

Cloud Recording

How do I set meetings to automatically record?  In my account, it says this option is locked by your admin. 

1. The automatic recording feature is disabled per IT policy.  

2. The host or co-host(s) must join the meeting and click the record button.

3. To view local or cloud recordings go to zoom.lbl.gov > My Account > Recordings.

Can I save cloud recordings indefinitely or will they be deleted after a set number of days? 

1. To ensure that the cloud recording feature remains available to everyone, cloud recordings will be deleted automatically after they have been stored for 30 days.

2. To store cloud recordings longer than 30 days, download and save them to Google Drive using a lbl.gov Google Workspace account.

3. For more about IT policy on cloud recording in Zoom, click here.

Zoom Rooms

All public conference rooms at the Lab are now Zoom Rooms.  Event hosts can start/join meetings directly from the iPad controller in the room.

1. For a list of all public conference rooms, features, calendar, and user guides, visit go.lbl.gov/cr.

2. Add the room to a Google Calendar invite on the day/time of your event.

3. Schedule a test run prior to the event date to review the room functions.

4. If a consult with IT is needed, enter a support request.

Security, Scheduling and Reporting

Passwords and Security

How do I prevent Zoom bombing? 

There are several steps you can take when scheduling your meeting to prevent Zoom bombing.

1. 1. Generate random meeting IDs

   2. Enable passcode

   3. Enable waiting room

   4. Enable authentication (Sign into Zoom)

   5. Select Host Video ON, participant video OFF

   6. Select "Mute participants on entry"

In-Meeting Security Options

Hosts can enable a passcode, authentication and waiting room options when scheduling. Once the meeting begins, the host and co-hosts can use the Host Tools button to enable/disable options during a meeting to minimize disruptions.

1. Disable Screen Sharing

2. Disable Chat

3. Disable Mute/Unmute

4. Enable Waiting Room

5. Suspend all Participant Activities

6. Lock Meeting

Manage Screen Sharing

By default, only the participant who is sharing can annotate on the shared screen. To allow others to annotate, click the "More" button in the sharing toolbar and select Enable annotation for others.

Visit the Zoom Security Settings resource for a security checklist recommended by IT.

Google Calendar Sync

Scheduling Zoom Meetings 

How do I schedule a Zoom meeting from Google Calendar?  

1. Download and configure the Zoom Extension for Browsers to add a Zoom meeting to calendar events. 

2. For detailed instructions: Using the Zoom Scheduler extension for Chrome

Meeting IDs

Can I use one Meeting ID and create separate calendar invites for different sessions? 

1. Use separate Meeting IDs for each Zoom session, create Recurring Meetings or try the Waiting Room feature to admit attendees at specified times.

2. If an event is deleted in Google Calendar, the associated Zoom meeting becomes invalid.

3. If you copy/paste a Zoom meeting invitation with the link to join in Google Calendar from one calendar event, it will automatically update the meeting details to the new date/time. 

Can I use my Personal Meeting ID?

Yes. Since your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) is a known value, anyone can dial into any meeting (at any time) once they know the number. 

1. Use PMI for personal or 1:1 meetings with people you trust.

2. Turn off the 'Allow participants to join anytime' option for your Personal Meeting ID in Personal Meeting Room settings.

3. If it has been compromised, you can change your PMI within zoom.lbl.gov > My Account pages.

Zoom and Google Calendar Sync

Zoom is no longer synced with my Google Calendar. Help!

If your Google Calendar is out of sync with your zoom account. You can fix this by taking the following steps:

1. Go to zoom.lbl.gov click My Account (upper right corner).

2. Go to the Profile tab on the left navigation pane.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Configure Calendar and Contacts Service.

4. Select Google Calendar and follow prompts to complete integration.

Schedule Privilege and Zoom Reports

How do I schedule Zoom meetings on behalf of my supervisor? 

To schedule a calendar event with a Zoom meeting that comes from someone else:

1. Make sure you have Google Calendar scheduling permissions.

2. Ask the person you're scheduling for to grant schedule privileges in their Zoom account.

3. Go to zoom.lbl.gov click ‘My Account’ and go to the ‘Settings’ tab on the left navigation pane. 

4. At the bottom of the list, the person you're scheduling for can add your email address to assign scheduling privileges.

5. To allow access to cloud recordings and reports, check the two boxes at the bottom of the section "allow access to the following data for scheduled meetings"

6. Once the person you're scheduling for has completed the steps, close your browser completely and open a new Google Calendar window.

7. You will now see a "Schedule For" pull down menu when creating or transferring meetings using the zoom.lbl.gov web interface.

8. Click Allow me to Specify Each Time  in the settings of your Zoom Scheduler extension to view the option.

Attendee Reports

The meeting host can self-generate attendee reports using a licensed lbl.gov Zoom account. 

1. Go to zoom.lbl.gov and click 'My Account' upper right corner.

2. On the next page, select the 'Reports' tab.

3. Select a date range to find the meeting ID in question.

4. Click 'Generate CSV' to download a copy of the attendee report.

5. For detailed instructions, click here. Still need help? 

6. Email help@lbl.gov with the meeting ID, date and time.

Streaming Video Library

If you're hosting 300 participants or fewer, using a licensed lbl.gov account, record your session to the cloud then save it Google Drive. 

1. Start a cloud recording right before your session begins.

2. Stop the recording promptly at the end.

3. Download the cloud recording and save it to Google Drive using lbl.gov account.

4. Set the sharing permissions to "Berkeley Lab (Univ of California)" or "Anyone with the link."

5. Send an email to help@lbl.gov with the Google Drive link and a one-paragraph description. 

6. The email will create a new Help Desk ticket and IT will upload the video the streaming.lbl.gov library within two business days.

Advanced Options

I'm good with the basics. What else is new? 

Zoom offers a variety of advanced options including: 

1. Sharing content or 2nd camera

2. Chat and File Sharing

3. Dialing out from Zoom app (Call Out)

4. Whiteboard and Annotation

5. Enable Live Transcription (Closed Captions) 

6. How to Host Concurrent Zoom Meetings

7. Live Streaming to YouTube

8. Using Immersive View

9. How to Use Zoom on a Chromebook

Still Need Help?

1. Scan the QR code below with a smart phone or tablet camera for more useful tips. 

2. Contact the IT Help Desk 510-486-4357 (HELP) or email help@lbl.gov.