IST's Position for Windows Vista
Windows Vista has been evaluated by Information Services & Technology (IST), and is now available to the NJIT academic community if your computer meets the Vista requirements listed below. Administrative departments should continue to use Windows XP, as there is no overwhelming business related reason to migrate. Most corporate and higher education environments have not embraced Vista. In addition, the upcoming administrative release of Windows 7 should present a more complete and business-oriented operating system for our community.
Pre-Installation Information
Prior to considering installation, each user should determine the following:
- Whether or not personal programs on the computer are Vista Compatible
- Whether you have the original install media, (CDs, DVDs, Floppy Disks, etc) for all personal programs
Upon beginning the Windows Vista installation process, you will be given two installation options: "clean" and "upgrade". NJIT supports clean installations of Vista only. A clean installation of Windows Vista will remove all programs, data, documents, pictures and files from your computer, and replace your operating system with Windows Vista. "Upgrade" installations are not supported due to the high likelihood of unexpected data loss and compatibility issues. With that in mind, IST supports and recommends the decision of students, faculty, and staff to continue to use Windows XP Pro, as all newly purchased PC's will have a Windows XP Pro operating system.
Vista Requirements
Windows Vista requires a much more powerful computer than Windows XP. Many NJIT computers used in offices and for general administrative purposes may not meet the hardware compatibility requirements for Vista or only do so marginally. The best way to check your system specifications is to use the Direct X System Diagnostic Tool. Information on how to use this tool is located at http://ist.njit.edu/compreq/systemspecs.php. This website will explain how to use Direct X to view your current system hardware information and compare it with the requirements listed below.
Minimum Requirements for NEW Institutional PC Purchases:
Institutional computers are to be purchased from the Dell-NJIT website. Contact Purchasing at x5789 for information about the Dell-NJIT website. The minimum system configuration is:
- CPU: 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 class CPU. Hyper-threading or dual-core CPU's STRONGLY recommended. No Celeron or Dduron processors.
- RAM: 2 GB. 3GB STRONGLY recommended
- Video Card: 256MB supporting DirectX 9.0 STRONGLY recommended, no on-board video card
- Hard Drive: 80GB Serial-ATA or better with at least 20GB free
- Media drives: DVD-ROM, DVD/CD-Writer recommended
- USB: USB 2.0
- Floppy: optional
- Firewire: optional
- Sound Card: optional
- Hardware MUST be supported by the vendor with drivers for Vista
- Windows XP Pro
Minimum Requirements to install Vista on an existing Institutional PC:
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Windows Vista Challenges
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IST's Responses
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Challenge: Windows Vista requires a much more powerful machine than Windows XP Pro. Many computers currently in use at NJIT are not powerful enough to properly support Vista, and therefore will not be able to run the operating system. |
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Response: IST has put forth minimum hardware requirements for Windows Vista. Only PCs that meet the minimum hardware requirements will be supported. |
Challenge: Many software packages currently in use at NJIT and elsewhere are not fully compatible with Windows Vista. |
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Response: IST has continuously tested software used by the NJIT community to determine Windows Vista compatibility. An up-to-date list of compatibility status of NJIT-provided software is available here. |
Challenge: Windows Vista's user interface is significantly different from Windows XP Pro, and has a steep learning curve that must be overcome before a user can reach full productivity. |
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Response: IST has compiled a website of training resources for users new to Vista. |
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Support for Microsoft Vista
IST offers various resources for Windows Vista. As software is updated for Vista compatibility, IST will update the resources accordingly.
Please Note: Windows XP Pro will continue to remain available - and widely used - for the foreseeable future due to both the learning curve and Vista Hardware Requirements.
If you have any questions about the Vista installation process in regards to research and sponsored programs, please contact the IST Helpdesk for further information.
Purchasing Microsoft Vista
Do not buy Windows Vista. Under special licensing with Microsoft through the Campus Agreement program, installations of Vista Business 32-bit edition will be available for all NJIT-owned computers (faculty and staff issued computers, computing labs, public machines, etc.). In addition, all students enrolled at the time Vista is released to the community will be licensed for a copy of Vista Business 32-bit edition on their personally owned computers. Note: The 64-bit edition of windows Vista is currently in a test-bed environment.
NJIT Links for Windows Vista
Microsoft Support links for Windows Vista:
Additional questions on installing Windows Vista should be addressed to the IST HelpDesk at (973) 596-2900.
