| What is the general nature of the terms of the MSDN End User License Agreement?
The MSDN End User License Agreement (EULA) allows each person with an MSDN license to use all of the software that is included in the subscription for development, test, and demonstration purposes only.
MSDN subscriptions are single-user licensed; everyone who uses the products within an MSDN subscription must have an MSDN Subscriptions license. In other words, one license must be purchased for each user.
Customers do not have to purchase media for each licensed user. MSDN subscription media can be shared with all individuals who have an MSDN Subscriptions license of the same level or higher.
Note: The single-user license requirement does not apply to documentation (including the MSDN Library) provided as part of an MSDN subscription. Rather, documentation obtained through a single MSDN subscription license may be copied and shared within an organization for the organization’s internal, reference purposes without acquiring any additional MSDN subscription licenses. |
| When a subscription expires, do the licenses terminate or are they still valid?
MSDN subscriptions have a perpetual license, so subscribers can still use the products received with their MSDN subscription after their subscription has expired. |
| There are multiple products in the subscription. Can I give some of them to another end user?
Everyone who uses products within MSDN subscriptions must have an MSDN subscriptions license. The contents of MSDN subscriptions cannot be shared with non-subscribers or subscribers with a lower subscription level. |
| May I use MSDN Subscriptions software to install software for day-to-day (production) use?
No, but with one exception. Software in your MSDN subscription comes with a development, test, and demonstration license. Examples of prohibited use include: - You may not install Exchange Server from your MSDN subscription and use it to send and receive personal or business-related e-mail.
- You may not install Windows NT Server from your MSDN subscription and use it to host your own personal or business Web site.
- One exception is that the MSDN Premium subscription comes with one license to Desktop Applications (typically on blue discs) such as Microsoft Office Professional 2003, Visio Standard 2003, and Project Standard 2003 for business use directly related to the design, development, test, and/or demonstration of software projects. For example, you can use Project Standard to manage a development project, use Visio Standard to diagram your application, etc. Project Professional and Visio Professional are included in MSDN Premium subscriptions for development, testing, and demonstration purposes, however they may not be used for such business use.
- In addition, one copy of Office Professional 2003 can be used for general business use, unrelated to development and testing. Again, only persons with an MSDN Premium Subscription license can use these Microsoft Office products in this manner.
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| What do you mean by "production?" What are examples of test and development work?
By "production" we mean any activity that is personal, for general business use, or not directly related to the testing and development of software applications.
Examples of (prohibited) production use include: - Installing Windows 98 to play games for entertainment.
- Installing Windows 2000 Server and Exchange Server to set up an e-mail system that you use to send personal and/or business-related e-mail.
You may not use your MSDN subscription as a substitute for purchasing a retail license for an operating system if you do more than develop and test on your computer.
Examples of development and testing use include: - Testing to see if a program in development works equally well with various different operating systems.
- Designing and writing a program to assist with internal order procurement and distribution.
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| Can I use the operating systems in my MSDN subscription to install or upgrade my development PCs?
MSDN-licensed operating systems (OS) can be used as the primary OS as long as the computer is used only for development and testing purposes, and as long as every individual using that computer for development or testing purposes has a separate MSDN license: MSDN is licensed on a per user model, unlike normal OS licensing which is based on a per device model.
If a computer using an MSDN-licensed OS is used for any purpose other than development and testing (for example, a developer's primary computer which is also used for corporate email), then a production-use OS license for the computer is required. |
| Can I use Visual Studio included in my MSDN subscription to create an executable file and distribute this file for sale?
Yes. Applications, utilities, and executables you develop using Visual Studio, Access, or Office Developer can be distributed to customers royalty-free, pursuant to the terms of the corresponding End-User License Agreement (EULA). In addition, there are many redistributable components included with Visual Studio, which you are welcome to incorporate into your applications and distribute pursuant to the terms of the Visual Studio EULA.
Please note there is a royalty for Microsoft server products that are distributed with applications. For more information see the ISV Royalty Program. |
| Can I use Office, Project, and Visio for development and testing of applications?
Yes. Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003, Project Standard and Visio Standard can be used for business use directly related to the design, development, testing and demonstration phases of building applications. In addition, one copy of Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003 can be used for general business use by each licensed MSDN Premium subscriber. Project Professional 2003, Project Server 2003 and Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Client Access License are not available for business purposes under the MSDN license. |
| Do all users also need an MSDN license to test applications?
MSDN licenses are required for testers who do progressive test, configuration testing, debugging and maintenance programming.
MSDN licenses are not required for user acceptance testing or stress testing, provided that that the testers will not be doing any debugging, configuration, or maintenance. |
| My organization has many different MSDN subscriptions, are we licensed to use the same software?
Customers are only licensed to use the software in their MSDN subscription. For example, an MSDN Professional subscriber has a license to all the products in the MSDN Professional Subscription. An MSDN Professional subscriber is not licensed for products in the Visual Studio Team Suite Subscription. To learn what products are in each MSDN level, see the Level and Feature Overview. |
| May I make copies of my CDs for my own use?
Yes, as long as your use falls within the scope of the MSDN Subscriptions End-User License Agreement (EULA). You can only use the software for development and testing purposes. ISO-9660 CD images are available from MSDN Subscriber Downloads and is the recommended method. DVD subscribers should read the DVD section of this FAQ. |
| How many devices can I install the products on?
In general, you can install MSDN software on any number of computers. However: - Only persons with MSDN Subscription licenses can use the software on any of the machines
- Some products, such as Windows XP, require product activation, which may limit the number of computers on which you can install and activate. See the section in this FAQ on Product Activation for more information.
- If you are using Office for business purposes, you may only install on one computer.
- Many product keys are only effective for 10 activations. An additional product key may be requested by calling MSDN customer service.
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| I've had an MSDN subscription for some time now and have many old discs that are duplicates or that I simply don't use. Can I give them away or sell them?
No. You may only sell or transfer your MSDN Subscription as a whole, and you must transfer all materials received with the subscription to the new owner. |
| Who do I call to report that a company is sharing MSDN software? I just left a company and want to report this to someone within Microsoft.
Please report any violations of the MSDN Subscriptions Master EULA to piracy@microsoft.com or visit http://www.microsoft.com/piracy. If in doubt, call the anti-Piracy Hotline at 1-800-RU-LEGIT. |
| I have older products which no longer ship in MSDN. What licensing terms apply to products I received in the past?
If you have been an MSDN subscriber for many years, you probably have older products which no longer ship in MSDN. Older products follow the licensing terms (from the End User License Agreement) that governed your MSDN subscription at the time you received those products. |
| I notice that occasionally Microsoft changes the end user license agreement for MSDN. What license terms apply to products that I had previously received?
Occasionally we change the licensing terms for MSDN or for specific products. If the licensing terms change, the new terms apply to products you receive in your current subscription. A new MSDN end user license agreement does not apply to products which no longer ship in MSDN. You will receive a new End User License Agreement, if the terms change. For your convenience, you may want to keep copies of all the MSDN End User License Agreement(s) with your MSDN shipments. |
| I am planning to buy an MSDN subscription. I am in the North America as of now. However, I may be moving out of the country. Can I transfer my subscription?
At this time MSDN subscriptions purchased in the United States and Canada are not transferable to countries outside of the North American region. If you live outside of the U.S. and Canada, you cannot purchase MSDN from the U.S. or Canada. If you purchased and activated an MSDN subscription in the U.S. or Canada and are moving to a country outside of the North America, please cancel your subscription for which you will receive prorated refund, and purchase a new subscription in that country.
Likewise, subscriptions purchased in a particular region cannot be transferred to another region. The four regions are: North America, Latin America, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), and Asia-Pacifc. |
| What is the MSDN Volume License Registration site and who needs to register their licenses?
The MSDN Volume License Registration site is for Open, Select, and Enterprise Agreement customers. Customers who register their licenses will receive access to MSDN Subscriber Downloads, technical support, and an MSDN Subscriber ID. Customers who ordered their licenses through the Software Assurance program may also receive complimentary media, based on number of licensees ordered.
All customers who register at the site will need to establish a unique Passport. The registration site will prompt all customers to enter their Passport. Customers who already have a Passport may use their current Passport. Customers who do not have a Passport will be prompted to create one. Please visit the Microsoft Passport Network for more information about Passport. |
| What information do I need to register licenses or media?
- Select & Enterprise Agreement: Enrollment and Master Agreement number
- Open: Authorization number and License number
- Open License Value, Multi-Year Open, and Open Subscription License: Agreement Number, and the last name of the Notices Contact on the agreement.
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| I am receiving errors when I try to register at the site. What can I do?
There are a few reasons why you might be receiving errors. The following tips will help you troubleshoot the issue. - Confirm that your reseller has submitted your license order to Microsoft.
- Confirm that you are using the correct numbers to access the site:
- Select & Enterprise Agreement: Enrollment and Master Agreement number
- Open: Authorization number and License number
- Open License Value, Multi-Year Open, and Open Subscription License: Agreement Number, and the last name of the Notices Contact on the agreement.
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| What are the Register Myself and Register Another User buttons?
The Register Myself button is for individual registration. When a user chooses to Register Myself, the user will be prompted to create a Passport. After registering, the user will have access to MSDN Subscriber Downloads and to technical support.
The Register Another User button is for administrators. All users will be prompted for their Passport credentials to access the site. However, administrators can register other users without creating a Passport for each user. Within 4 days after registration, the new user will receive an e-mail containing an MSDN Subscriber ID number. Users need an MSDN Subscriber ID number to access MSDN Subscriber Downloads and technical support. The first time a new user visits MSDN Subscriber Downloads, the user will also be prompted to enter their Passport credentials. Users may also receive an MSDN Subscriber ID card in the mail. |
| How soon after I order a license can I register it?
This depends on how soon the Large Account Resellers (LARs) submit the specific MSDN license orders to Microsoft. Generally, Large Account Resellers (LARs) submit orders each week, but some LARs may have a different schedule. Check with your LAR to see if your order has been submitted to Microsoft Licensing Operations. Customers can normally register at the online Web site within 24 hours after the LAR has submitted their order to Microsoft. |
| Can I register other (non-MSDN) Open licenses at this Web site?
No. This registration site is for MSDN Subscriptions volume license registration only. Please register other (non-MSDN) Open licenses at eOpen. |
| How long do I have to register my MSDN License?
Customers can register their MSDN volume license any time up until 30 days prior to the license agreement end date. MSDN media must be registered 90 days prior to the license agreement end date. |
| Can I register multiple licenses under the same first name, last name, and Passport?
No, the registration site requires that you register each license with a different first name, last name, and Passport. If you are serving as an administrator for many accounts, please ensure that each license is registered in the name of the person using each license.
To ensure that each registrant will be able to access MSDN Subscriber Downloads, please register all licenses using different names. Otherwise, if the same name is used to register multiple licenses, only one account can be registered for MSDN Subscriber Downloads. |
| How do MSDN Volume License Subscribers receive CD-ROM or DVD-ROM media?
Customers who have ordered licenses through the Software Assurance program receive complimentary media by registering their licenses online. The complimentary media is based on the number of licenses ordered, the licensing program, and the subscription level. Select & Enterprise Agreement customers receive 1 media kit for every level of Visual Studio with MSDN in your agreement. Open customers receive 1 media kit for every 5 MSDN licenses ordered.
The media is registered online, and is on a first come first served basis. If an organization has 8 media kits, anyone in the company can claim those 8 media kits by registering online. We recommend that customers who require media register first. If a customer would like to change who receives media, they can make this change online (look under Support Options on the MSDN Subscriptions Web site), or by calling their local MSDN Customer Service. |
| What happens if I choose not to receive some of the assigned media sets when registering, but later decide I need them?
You can claim any remaining media sets through this site. After you sign in, select the "Reclaim Media" option from the selection screen. You can claim media up to 60 days before the end of your volume license agreement end date. |
| Can I purchase additional media sets?
Yes. Volume Licensing customers may purchase additional media subscriptions from your reseller. Additional Media purchases should then be registered on the MSDN Subscriptions Administration System, accessible by EA, Select and Open Value customers via Microsoft Volume Licensing Services (MVLS) at https://licensing.microsoft.com, and by Open License customers via https://eopen.microsoft.com.
Additional media previously offered to Open License customers from MSDN Customer Services is now exclusively available through resellers who sell Microsoft Open License. |
| What is a Comprehensive media kit versus a Subscription Media Kit?
A Comprehensive Media Kit is a one-time purchase of a complete media "welcome kit" for a given MSDN Subscription level; it is intended for new subscribers and does not include subsequent media updates. Subscription Media Kits comprise regular media updates for existing subscribers and are billed to the number of months remaining on your agreement. Comprehensive and Subscription Media Kits are available through EA, Select, and Open Value. Customers of these programs have the option of purchasing just a Subscription media kit to maintain an existing media subscription; only purchasing Comprehensive kits when adding new users.
Additional Media Kits for Open License customers comprise both a complete comprehensive welcome kit and monthly subscription shipments; new and renewing subscribers should order the same kit. |
| I purchased my MSDN subscription via a Microsoft Volume License Agreement. When will my subscription end?
MSDN subscriptions purchased via volume license programs such as Select or Open will end when the volume license agreement expires. |
| How do I get a product key?
Retail product keys are available from MSDN Subscriber Downloads. - Go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions and sign in to the Passport network. If this is your first time signing in, you must then complete the registration process using your subscriber ID or benefit access number, name, and email address information on file. If you did not provide an email address when you activated your subscription, please contact MSDN customer service
.- After signing in, follow the link to Subscriber Downloads and Product Keys
.- In MSDN Subscriber Downloads, click the Product Keys link in the menu bar.
MSDN Subscription product keys can be used to activate software on up to 10 PCs. An additional product key may be requested by calling MSDN customer service. Subscribers who purchase MSDN licenses through Microsoft Volume Licensing programs, such as Microsoft Open, Select, Enterprise, Campus and School Agreements, have a unique volume license key available to them from their volume license program. Such subscribers receive the volume license version of many products in addition to the retail version. Retail product keys available from MSDN Subscriber Downloads cannot be used to install volume license versions. Contact your company's volume license administrator for more information on obtaining volume license keys. For more information on this deployment process, please see Volume License Product Keys. |
| Which Microsoft products will include Product Activation?
Product activation technology is included in several products, including Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Office System products |
| Can I use the same product key for different products?
No. Each product has a unique product key, and each version of the product has a unique product key. For example, Windows XP Home Edition has a different product key than Windows XP Professional. |
| How do I know whether my software is the retail software version or the volume license software version?
CDs and DVDs that include volume license versions of product say "Volume License Version" on the label. Microsoft Office 2003 Professional Enterprise is an exception, and accepts both retail and volume license keys. Microsoft Office 2003 Professional Enterprise Edition is only available from MSDN Subscriber Downloads. |
| What if I reinstall software frequently, do I need to activate the software each time?
We understand that MSDN subscribers have unique needs, so we have included special activation privileges for MSDN subscribers. - MSDN Subscription product keys can be used to activate up to 10 PCs.
- Although you must go through the activation process each time you reinstall on the same PC, your total number of activations will not be decremented.
- For Windows, MSDN subscribers have a 60-day grace period before the product must be activated. If you will be reinstalling the software in less than 60 days, you do not need to activate it. Please note that Windows Update and Windows Genuine Advantage require that the installation be activated.
- For Office 2003, MSDN subscribers have 50 launches before the product must be activated.
- Software may be reinstalled on the same machine as many times as needed without reactivating it. However, if the hard disk is reformatted prior to reinstallation, reactivation may be required however the total number of activations will not be decremented.
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| Is Microsoft Product Activation the same for the Windows operating system as it is for applications such as Office and Visio?
Customers can activate the software during initial setup. Windows Welcome will guide the user through activation. Users who choose to skip activation during setup will be reminded periodically during the following 60 days to activate Windows (15 days for pre-release versions). Subscribers who choose to activate Windows after setup will be guided through the activation process.
With applications such as Office and Visio, activation can be completed after initial setup. The user will be asked to activate when an application is launched. The user can choose to activate at that time or may choose to skip activation and do it later; users are provided 50 launches of the product before they are required to activate.
MSDN Subscription product keys can be used to activate software on up to 10 computers. If you plan to reinstall before activation is required, it is recommended that you not activate. |
| Where can I find my Volume License Product Keys?
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| What information do I need to install Microsoft Customer Relationship Management software?
Please see the CRM download page on MSDN Subscriber Downloads for product key information. |
| What can I do if the MSDN Subscription Management page says my subscription has expired?
The MSDN Subscription Management page can show your subscription has expired for the following reasons: - Your account has both active and inactive subscriptions associated with it, and the MSDN Subscription Management page is showing the expired one. To resolve this, select an active subscription from the drop-down list and click the Make Default button. This will cause your active subscription to be shown by default.
- Your old subscription has expired and your new subscription is not shown. If you receive a new subscription with a new subscriber ID, then you will need to add this subscription to your Passport by selecting the Add Subscription link. You can make the new subscription your default by selecting it and clicking the Make Default button.
- Your subscription has expired. You can renew your benefits by clicking the Update link on the MSDN Subscription Management page.
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| Do MSDN Subscriptions come with support?
All MSDN Operating Systems, Professional, and Premium subscribers have access to Managed Newsgroup Support. The Online Concierge is also available to all such MSDN subscribers by logging on to MSDN Subscriber Downloads. MSDN Subscriptions in North America include technical support incidents for products included in MSDN Subscriptions. MSDN technical support incidents expire when an MSDN subscription expires. - MSDN Premium includes four technical support incidents and managed newsgroup support.
- MSDN Enterprise includes three technical support incidents and managed newsgroup support.
- MSDN Professional includes two technical support incidents and managed newsgroup support.
- MSDN Operating Systems includes two technical support incidents and managed newsgroup support.
MSDN subscribers outside North America, please visit MSDN Support Options. |
| What is the MSDN Online Concierge?
The Online Concierge is a one-to-one web-based chat service for MSDN Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Operating System subscribers. Online Concierge can be used to address non-technical questions regarding navigation of the MSDN site, Knowledge Base (KB) article searches, and Subscriber Downloads. To chat with a Microsoft Online Assistant now, login to Subscriber Downloads and click on the MSDN Online Concierge link in the Announcements section.
Online Concierge does not provide answers to MSDN Subscription queries. For assistance on questions specific to managing MSDN subscriptions, or to make changes to your MSDN subscription by phone, online, or email, please contact MSDN customer support.
If you and your support advisor find that you need more technical assistance during the chat, you may be directed to a more appropriate support service such as the managed newsgroups or the phone-based support available to MSDN subscribers. If you have used your free support incidents that came with your MSDN subscription, phone or online assisted support will be charged as follows: - $99 USD Professional Online Assisted Support, submit an online question and receive a response from a Microsoft Professional within 24 hours
- $245 USD USD Professional Phone Assisted Support. For more details on both options: http://www.microsoft.com/support.
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| When is the MSDN Online Concierge available?
The MSDN Online Concierge is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is not available on holidays. |
| What are MSDN managed newsgroups?
Managed newsgroups are for current MSDN Premium, Enterprise, Professional, or Operating System subscribers. These subscribers can post a message and receive a response from the community or a Microsoft Support Engineer within 2 business days. There are currently more than 220 newsgroups that are offered as a part of this support offering, including an assortment of .NET related technologies. |
| How do I access the managed newsgroups?
To access managed newsgroups, sign in at http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions and follow the link to Managed Newsgroups in the benefit list.
All managed newsgroups are available through either the Web-based newsreader or an NNTP newsreader, such as Outlook Express. A Web browser is all you need to access discussion groups. Although anyone can view or post to these groups, in order to ensure you a response within two business days, you must post using a no-spam alias. |
| What can I ask in the newsgroups?
You may ask any question related to the development process. The supported newsgroups are for development products and .NET- related technologies. Common newsgroup postings include questions related to code and application development, interoperability with other Microsoft products, setup, installation, and debugging questions.
If you have questions about new technologies that may require longer engagement than what is offered to you via the newsgroups, you may consider Microsoft's Advisory Services. Advisory Services are available on an optional, per-hour fee basis and typically do not exceed 40 hours. Advisory Services provide the opportunity to brainstorm with a Microsoft Software Development Specialist, to seek advice about alternate approaches to a development challenge, or to pose "what if" scenarios to help understand development choices. |
| If I post my question in a language other than English, will I receive a response?
No, the managed newsgroups for MSDN subscribers are currently only available in English. |
| When can I expect a response to my managed newsgroup posting?
Microsoft guarantees a response (either from the community or by Microsoft) with in two business days for qualifying subscribers. If for some reason you have not received a response within two business days, please Contact Us for additional assistance. |
| What if I receive a response that is not complete or accurate, or I disagree with the answer?
If you receive a response that does not completely solve your problem, you can post a reply to the same thread, which allows us to track the progress of the thread and provide additional technical assistance. If you are still not satisfied with the current level of detail, Microsoft Support Professionals will continue to work with your issue or recommend an alternative support medium that is more appropriate to your specific needs. |
| Will I receive a response on holidays and weekends?
Questions posted on U.S. national holidays and weekends will receive a response on the next business day. |
| I do not want to use my normal e-mail alias in the newsgroups. How can I change this alias so that the system recognizes me?
The no-spam registration process accessible from the Managed Newsgroup portal allows you to create a no-spam alias that Microsoft engineers use to identify MSDN subscribers, and allows you to post freely in MSDN managed newsgroups without exposing your personal or corporate e-mail account to spam abuse or viruses. |
| Will Microsoft write source code for my project?
Microsoft will assess customer project requirements and provide sample code to illustrate a particular technology, product feature, or development paradigm. Any source code provided by Microsoft is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended for production use. |
| Is there a limit to the number of posts I can place?
Currently, there is no limit to the number of postings that you can make to the newsgroups, as long as you are a current subscriber. |
| What's the difference between newsgroup support and phone-based technical support incidents?
With newsgroups, MSDN subscribers enjoy unlimited, free support as opposed to the limited number of phone-based technical support incidents. Complex issues or server-down situations are not recommended for the newsgroups. Issues of this nature are best handled working with a Microsoft Support Engineer using one of your phone-based incidents. |
| What other support options are available to me?
Free support options: - Search the Online Support Knowledgebase of over 250,000 solutions including FAQs, support downloads and service packs, support webcasts, and technical newsgroups.
Microsoft Partner Support Options - Microsoft Gold Certified Partners for Support Services are a select group of companies that have met Microsoft's stringent partnership requirements and are dedicated to providing support alternatives to meet customer single- or multi- vendor environment, and enterprise support needs. Gold Certified Partners for Support Services provide both phone and online support services for Microsoft products beginning at US$99 per incident for application and desktop products. For more information, visit http://www.microsoft.com/support/partner/.
- Microsoft Authorized Premier Support (MAPS) gives you access to multi-vendor IT (information technology) support. Designed by Microsoft and its Gold Certified Partners for Support Services, MAPS provides customers with the ability to work with a service provider that can support a broad range of needs, without sacrificing a direct link to Microsoft. Support services are provided jointly by Microsoft and their industry-leading Microsoft Gold Certified. Customers can easily find more information on MAPS and select a MAPS Partner by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/support/partner/maps/.
Microsoft Paid Support Options US$99 Professional Online Assisted Support with 24 hour response, available 24x7 for certain products eligible for professional support.
Professional Phone Support available for most professional products (server, professional, and developer tools): - US$245 – available during local business hours
- US$490 – available during after-hours for business-critical issues
- Microsoft Advisory Services is a remotely-delivered, consultative support option that adds the element of proactive support, providing a comprehensive result beyond standard break-fix product maintenance needs. Microsoft Advisory Services provides short-term advice and guidance for problems not covered by Problem Resolution Service as well as requests for consultative assistance for design, development and deployment issues. For more information about Advisory Services, call (800) 936-5200.
- Microsoft Premier Support is designed to help large enterprise customers to successfully develop, deploy, and manage business systems build around a broad range of high-quality Microsoft solutions for the server and the desktop. Premier Support provides a comprehensive, annual service contract that covers all Microsoft products at use within the customer's enterprise. It provides a managed support relationship for customers who have made a significant investment in Microsoft technologies. Pricing varies by service level.
Microsoft Consulting Services - Microsoft Consulting Services provides a wide range of fee-based technical consulting services in the areas of application development, strategy consulting and infrastructure services. Microsoft consultants focus on driving business value through technology innovation while transferring knowledge, satisfying customers, and collaborating with our partners.
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| What is a no-spam alias?
A no-spam alias is a fictitious e-mail address that allows you to post to a public forum without subjecting your corporate or personal e-mail address to spam or potential virus attacks. |
| What is a nickname?
Your nickname will be the first part of your "no-spam" e-mail address. It should be unique so that nobody else will choose it as their nickname. |
| Microsoft only allows me to choose from a set of domains. Can I create my own domain?
No. We have implemented this process to allow you to choose from these pre-populated domains and register a no-spam alias without accidentally adding your own or somebody else's e-mail address. |
| Where is the new registration site located?
It is located at http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/. - Sign in to Passport and complete registration if necessary.
- In the list of benefits, find Managed Newsgroups and follow it.
- There you can create your no-spam alias.
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| Do I have to turn off pop-up blocking to access my benefits?
You will need to allow pop-ups (at least temporarily) to successfully access some benefits. You can use the following hotkeys to suppress blocking when you click the button or hyperlink: - In Internet Explorer (IE) 6 - Hold down the CTRL key when clicking.
- In IE 7 - Hold down CTRL and ALT when clicking.
In IE 6 or 7 – Configure pop-up blocking settings under Tools>Pop-up Blocker
In Firefox - Configure pop-up blocking settings under Tools>Options |
| What is the Benefit Access Number?
The Benefit Access Number (BAN) is labeled in some materials as Subscriber ID, Membership ID, or Partner ID, depending on the program. |
| I get an error stating "There was an error launching the file transfer manager. Please try again later or contact your help provider" when trying to download.
Please click here for instructions. |
| How can I find out what's new on MSDN Subscriber Downloads?
Notifications of newly posted content can be accessed by subscribing to the MSDN Subscriber Downloads Content Notification RSS feed. This RSS feed will be updated whenever new content is published. |
| What is an RSS feed, and how do I use it?
MSDN RSS feeds are based on the RSS 2.0 specification, and can be read freely using available products such as SharpReader, AmphetaDesk, and NewsGator. These are just a few of the wide variety of RSS clients available today, including one that you can build yourself based on this article in the MSDN Library. More information on RSS feeds can be found on the MSDN RSS Feeds page. |
| How do I change the Microsoft Passport I use to sign in to MSDN Subscriber Downloads?
You can re-register your subscription to a different Passport by using the "First Time User" link from the http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/ page. You will be prompted to enter the Passport you want to use, then the first name, last name, e-mail, and subscriber ID (MSPP Technical Contact ID or Benefit Access Number) for that subscription. - On the Microsoft Passport sign-in page, enter the new Passport that you would like to use to access MSDN Subscriber Downloads.
- On the Subscription Information page, enter the information for the MSDN Subscription you would like to access with this Passport and select Continue.
- The MSDN Subscription Already Added page will appear if the subscription has been previously associated with a Passport. Select the Continue button.
- You can confirm the change by signing out of Passport and returning to MSDN Subscriber Downloads. Sign in as a Returning Subscriber using your new Passport.
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| How do I add an additional subscription to my Passport?
You can add additional subscriptions to your Passport either by using the "Add a subscription" link at http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/, you can choose the "Add Another" option when completing an ongoing registration, or by selecting "Add Subscription" from the subscription tasks section of the Manage Subscription page. |
| How many subscriptions can I associate with my Passport?
Currently the MSDN Subscriber Downloads site will display up to 400 subscriptions per Passport. You can associate additional subscriptions with your Passport beyond 400, but they will not be displayed unless others are removed to bring the total below 400. |
| How do I remove a Microsoft Passport ID from an MSDN Subscription?
If you would like to remove the Passport currently associated with an MSDN subscription, you can either re-register it to a new Passport, or sign in at http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions, select the subscription you want to remove, and click the Remove button. |
| How do I download Microsoft products from MSDN Subscriber Downloads?
You must first sign in at http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions and, if necessary complete the registration process. In the list of benefits, click Subscriber Downloads. From there, you can search for a product or browse for products in the table of contents. |
| I cannot find a product in MSDN Subscriber Downloads.
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- 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.)
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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.
Mounting ISO files virtually
The following tool for Windows XP allows image files to be mounted virtually as CD-ROM/DVD-ROM devices. This tool is provided here for your convenience and is unsupported by Microsoft Product Support Services. |
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Many previous versions are available from MSDN Subscriber Downloads, however some products are no longer legally able to be distributed, including BackOffice Server 2000, MapPoint 2002, Office 97, Office 2000, Project 2000, SQL Server 7.0, Visio 2000, Visual Basic 5.0, Windows 95, and Windows 98.
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MSDN Subscriptions are for developers of Windows-based applications and anyone who uses Microsoft development tools. MSDN Subscriptions benefits currently include: regular updates of the MSDN Library; API-level SDKs, DDKs, operating systems; servers; Office Developer; many Office-family applications; and Visual Studio.
TechNet Subscriptions are for support professionals, system integrators, system administrators, and MIS professionals. TechNet Subscription deliver regular shipments that include current deployment and support information on Microsoft business products, including software drivers and patches. TechNet Plus also includes evaluation software and many pre-release versions of Microsoft products. TechNet is one of the best investments for IT Professionals who make high-level decisions on technology, deploying new systems, and providing system support. |
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MSDN subscribers receive many generally available pre-release software versions. MSDN subscriptions do not include alpha or early beta software under "NDA" (non-disclosure agreements). Many betas are made available to MSDN subscribers exclusively via MSDN Subscriber Downloads. |
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Small Business Server is available from MSDN Subscriber Downloads. |
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Windows XP Embedded Evaluation software is available for download. Windows XP Embedded is licensed only to OEMs through authorized Microsoft Embedded System Distributors.
Licensing Windows XP Embedded for Distribution
The licensing process for the non-evaluation version of Windows XP Embedded involves two steps: purchasing a license for Windows XP Embedded, and purchasing a runtime license for each device.
Windows XP Embedded
To create a customized Windows XP Embedded image, you must first purchase a license for Windows XP Embedded, which contains Windows Embedded Studio, the development tools necessary to build runtimes.
Runtime Licenses
A runtime operating system license is required in order to sell devices containing the customized Windows XP Embedded image.
Visit the Windows Embedded site for a list of distributors and important licensing information. |
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No, however Windows CE Evaluation software is available for download or on CD. Windows CE is licensed to OEMs through authorized Microsoft Embedded System Distributors.
Licensing Windows CE for Distribution
The licensing process for the non-evaluation version of Windows CE involves two steps: purchasing a license for Windows CE and purchasing a runtime license for each device.
Windows CE
To create a customized Windows CE image, you must first purchase a license for Windows CE, which contains Platform Builder, the development tools necessary to build runtimes.
Runtime Licenses
A runtime operating system license is required in order to sell devices containing the customized Windows CE image.
See the Windows Embedded site for a list of distributors and important licensing information. |
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No. Windows Storage Server is not extensible, and is available pre-installed by Original Equipment Manufactures (OEMs) only. |
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No, however Windows PE is available via several channels. Windows PE is licensed to Volume license customers as a benefit of Microsoft's Software Assurance and Enterprise Agreement programs. A developer version can be licensed by qualified independent software and hardware vendors (ISVs and IHVs) that are investigating a software product that utilizes Windows PE as a preinstallation platform. To learn more about licensing and availability for ISVs an |