Software and Usage FAQs
- What products and services are included in the Developer AA membership?
- What products and services are included in the Designer AA membership?
- What exactly is the Electronic version?
- What version of Visual Studio is included in MSDNAA?
- How often will I receive update shipments?
- What is the difference between the retail and volume license versions of Windows?
- Can versions of the Windows operating system included with the program membership be installed on naked PCs?
- What is Microsoft Visio Professional?
- What is the Microsoft Platform SDK?
- Does MSDNAA include Microsoft Services for Unix?
- Does the membership include Windows XP?
- Does the membership include Office?
- What beta software do we receive and what are the usage terms?
- Is the program available in languages other than English?
- What are ISO image files and how do I use them?
- Why is there a Designer AA program if the Expression products are included in Developer AA?
- What are the exact usage rights I have with the products offered in Designer AA?
Q. What products and services are included in the Developer AA membership?
A. Developer AA membership includes:
- Visual Studio Professional (latest version, including Student and Faculty Tools)
- Windows (latest version), Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and other Microsoft operating systems
- .NET Enterprise Servers (latest versions): Windows servers, SQL Server, Exchange Server, Commerce Server, BizTalk Server, Host Integration Server, Systems Management Server, Sharepoint Portal Server, and several others
- Expression Suite (latest version)
- Microsoft Project Professional
- Microsoft Visio Professional
- MSDN Library (updated quarterly), documentation, technical articles, and code samples
- Software development kits (SDKs), betas, new releases, and updates
- Development tools for Windows CE
- Professional technical support for the program administrator that includes unlimited setup and install support and 4 regular support incidents
- Technical support newsgroups for faculty members
- (If the Online+Media subscription option is selected) Regular DVD-based software shipments with updated software
Q. What products and services are included in the Designer AA membership?
A. Designer AA membership includes:
- Windows (latest version), Windows 7, Windows Vista Business
- Expression Suite (latest version), including Expression Web, Expression Blend, Expression Design, Expression Media
- Microsoft Project
- Visual Studio (latest version)
- Visual Studio (older versions)
- Windows Server (latest version)
- SQL Server (latest version)
- Professional technical support for the program administrator that includes unlimited setup and install support and 4 regular support incidents
- Technical support newsgroups for faculty members
Q. What exactly is the Online version?
A. The Online (Electronic Fulfillment) version of Developer AA contains the exact same usage rights and available products as the original version, now referred to as the "Online+Media" subscription. It’s priced lower than the original version because it costs us less money to deliver the product to our customers—and it's better for the environment, too. All Developer AA products, distribution rights, license terms, and usage rights apply to the Online version. The administrator will be given one login to the Microsoft download center and the use of ELMS to distribute the software tools among students on campus. We encourage all of our customers to go green and go electronic!
Q. What version of Visual Studio is included in MSDNAA?
A. The latest version of Visual Studio Professional will ship to MSDNAA Online+Media subscribers, and is available to Developer and Designer AA members via the secure download site.
Q. How often will I receive update shipments?
A. A few weeks after you register for a Developer AA "online+media" subscription, you receive an initial Welcome Kit that contains all the software, your Membership Kit and the End User License Agreements. After the initial shipment, you will receive DVD updates approximately quarterly. Sometimes the the shipment schedule will vary according to the release dates of the software included in the updates.
A list of past shipments is posted on the MSDN Subscriptions Web site.
Q. What is the difference between the retail and volume license versions of Windows?
A. The volume license version of Windows does not require product activation and should only be used to install the software on departmental lab machines. A single volume license key (VLK) is given to each member department, and the program administrator is responsible for keeping the volume license key safe. It is extremely important that the VLK be kept secure and out of the hands of unauthorized individuals.
The retail versions of Windows are meant to be checked out to students and faculty for installation on their personal machines. Unique product keys may be downloaded from MSDN Subscriber Downloads, and should be provided to each student or faculty member who checks out or downloads Windows XP or newer Windows releases. Keys are distributed in blocks of 25. You may request additional keys via MSDN Subscriber Downloads..
Please do not distribute the volume license versions of software to students. We appreciate your cooperation.
Q. Can versions of the Windows operating system included with the program membership be installed on naked PCs?
A. The software provided under the MSDN Academic Alliance program, including all versions of the Windows operating system, is not intended to be installed on naked PCs or to replace the end user licensing agreements that accompany and apply to such software. However, the software provided under the MSDNAA Program may be installed on a naked PC to facilitate educational or non-commercial research specific to MSDNAA program software. Please refer to the usage guidelines page for additional information.
Q. What is Microsoft Visio Professional?
A. Microsoft Visio Professional provides developers with a powerful diagramming tool that assists in software and database design. You can organize your ideas graphically and share them with other people, thus making Visio an excellent collaboration tool for students working on group projects. In addition, it is a good habit for students to design their software before implementing.
Q. What is the Microsoft Platform SDK?
A. The Platform SDK provides the header files, libraries, and documentation for developing software for a wide range of Microsoft products and technologies. The SDK includes resources for writing applications for Windows, SQL Server, DirectX, Speech API, ASP, and ADO. It is updated regularly as new products and technologies are released.
Developer AA members receive the Platform SDK as part of their subscription and can also download it from the Microsoft Web site.
Q. Does MSDNAA include Microsoft Services for Unix?
A. Yes, we include Microsoft Services for Unix with Developer AA to help departments with their Unix networks to use Windows machines. This software package provides services for common Unix utilities and programs such as Grep and Perl that run on Windows. Clients with these services installed are able to easily access resources on Unix networks.
For more information on Microsoft Services for Unix, please visit the product Web site.
Q. Does the membership include Windows XP?
A. The Developer AA membership includes Windows XP, but the Designer AA and High School AA memberships do not.
Q. Does the membership include Office?
A. No, the membership does not include Office. The focus of the MSDN Academic Alliance is on providing departments, faculty, and students with the tools necessary for specialized research and study in software development and testing. Thus, we provide products and technologies such as Windows client and server operating systems, Visual Studio, SQL Server, and Platform SDK.
Office is not in line with these specific goals, since the program is primarily focused on high-end technologies rather than basic office and consumer applications. However, the MSDN Library does include developer documentation for Office.
Departments may obtain Office and other products at academic discounts through existing licensing programs from Microsoft. Please visit the Microsoft Education Web site for more information.
Q. What beta software do we receive and what are the usage terms?
A. Member departments receive beta software that are in line with the goals of the MSDN Academic Alliance, such as Visual Studio and Windows betas and release candidates. Under the End User License Agreement amendment from MSDNAA, beta software may be used in the same fashion as other MSDNAA software. Therefore, faculty and students may check out and install beta software on their personal computers. We do not recommend the installation of beta software on production machines. It is best to load it on a few computers for testing purposes.
Q. Is the program available in languages other than English?
A. The MSDN Academic Alliance program materials are available in numerous languages, including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Portuguese.
If active members need immediate access to software available through the program, international versions are available online for download at MSDN Subscriber Downloads.
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.
Q. Why is there a Designer AA program if the Expression products are included in Developer AA?
A. The Developer AA program is designed and intended to be used in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs. The Designer AA program is targeted toward designers and allows all products contained in the program to be used in Visualization, Illustration, Design, and Art (VIDA) subjects.
Q. What are the exact usage rights I have with the products offered in Designer AA?
A. The usage rights at a high level involve Academic use in all VIDA subjects, but the exact usage rights are described in the End User License Agreement.