Windows 7 Upgrade for Staff FAQs
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Collapse AllWhen will my PC be upgraded to Windows 7 and Office 2010?
- There will be a rolling programme of upgrades of staff PCs on Active Directory starting in early 2011, and running over the course of the year. Training will be available to run concurrently with the upgrade process. More specific schedules will emerge later in 2010/ early in 2011.
- University owned PCs not on Active Directory will not be included in the rollout programme, but you may be able to make an arrangement with your IT Supporter to receive an upgrade after the main programme has completed.
- Some stand-alone PCsrunning old versions of operating systems - ie those connected to test rigs or other specialist equipment - will not be included in the rollout programme. Faculty IT Supporters will make the decision as to which PCs are not included.
- Some older PCs will not be compatible with the upgrade. Your supporter will be able to tell you whether your PC is a viable candidate. If not, then a view will be taken as to whether it will stay as it is, be replaced, or some other alternative solution found. Budgetary constraints may apply.
Will there be training ?
- Yes, there will be introductory training sessions in both Windows 7 and Office 2010 available. The course will be available on a rolling programme, tied into the upgrade programme, so you can receive training before your PC is upgraded.
- For staff who teach in the BUCS PC Labs there will be advance sessions of the introductory course, available during September / October 2010.
- In-depth training for aspects of Office 2010 will be available later into the programme. If you use an unusual feature of Office, please contact BUCS IT Training to request its inclusion in the training program.
- Online resources are also available from Microsoft, see: Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Outlook Commands.
- Free online training for will be available from Microsoft when Office 2010 is officially released. No specific launch date has been made public yet, but beta versions are available.
Will my software work on Windows 7?
- Commonly used business software will be tested by the Windows Systems team for compatibility.
- Departmentally specific software will be tested for compatibility at a Departmental / Faculty level by the Faculty IT Support staff once the general Windows 7 build has been released for software test purposes by the Windows Systems team.
Can I test my own software for compatibility with Windows 7?
- Software testing facilities will be made available on stand-alone PCs in Faculty IT Support areas between 1st Sept 2010 and 31st October 2010. After this date, the same testing facilities will also be connected to Active Directory. You will need to make arrangements with your local supporters for testing your software.
Will my hardware work with Windows 7?
- There is a minimum specification for PCs to work with Windows 7. Some older PCs - probably four or more years old - may not be compatible with the upgrade. If in doubt, please consult with your supporter as to whether your PC will meet the minimum standard required to upgrade to Windows 7. It would not be worth upgrading an incompatible PC as the performance would be unacceptably slow.
- The minimum spec recommended by Microsoft is a 1GHz processor and 1Gb of RAM. However, this will run quite slowly. BUCS recommend a 2GHz processor with
1Gb RAM for an acceptable level of perfomance with a variety of applications. Windows 7 will not install on less than 512Mb RAM. This will run slowly but would probably be functional for basic web browsing and very modest applications. - BUCS has a system which has data about all PCs connected to Active Directory.
- If your PC is definitely not suitable for upgrade, and no funding is available in your department to replace it, alternative solutions will have to be evaluated.
What if I can't upgrade?
- It will be possible to stay on Windows XP/Office 2003 for a reasonable period of time. Other alternatives may be possible, thin client terminals or thin client terminal emulators running on older PCs are options which could be explored if necessary.
Will my peripherals work with Windows 7?
- Some peripherals (ie scanners, cameras, locally attached printers, other USB plug in devices) may not work with Windows 7. If device drivers for Windows 7 are available from the manufacturers, the IT Support staff will be able to access those and get them added to the Windows 7 build for campus on request. However, if the manufacturer does not supply drivers for that model (perhaps because it is no longer supported), then the peripheral device will not work.
Will I have to upgrade?
- If your University PC is compatible with the upgrade, then yes, it will be a requirement. Future releases of software will be oriented towards the Windows 7 build or its successors.
Which Public Access PCs will be upgraded and when?
- The Public Access PCs in the Library, and the BUCs PC Labs 1E3.9, 1W2.25,2E1.14 and 3E3.1 will be upgraded to Windows7 / Office 2010 over the summer break (by 1st September 2010).
- Office 2010 will also be put on the SunRay thin client machines over the summer break.
What about the GTAs, Lecture Theatres and Teaching Rooms?
- All other BUCS managed teaching areas (including teaching areas in the Library) except the BUCs PC Labs will be upgraded over the summer break 2011. Departmentally controlled PC Labs are managed by the Faculty IT Support teams, so they will be able to advise, in due course, when they will be upgrading their labs.
What about my departmental PC Labs?
- Departmental PC Labs will be upgraded by the IT Support team for the relevant Faculty. A schedule will be available in due course from Faculty IT Support, but these are not included in the Summer 2010 rollout.
What will be the policy for Windows 7 / Office 2010 use on staff home PCs and laptops?
- If the home PC/laptop is a University owned item, then it can be upgraded on the University licence, but this will be an extra to the programme, so it can be brought into the University to be upgraded after the main upgrade programme of University staff desktop PCs. You will need to consult with your IT Supporter as to when will be a convenient time for this.
- If the home PC/laptop is privately owned, then its upgrade will not be included. Single use licensed software will be available to buy from the ITP shop in the library.
Will locally installed software have to be re-installed?
- Yes, Windows 7 can not inherit locally installed software. If you have any software of this type, you may wish to acquire a Windows 7 version. If it is a business use software which has a group licence, it may be advisable to ask your IT Supporter to incorporate this into the deployable set of softwares.
What will be the policy for laptop only or mainly laptop users?
- If the laptop belongs to the University, but is not on Active Directory, it can receive a stand alone upgrade to Windows 7 now if it is compatible. You need to consult with your IT Supporter to arrange a suitable time. A stand-alone installation of Office 2010 can also be done by your IT Supporter.
- If the laptop belongs to the University and is on Active Directory then, provided it is compatible, it will be included in the Windows 7 upgrade program, which is commencing in January 2011. Please consult with your IT Supporter.
- If the laptop is your personal property, under the "home use" licence you can buy a single install copy of Windows 7 for academic use from the ITP shop, at the discounted rate of £10. Additionally, an install of Office 2010 for University staff under the "home use" licence can be purchased from the ITP shop for a further £10.