Windows
Vista is Microsoft’s new operating system for clients. As many people
transition to Windows Vista either through upgrades or through
replacement of their computers, questions arise about whether
applications, on-line services, and hardware be compatible. This
document addresses the unique licensing and technical issues faculty and
staff can encounter, if they attempt to use Windows Vista in Oakland
University’s computing environment.
1. Does Client Services support Microsoft Windows Vista?
- Yes. Client Services supports only the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate Editions of Vista.
2. Is Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) supported in Vista?
3. Is Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) supported in Vista?
4.
I purchased a computer with Windows Vista Enterprise or Windows
Business preinstalled. Do I need to configure my system to work with the
University’s Key Management Servers (KMS)?
- No, preinstalled versions of Windows are individually licensed and do not need to interact with our Key Management Servers.
5. I would like to upgrade to Windows Vista Enterprise using the Campus License Agreement (CLA). Am I eligible to do so?
- Yes,
as long as your computer has a licensed copy of a Microsoft or
Macintosh operating system and is a University-owned computer you are
eligible to install Windows Vista Enterprise from the CLA.
6. If I choose to install Vista on my computer, am I required to upgrade to Microsoft Office 2007 at the same time?
- No, you can continue to use Microsoft Office 2003 on Vista.
7. If I choose to upgrade to Vista and Office 2007, can I also run Office 2003 at the same time?
-
No,
Client Services does not support concurrent installations of Microsoft
Office. Numerous built-in features of Office 2007 and additional tools
available for download from Microsoft Office Update http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/ ensure that everything created in Office 2007 can be read and edited with prior versions of Office.
8. I have heard that Vista has increased hardware requirements over Windows XP. Can my computer run Vista?
-
Yes,
Vista does require more powerful systems than Windows XP. University
Technology Services (UTS) has posted the Desktop Service Level Agreement
(SLA), which provides the minimum and recommended requirements for
hardware. You can access it at http://www2.oakland.edu/uts/files/DesktopSLA0708.pdf.
Performance can be improved on a slower computer by switching to
classic mode, which turns off the new ‘Aero’ graphical features of
Vista. If you are considering using the BitLocker
drive encryption feature, it is recommended that you verify the
computer is partitioned properly at the time of order to avoid
reconfiguration later.
9.
I have heard that there are issues with Vista and Banner. Exactly what
issues can I expect if I attempt to run Banner on Vista?
- The
current version of Internet Native Banner for Oracle is not supported
on the Vista operating system. Documentation is currently unavailable
for issues related to this implementation. When running Vista,
Microsoft Access reports do not work reliably. An ODBC Driver is being
evaluated that should resolve this issue.
10. My computer arrived with Windows Vista Business or Enterprise preinstalled. Is it acceptable to leave Vista installed?
- You
may use either of these versions of Vista if you do not use Banner as
described in question #9. If you require Banner compatibility, contact
the Helpdesk branch of Client Services in order to arrange to have your
computer converted to Windows XP Professional. If you use Internet
Native Banner or run Access or Excel reports using Banner data through
ODBC, we recommend that you do not use Vista at this time.
11. My computer came configured for BitLocker drive encryption. What is this feature?
12. Is it possible to run Vista on a Macintosh using Virtual Machine?
- Yes, it is possible to run Vista in a Virtual Machine (VM) on a Macintosh using Parallels, VMWare Fusion, and others.
13. Are there any issues running Vista in a Virtual Machine?
- Currently
two issues have been reported with Vista Virtual Machines. It is very
important to review the system requirements for the VM software you plan
on using. It is highly recommended you exceed the requirements as both
Vista Virtual machines can slow also slow Mac and PCs host systems. For
reference, even workstations with 4 GB of RAM and large amounts of free
disk space can be sluggish when running Vista in VM. If you attempt to
load Vista from an ISO image file, you might be unable to do so with
the media failing to be detected or with the VM reporting that the media
has errors. It appears this problem is caused by the ISO image file
being greater than 2 GB in size. This has been documented on Microsoft
Virtual PC and other VM software packages for PCs. The solution is to
install from the DVD.
14. Why are certain customers having intermittent problems while attempting to reset their Windows password on Vista computers?
- Client
Services has identified a password-reset problem in all versions of
Windows Vista that connect to a Windows domain. Contact the Helpdesk
branch of Client
15. Is there additional training available to prepare me for the interface changes in Vista?
16. What applications that have earned the “Certified for Windows Vista” logo?
17. What applications that have earned the “Works with Windows Vista” logo?
https://winqual.microsoft.com/member/softwarelogo/workswithlist.aspx