Windows Vista
Vista is a brand of operating system from Microsoft. It is, therefore, currently untested in the Cardiff environment.
Here are some issues you should take into account if you are considering upgrading to Vista:
Hardware
Drivers for video cards - care should be taken as they may not yet be available or only available as an internet download, particularly when upgrading from Windows XP to Vista. Check with each of your device manufacturer's web sites before upgrading to Vista.
Printers and legacy hardware including cameras and scanners - the same applies as for drivers for video cards.
Lower-specified machines - you may find that performance under Vista is a lot lower than under Windows XP.
Higher-specified PCs - may perform better with Windows XP than Vista unless Dual core or 64 bit processors are used.
Software compatibility
There are some compatibility issues with non-Microsoft software already known, such as:
- Nero
- DVD playing software
There will be many other compatibility issues that have not yet been identified, simply because the operating system is so new that not all software has been tested against it.
There may well be problems running non-Microsoft applications, but even old Microsoft Help files have already been found to cause some issues.
Advice
The problem areas above could cause annoyance and study difficulties.
Support for Windows XP Pro will be available from Information Services until at least the end of the 2012/13 academic year.
If a problem is encountered when using Vista then we advise you to:
a) use WXP Pro on a standard Cardiff University imaged system and, if the problem persists, we will investigate it,
OR
b) contact the seller of your machine and request support.