Microsoft WIndows Vista: Exceptions

The following is a list of outstanding issues in regard to support of Windows Vista.

• The System Recover Options menu in Vista contains several tools that can help you recover Windows from a serioius error. The System Recover Options menu is on the Windows installation disc, or possibly on your hard disk. If your computer does not include this menu, your computer manufacturer might have provided other recovery options. Check your hardware manual or to to the manufacturer's website for more information; also see Microsoft's web page What are the system recovery options in Windows Vista?
  

Wireless Networking

• When attempting to connect to a wireless network, Vista fails to connect properly. This may be due to a known networking issue with Vista. Try any or all of the following solutions:
  
  Solution 1: Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt. At the Command Prompt, type ipconfig /release and then press Enter; then type ipconfig /renew and press Enter.
  
  Solution 2: Upgrade your wireless/wired adapter drivers. To do this, you'll need to locate the manufacturer and model of your laptop (e.g., Lenovo ThinkPad X60, Dell Inspiron 1520) and browse to their website (e.g., www.lenovo.com,  www.dell.com). On the manufacturer's website, follow links to download wireless/wired adapter drivers for your specific laptop model; to do this, you might need to locate additional information about your laptop.  Lastly, download and install the latest drivers for the wireless network adapter.
  
  Solution 3: Follow Microsoft's steps to modify the power settings for the wireless adapter.

Peripheral Applications

• Some software packages may not be compatible with the new OS/browser. Upgrade decision/recommendations should be referred to the functional business group lead.

• Your web browser must meet certain specifications to be compatible with services provided by Computing Services (e.g., Oracle Financials; see the Recommended Browsers for Oracle Applications web page), the Office of Technology for Education, and others. We have not fully tested Internet Explorer v7 with these services. To be sure that you do not lose the compatibility necessary to access the web portal, Blackboard and other campus services, we recommend that you do NOT install Internet Explorer v7 until it is fully supported for use on campus. If you are prompted to download the IEv7 high-priority update, we recommend that you do not accept this update until further notice.

Pinnacle

• Our vendor (PaeTec) has uncovered minor issues with using the Pinnacle web front-end with IE 7. The issues are not serious and would not impede implementation. Because of this, we recommend that Pinnacle users (e.g., business administrators on campus) do NOT install Windows Vista.

Last Updated: 5/10/09