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• System Status

Windows 7

Testing to analyze, document and provide support on a University level is underway. Although many applications have been certified to work in the Windows 7 environment, the uniqueness of computing needs in the Yale environment necessitate additional testing before compatibility can be verified for Yale business needs.

The currently supported Windows Operating System, Windows XP, will no longer be supported by Microsoft in 2014. ITS is committed to fully supporting the Windows 7 Operating System to ensure we are prepared in 2014. Therefore, in the second half of 2010, Support Technologies will begin limited deployments of Windows 7 during which compatibility of critical Yale business applications will be determined.

Application compatibility

At Yale, practice-specific applications in the financial, student administrative and clinical areas have NOT been certified for use with Windows 7. Users of Y-NHH clinical applications should NOT upgrade to Windows 7 at this time. No Yale application environment requires an upgrade to Windows 7.

Windows 7 Testing Project Data:

• Incompatible applications
• Compatible applications
• Testing in progress

Many applications are now available in Windows 7 compatible versions. In some cases, the latest version available for Windows XP is also Windows 7 compatible. But in others, an upgrade to a new Windows 7 compatible version will be required. If you plan to purchase a new Windows 7 machine, be prepared to purchase upgrades to your favorite applications. Please consult the application vendor’s web site for up-to-date compatibility information for your applications.

• Windows 7 Testing and Readiness Presentation (PowerPoint) March 2011

Important information about Windows 7

• Windows 7 promises many of the benefits of Vista, but adds improved stability and interface.

• Full support of Windows 7 on all Yale institutional applications will be dependent on vendors certifying their applications readiness. We are working with our key vendors to determine the schedule and duration of this effort. Until that time we recommend not upgrading your OS on your existing computer; instead we advise you to delay until you purchase a new computer to acquire Windows 7. For more information see The Microsoft Meet Windows 7 site.

• Once certified for the Yale environment, ITS will move directly from supporting Windows XP as the Yale recommended institutional Windows version to supporting Windows 7.

• Like Windows Vista, Windows 7 will be available in many different versions. For those purchasing Windows 7 at Yale, ITS recommends the Windows 7 Professional version. This version is recommended for three reasons:

  • Remote Desktop Connections are not allowed in lower versions.
  • The new backup program is included in this version.
  • Windows XP mode only exists in this version.

If you already have Windows 7, the following software is available:

• Unmanaged Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) (available from the ITS Software Library)
• Identity Finder/Data Scan (available from the ITS Software Library)
• L2TP VPN connection

Hardware requirements

If you want to run Windows 7 and your current computer is older than twenty-four months, you should consider purchasing a new one. While Windows 7 can run on systems older than twenty-four months, it will likely run slower than the older installed version of Windows. This slowness is directly related to the processing speed of older computers compared with the newest models. Windows 7 has been optimized for this new and faster hardware. An older computer will also not support many of the advanced graphics features of Windows 7 that make it so appealing.

Contact information

Please contact philip.rinehart@yale.edu for assistance assessing compatibility of applications relied upon to perform your specific Yale business as soon as possible. We strongly recommend communicating with us regarding your business needs to allow thorough testing of these applications prior to making the decision to upgrade.