Getting Started with Claude

Learn how to access Claude, set up the desktop app, authenticate with your Scorpion account, and navigate the available modes.

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Access and Licensing

A license is required to use Claude with your Scorpion credentials. If you haven't been assigned one, reach out to [e-mail] to request access.

Once licensed, Claude is available on:

• Web — claude.ai (browser, no install required)
• Desktop — Windows and Mac app (recommended for full features)
• Mobile — iOS and Android

Installing the Desktop app

Do not install the desktop app directly from the claude.ai website!

For a full featured experience, we ask that you download Claude via our internal software portals:

Windows — Company Portal 

1. Open Company Portal from the Start menu.
2. Search for Claude.
3. Click Install

Mac — Scorpion Self Service

1. Open Scorpion Self Service from Applications or Spotlight search.
2. Search for Claude
3. Click Install
4. If you hit a permissions prompt, use the MakeMeAnAdmin tool to get temporary admin rights.

Signing In

1. Open the Claude desktop app (or go to claude.ai)
2. Click Sign in with SSO
3. Enter your Scorpion credentials.

Using Claude

The most straightforward way to use Claude is through the chat interface, available on web, desktop, and mobile. Communicate with Claude naturally, the same way you'd message a coworker. Prompts can be as simple or as detailed as the task requires:

• Simple: "Summarize this email for me."
• Complex: Multi-step analysis, writing projects, coding tasks, or research.

Type your prompt and press the submit button to start. Use the + button or type / to see additional options and commands.

Understanding Claude's models

Claude offers three models. Select the one that fits the complexity of your task:

Model	Best For
Opus	Complex reasoning, advanced coding, nuanced analysis
Sonnet	Everyday tasks, writing, data analysis, coding. Fast and well-rounded.
Haiku	High-volume, simple, or time-sensitive tasks

Not sure which to use? Start with Sonnet. It handles the majority of tasks well and is noticeably faster than Opus. Step up to Opus when depth and reasoning quality matter most.

Claude's own documentation is extensive. If you have a question about what Claude can do, try asking Claude directly.

Desktop App Modes

The desktop app has three modes accessible along the top bar:

Chat

General conversation with Claude, no local file access. Equivalent to the web interface.

Cowork

Instead of responding to prompts one at a time, Cowork can take on complex, multi-step tasks and execute them on your behalf. With scheduled tasks, Claude can complete work for you automatically. With the introduction of projects in Cowork, you can organize related tasks into persistent, self-contained workspaces with their own files, links, instructions, and memory, making Cowork more powerful for recurring or long-running work.

• Direct local file access: Claude can read from and write to your local files. (Note: Because of this, Cowork data is not subject to Scorpion or Anthropic's data retention programs.)
• Professional outputs: Generate polished deliverables like Excel spreadsheets with working formulas, PowerPoint presentations, and formatted documents.
• Scheduled tasks: Create and save tasks that you can have Claude run on-demand, or automatically on a cadence of your choosing.
• Projects: Group related tasks into separate workspaces with their own files, context, instructions, and memory.

Code

An interactive coding assistant with direct access to your local files. Unlike Cowork, Claude Code walks you through each change in real time, you review and approve before anything is applied. Claude Code is also available inside your terminal and your IDE. 

The desktop app gives you Claude Code with a graphical interface: visual diff review, live app preview, scheduled tasks, and more. No terminal required.

Getting Help

If you run into issues with access or installation, contact the IT Service Desk at [e-mail]