FAQs for MSDNAA Administrators
- How can students obtain the software for their personal computers?
- Why are we limited to making 50 copies of the software?
- Can I request permission to make more then 50 copies of the discs?
- How can we provide a secure download server?
- Is there any record keeping involved in this program?
- Have you considered the privacy issues involved in the recording keeping?
- In regard to Product Activation, how do we distribute Windows, Visio, and Microsoft Project Professional?
- Can professional support staff for departmental labs check out software?
- Can faculty members taking departmental courses obtain the software?
- Do students need to uninstall the software at the end of the course?
- What are some ways we can make students aware of the program?
- How can I refer a faculty member of another department?
- We'd like to use the Student Media Option and purchase copies of the software for our students. Are we then allowed to charge them for the software?
- What are ISO image files and how do I use them?
Q. How can students obtain the software for their personal computers?
A. There are three ways for students to obtain the software for their personal use.
- Member departments may make up to 50 copies of MSDNAA software for students to check-out from a library or lab. Students are required to return the physical media within a reasonable period of time.
- Member departments may put the software on a secure server and have students download directly from the server. If a department desires to utilize both methods, that is perfectly acceptable.
- We have partnered with e-academy to provide electronic software distribution for students and faculty free of charge. For more information on this program benefit, please click here.
Q.Why are we limited to making 50 copies of the software?
A. It is undesirable to allow unlimited copying of the software, since a large number of copies would become unmanageable by the department. Thus, a practical limit of 50 copies has been set, which should meet the needs of most departments.
Q. Can I request permission to make more then 50 copies of the discs?
A. If you are in North America, have a large number of students in your department and require more than 50 copies available for student check-out, please e-mail us at msdnaa@microsoft.com explaining your circumstances and specifying the number of discs you would like to be able to create. We will then evaluate your request send you the appropriate authorization to duplicate additional discs.
Outside North America, please contact your local customer service center to discuss additional availability
Please ensure all discs are returned after being checked out and remain in the possession of the program administrator or person otherwise designated to manage their distribution.
Q. How can we provide a secure download server?
A. Departments may load MSDNAA software onto a secure download server and grant access to eligible faculty and students. Program administrators should ensure that the software is secured properly and only authorized users may download the software. Departments should audit the server periodically for suspicious activity and should change access passwords periodically.
In addition, a software download, distribution, and management solution is available through MSDNAA partner e-academy at no charge.
Your department is responsible for having students agree to the terms of the MSDNAA program, the EULA, and the license amendment. The department should keep copies of signed agreements on file.
Q. Is there any record keeping involved in this program?
A. We only require departments to report to us twice a year the number of lab machines on which you have loaded the software and the number of students who have downloaded or checked out software. We need to have these numbers for licensing purposes. An e-mail reminder will be sent to all program administrators, who will be asked to report the information via a form on our Web site.
This information will be used to better understand the level of usage within member departments and to fine tune the program accordingly.
Q. Have you considered the privacy issues involved in the recording keeping?
A. We feel that personal privacy is of utmost importance, and we would never ask you for records of who checked out software. We only need to know how many students have downloaded or checked out software. We will never ask you for the personal information of your students.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have concerns about personal privacy. We want to assure you that we are not seeking any personal student information. You may also view the MSDN AA privacy policy here.
Q. In regard to Product Activation, how do we distribute Windows XP, Visio 2002, and Microsoft Project Professional?
A. Departments should make the retail versions of Windows XP, Visio 2002, and Microsoft Project Professional available for check-out or download by students. Due to Product Activation, each student will require a unique product key to activate the software. All product keys are available by downloading from MSDN Subscriber Downloads.
The volume license version of Windows XP, Visio, and Microsoft Project Professional should not be distributed, and the volume product key should be given out to authorized personnel of the department only.
Q. Can professional support staff for departmental labs check out software?
A. Yes, professional support staff whose primary responsibility is to maintain departmental labs are eligible to install MSDN AA software on their personal computers for non-commercial use. The license amendment defines “Staff” as "any personnel duly engaged by the Qualified Educational User to teach or instruct Students and/or to conduct non-commercial research or other development related activities on behalf of Qualified Educational User."
Q. Can faculty members taking departmental courses obtain the software?
A. Yes, if the faculty member is officially enrolled in the course, he/she is eligible to install MSDN AA software on their personal computers for non-commercial use.
Q. Do students need to uninstall the software at the end of the course?
A. No, students are allowed to keep the software they have installed, but they may not check out or download additional MSDN AA software unless they continue taking courses from a member department. Regardless, they are still bound by the terms of the MSDN AA license agreement.
The department is responsible for informing students of the usage limitations governed by the MSDN AA license agreement, and the department should periodically remind students of those conditions.
Q. What are some ways we can make students aware of the program?
A. Many departments have contacted their students about the MSDN AA program via e-mail. In addition, we may make posters available for promoting the program. Please contact your customer service center for availability.
Q. How can I refer a faculty member of another department?
A. Please send them to this Web site for more information about the program. They can obtain the membership details and fill out the application online. Thank you for your support of the MSDN Academic Alliance!
Q. We'd like to use the Student Media Option and purchase copies of the software for our students. Are we then allowed to charge them for the software?
A. Yes, you may absolutely recover your costs for using the Student Media Option. Our only request is that you keep within the spirit of the program and only charge enough to cover your costs.
Q. What are ISO image files and how do I use them?
A. Many products are posted as ISO-9660 image files. An ISO-9660 image file is an exact representation of a CD or DVD, including the content and the logical format. The most common use of an image file is to write it to a blank CD-R or DVD-R, resulting in an identical copy of the original disc including file name and volume label information. ISO image files may also be opened and their contents copied to a local folder, much like ZIP files. ISO files may also be virtually mounted and accessed as a device. These three methods of using ISO images are described below. Note: You may have to rename the file extension from .IMG or .UDF to .ISO, depending on your software.
Writing ISO files to CD-R or DVD-R
- Most CD-R/DVD-R writing software includes a feature to create a disc from an image file. Note: you must use the special "copy image to CD" or "burn image" functionality. See your software’s Help for detailed information.
- The Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit includes the DVDBURN.EXE command line tool.
Testing CD-Rs and DVD-Rs
After a CD/DVD-R has been written, you can use the CRC tool to verify that the file was successfully written.
- The CRC305.exe tool can be downloaded from MSDN Subscriber Downloads in the Tools, SDKs, DDKs folder.
- From a command prompt, run CRC305 filename (where filename is the image file name).
- Run CRC305 x (where x is the drive letter of the drive containing the CD/DVD-R). The CRC values should match.
Alternatively, there are many freeware programs available for calculating an SHA-1 hash value that is provided on each download page on MSDN Subscriber Downloads. Use your favorite Internet search engine to look for sha1 hash to find them.
Copying the contents of ISO files
The contents of image files may be accessed directly using third-party tools. Using this method you can extract the files from an image file to a temporary folder on your hard drive, then run setup. The following tools offer such image file support:
The products listed above have been known to work. Other products that can manipulate ISO files may work, but have not been tested.