Microsoft Windows at Lancaster University

This page offers general support for Microsoft Windows. To access to various fixes, tips and helpful programs - click on a topic below or on the left for more information.

Utilities    Site Licence    Current Versions   

Microsoft Windows at Lancaster University

• Managed Windows XP PC - the current recommended build.
• Microsoft Office 2007 - is the current version on Managed XP PCs.

Windows Security

• Update Windows - a page where you should ensure your Windows installations are up-to-date.
• Changing Windows Passwords - a page to help you change your password.
• Check your 'Open Shares' - due to virus problems, people have to be careful how they share their folders out.

If experience problems e.g. logging on, please contact:

• ISS Service Desk - on x10987.

Windows Utilities

• Acrobat - reads (graphically rich) PDF documents in your web browser. The full version of Acrobat writes PDF documents.

Windows Licencing

At Lancaster University we have an agreement whereby:

• staff may upgrade an existing copy of Windows Workstation (Win 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP) to a higher copy of Windows Workstation free of charge.
• NOT covered by the agreement are:
  • students.
  • Windows server.
  • PCs that do not have a licenced copy of Windows on at all.

Recommended Versions of Windows 

Which version of Windows you run depends on the capabilities of your PC:

ISS recommends Windows XP Professional and specifically the Managed XP System for most systems.

ISS recognises that Windows Vista is available in the marketplace, but ISS is not recommending Windows Vista for use on staff PCs. ISS is testing Windows Vista for use in PC Labs and is testing new Managed Vista Build.

ISS recommends users with older PCs to upgrade the hardware and run Windows XP Professional and specifically the Managed XP System.

Legacy Systems - ISS recommends that you do not run Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows XP home or Windows NT.

A rough guide to the power of a computer required to run the different versions of Windows:

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Last Updated: 28/07/2009

David Bleasdale email me at