Windows 7, Windows Vista Support

The Windows Working Group, which is comprised of members of IT groups across campus, continues to evaluate Windows 7 (publicly available October 22, 2009) to determine compatibility and support. However at this time, both Windows 7 and Windows Vista are unsupported. Please contact your local support group for assistance.  This information will be updated as new information becomes available.

Official support for Windows 7 is tentatively set to September 1, 2010 or when Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is released, whichever comes first.

1. Does the University support Window 7, Windows Vista?
2. What York University computing services are compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista?
3. When will faculty/department machine be upgrade to 7?
4. What are the minimum supported hardware requirements for running Windows 7?
5. How do I resolve the incompatibility issue between the default file format for Office 2007 and all previous versions of Office?
6. Where can I get Windows 7, Windows Vista Anti-Virus software?

1. Does the University support Windows 7 and Windows Vista?
   
   New systems that arrive with Windows 7 or Windows Vista pre-installed, and that are for University use, should have the operating system replaced with Windows XP Professional. 
   
   Further information will be made available via University IT groups and this web site.
   
   
   
2. What York University computing services are compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista?

• AirYork service
• YorkNet service
• DialUp service
• ResNet service
• @yorku.ca email service through https://mymail.yorku.ca (with Mozilla Firefox)
• @yorku.ca LotusNotes email service though https://webmail.notes.yorku.ca
• Passport York authentication services
• Symantec Endpoint Protection RU5
• Wireless Printing in student labs (Vista only)

3. When will faculty/department machines be upgrade to Windows 7?
   
   University Information Technology (UIT) and most faculty IT groups plan to continue to deploy Windows XP Professional instead of Windows 7 or Windows Vista.
   
   UIT and faculty IT groups are evaluating Windows 7 as the next version of Windows to deploy.
   
   Further information will be made available via University IT groups and this web site.
   
   
   
4. What are the minimum supported hardware requirements for running Windows 7?
   
   York's Windows Working Group, which is comprised of members from IT groups across campus, recommends the following hardware configurations for running Windows 7:
    

   	32 bit versions only
   	Recommended Minimum Configuration Standard DESKTOP The standard desktop will adequately run Vista including the AERO 3D desktop.	Recommended Minimum Configuration High-End DESKTOP The high-end desktop will give the best performance especially for resource-intensive tasks such as video editing.
   Processor (Intel)	1.8ghz core 2 duo (3.4ghz core-duo)	2.4ghz core 2 duo
   Display	19" LCD - analog	20" LCD - Digital
   Memory	1g ram	2g ram
   Hard Drive Storage	160g SATAII	250g SATAII
   Optical Device	CD-RW/DVD-ROM	SATA DVD+/-RW
   Video Card	Directx 9/WDDM capable/compliant c/w min. 128MB sdram (on-board video)	Directx 9/WDDM capable/compliant c/w min. 128MB sdram (discrete card)
   Network Interface - Integrated	Integrated 10/100/1000 Network Card	Integrated 10/100/1000 Network Card

   
   
   

   64 bit versions only Desktop Configuraitons Same specs as the about 32 bit versions, except memory is 4GB RAM or higher.

   
   
   

   	32 bit versions only
   	Recommended Minimum Configuration Standard LAPTOP The standard laptop will adequately run Vista including the AERO 3D desktop.	Recommended Minimum Configuration High-End LAPTOP The high-end laptop will give the best performance especially for resource-intensive tasks such as video editing.
   Processor (Intel)	1.8ghz core 2 duo	2.4ghz core 2 duo
   Display	15" SXGA	15.4" WSXGA
   Memory	1g ram	2g ram
   Hard Drive Storage	160g SATA	160g SATA
   Optical Device	CD-RW/DVD-ROM	SATA DVD+/-RW
   Video Card	Directx 9/WDDM capable/compliant c/w min. 128MB sdram (integrated)	Directx 9/WDDM capable/compliant c/w min. 256MB sdram
   Network Interface - Integrated	Integrated 10/100/1000 Network Card	Integrated 10/100/1000 Network Card
   Weight	<5.5lbs	<6lbs

   
   
   

   64 bit versions only Laptop Configuraitons Same specs as the about 32 bit versions, except memory is 4GM RAM or higher.

   
   
   
   
5. How do I resolve the incompatibility issue between the default file format for Office 2007 and all previous versions of Office?
   
   Microsoft has changed the default file format for Office 2007 to an XML-based document format. As a result, previous versions of Office do not recognize documents saved in the default format. To address this issue, Microsoft has released a Compatibility Pack available for Office 2000, XP, and 2003. This Compatibility Pack allows those with previous version of Office to open, edit, and save files using the Office 2007 XML-based file format. It can also be used in conjunction with the Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2003 Viewer.

   The Compatibility Pack can be downloaded form the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack page.
   
   NOTE:  Faculty and staff using York-supported equipment can contact their local IT support group for assistance with installing the Pack. The Compatibility Pack has been installed in student labs and on Library machines since September, 2007. A list of labs can be viewed at Computing Labs. Faculty should specify in their course notes that students are advised to submit assignment in 2003 file formats.
   
   Macintosh users - there is currently no compatibility pack for Office 2004.  Mac users can now purchase Office 2008 for Mac to support Office 2007 file formats.

   Deployment of Microsoft Office 2007 and Office 2008 for Mac on University-supported computers has been set to default save documents as Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc) for compatibility reasons.
    




6. Where can I get Wndows 7, Windows Vista Anti-Virus software?
   
   You can download a copy of the Vista Anti-Virus software from the software download page.  The Windows 7, Windows Vista anti-virus software is only intended to provided needed protection for non-York supported machines that are brought on campus and connected to the network.  Windows 7, Windows Vista is not yet supported by University IT groups.