Microsoft Windows - IS Services Support Statement

IS Services provides support for computers running the following versions of MS Windows (32 bit versions only) on the College teaching and research network in College offices and labs.

• Windows Vista Business
• Windows XP Professional
  Note that mainstream support for Windows XP Professional was withdrawn by Microsoft in April 2009.  Microsoft will only provide extended support for Windows XP Professional until 2014. Click here for further details on the Microsoft support models.
• Windows 2000
  All support (including extended) for the Windows 2000 Operating System will be withdrawn by Microsoft in summer 2010.  IS Services will no longer support this product after this date and recommends that you upgrade to a supported version of Windows as soon as possible. Click here for further details on the Microsoft support models.

Windows Operating Systems and the College Network - Staff

At present there is no support for other versions of Windows, including Windows 7, Windows Vista Home Basic and Windows Vista Home Premium, as these cannot be centrally managed on the College teaching and research network. 

Under the College Microsoft Campus Licence Agreement IS Services will be able to provide copies of Windows operating systems (Windows 7, Windows Vista Business and Windows XP Professional) to members of staff.  Please be aware of the following

• IS Service can offer advice on how to undertake an upgrade or downgrade to Windows Vista Business or Windows XP Professional only and it is upto the workstation user to complete the process of installing a new operating system. 
• IS Services cannot provide any support or advice for Windows 7 and if a member of staff wishes to install this operating system onto a workstation then it must be remembered that  this workstation is not currently permitted to connect to the College Network.

It is strongly recommended that staff and postgraduates working in College offices and labs contact the IS Services helpdesk prior to purchasing any computer running Windows, to ensure that you are obtaining the appropriate operating system version for use on the College Network.

IS Services are currently reviewing the requirements for Microsoft Windows 7 to connect to the College teaching and research network.  At present we are not in a position to allow Windows 7 computers to connect to the teaching and research network or staff wireless network.  This is primarily because several of the central management tools we use do not support Windows 7.  A project has been undertaken to upgrade our central virus protection system to allow us to support Windows 7 workstations and this project is now nearing completion.  We are working on a project to initiation the upgrade of our central Windows update management tool but until this project is in place and complete software testing has been taken place we will not offer support for the Windows 7 operating system.   We are aiming to complete the necessary projects and testing by Summer 2010 and from this date onwards to allow Windows 7 workstations to connect to the College teaching and research network.

Windows Operating Systems and the College Network – Students

Students connecting to the student network using the self-service network admission control system (NAC) in student residences, Library communal areas and on the student wireless network may connect any version of Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP or Windows 2000 to the NAC system.  Following testing, IS Services are pleased to announce support for Windows 7 on the NAC system from 18th January 2010.

If you have any queries regarding the usage of Microsoft Windows in College please contact the IS Services Helpdesk. For further general information from Microsoft regarding their operating systems please click the following link and view the Products information: Microsoft Windows Home Page.

Support for Windows Applications Supplied by External Suppliers

We advise that users look on the suppliers’ web pages for statements concerning support for their particular application version running on Microsoft Windows 7, Vista or XP.  Those using applications newly deployed on any new Windows Operating System should be vigilant for issues especially during the initial use of the system.

If possible when purchasing new PCs, it would be advisable to retain the existing PCs with the previous platform until the testing of an application is completed. Those ordering PCs should check the operating system that will be supplied before purchase as you cannot connect Windows 7 to the College Network.

Support for Windows Applications Developed by the IS Services MIS Group

Applications developed by MIS (Management Information Systems) have not been re-engineered to run on a Microsoft Windows 7 or Vista platform, and MIS is not currently in a position to undertake comprehensive testing of applications on these operating systems. MIS advises that Windows 7 and Vista are not to be used for running these applications.

If you have any doubt as to which category your software belongs please contact the Helpdesk.

Microsoft Support Models

Microsoft offers 10 years of support for it’s operating systems, the first 5 years is Mainstream support and the second 5 years is Extended support.   The key difference between mainstream support and extended support is that Microsoft will accept requests for warranty support, design changes or new features and issue hotfixes during the Mainstream support but not during the Extended support phase.  Microsoft continues to keep the operating systems secure with security updates throughout the Extended Support phase. You can read more about Microsoft support at the Microsoft support lifecycle site.