ITS Recommendation for Windows Vista

With the recent release of Microsoft's Vista operating system, ITS recommends our customers continue using Windows XP. ITS does not recommend installing Microsoft Vista as numerous applications and drivers are not compatible with this new operating system yet.

At this time there are no compelling reasons to upgrade... and there are actually a few reasons to wait:

• The hardware requirements are very demanding. You will need to make sure your system can handle the minimal requirements of the OS.
• Many vendors are still writing drivers for peripheral devices, so before upgrading, make sure drivers exist for your printers, scanners, and other peripherals.
• Campus business applications have not yet been fully tested.
• Campus technical support staff are still familiarizing themselves with the new operating system

The most significant application that is not currently compatible with Vista is our Novell file server infrastructure (P:drive, U:drive, etc.). Once we have a beta version of the Novell client we will begin testing it within our environment.

We are also testing early versions of printer drivers, VPN software, anti-virus software. This page will be updated as we get more information regarding WWU application compatibility.

ATUS Software Services is coordinating with Purchasing to make sure appropriate licensing is secured with all new computer purchases. However, new computers will be configured with the current Windows XP operating system to insure that all WWU network services continue to function.

System Requirements

To help you determine whether your computer can run Windows Vista, Microsoft has created the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. This utility analyzes your system and identifies possible compatibility problems with your hardware and software.

See Microsoft's Windows Vista Capable and Premium Ready PCs page for the official list of system requirements. WWU will be standardizing on the Business Edition of the operating system which recommends 1 gigabyte of RAM and a 1 gigahertz processor.

Software Compatibility

Standard WWU Software

The following list provides additional information about some of the standard WWU applications:

• Novell network client: there is currently no way to connect Windows Vista to our standard file and print sharing environment.
• Microsoft Office 2003: Microsoft Office 2003 has been tested and works fine with Windows Vista.
• Symantec AntiVirus: Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.2 for Windows Vista is now available. Versions for both 32-bit systems and 64-bit systems are being tested and will be available soon.

Administrative Systems Applications

Administrative Computing Services is in the process of testing its applications with Vista. Those who use Administrative Systems Applications should postpone upgrading to Vista until the testing has been completed.

Other Applications

• Cisco VPN Client: A recently-released version is currently being tested with Windows Vista.