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Microsoft Windows Upgrade to 8 for Personally-Owned Computers

Windows 8 Logo

As of January 24, 2013

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The Workstation Standards Team at UB recommends that you do not upgrade to Windows 8 until we have completed our testing and system review.

Windows 8 News Around Campus

  • CIT is following the Workstation Standard Committee's recommendation to not support Microsoft Windows 8 at this time.
  • CIT is testing Windows 8's interoperability with the software and applications and software commonly used at UB. Follow our progress here.
  • Public Computing Sites are not upgrading to Windows 8 during the Spring Semester.
  • Other Units' Plans:
    • Dave Costello for School of Management: No migration to Windows 8 is in the near future
    • Ray Dannenhoffer for Department of Medicine: W have no plans to upgrade;  but are supporting new machines with Windows 8 on them
    • Terry McCormack from the Law School: We're preparing to support faculty for educational purposes only
    • Dave Yearke for School of Engineering: No migration to windows 8 in the near future.

My New Personal Computer Has Windows 8

  • Download and install Symantec EndPoint Protection (Windows 8 compatible):
Download 32-bit
Download 64-bit

Will You Be Ready to Upgrade?

Is Your Operating System Eligible for an Upgrade?

Qualifying Operating Systems for upgrade include:

  • Windows XP SP3
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows 7

Is Your Computer 32-bit or 64-bit?

You cannot upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows XP, Vista or 7 to a 64-bit version of Windows 8.

Before you purchase Windows 8, check your computer to see whether it is 32-bit or 64-bit:

Is Your Software Compatible with Windows 8?

Software Version Works with Windows 8? Tested by UB? How to get Vendor Info
Adobe Acrobat Reader xi Y N Adobe Acrobat Info
Cisco Anyconnect VPN 3.0.08057 Y Y  
AutoCad 2013 Y N

AutoCad Info
Chrome   Y N  
Citrix receiver 2012 Y Y Citrix Info
EndNote x6 Y N EndNote Info
FileZilla 3.6.0.2 Y N  
Flash Player 11 Y N Flash Player Info
iTunes 11 Y N  
Maple 16.2 Y N Must download the vendor's update to be at 16.2
Maple 16.0 N N  
Mathematica 9 Y N Mathematica Info
MATLAB       software-license-support@buffalo.edu  
Microsoft Office 2010 Y Y  
Microsoft Outlook 2010 Y Y  
Mozilla Firefox 18 Y Y  
PuTTY 060 Y Y  
SAS
 9.3 Y N SAS Info
SAS 9.2 Y N SAS Info
SPSS 21 Y N

SPSS Info
SPSS 20 N N SPSS Info
SPSS

19

 

 N N SPSS Info
Symantec AntiVirus 12.1.2015 Y Y  

Are UB Services Compatible with Windows 8?

Service Works With Windows 8
Audio Course Lectures: Not Tested Yet
Audio/Visual Services:  

Connecting to projector

 Not Tested Yet
DHCP Services (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol):  

Registration

 Y

Obtains IP Address

 Y
Digital Language Tape Recordings: Not Tested Yet
Digital Lecture Hall Recordings: Not Tested Yet
Email:  

Outlook

 Y

Thunderbird

 Y

ubmail.buffalo.edu (UB Central Email):

  

Chrome

 Y

Internet Explorer 10

 Y

Firefox

 Y

Exchowa:

  

Chrome

 Y

Firefox

 Y

Internet Explorer 10

 Y

ubmail.buffalo.edu (UB Gmail):

  

Chrome

 Y

Firefox

 Y

Internet Explorer 10

 Y
File Recovery:  

Check UBfs "Previous Versions"

 Y
Google Voice and Video Chat:  

Chrome

 Y

Firefox

 Y

Internet Explorer 10

 Y
Host on Demand (HOD):  

Chrome

 Y

Firefox

 Y

Internet Explorer 10

 Y
HUB, Student Access through MyUB:  

Chrome

 Not Tested Yet

Firefox

 Not Tested Yet

Internet Explorer 10

 Not Tested Yet
HUB, Administrative Functions for Support Staff:  

Chrome

 Not Tested Yet

Firefox

 Not Tested Yet

Internet Explorer 10

 Not Tested Yet
Linux:  

PuTTY

 Y

X-Win32

 Y
LISTSERV:  

Chrome

 Y

Firefox

 Y

Internet Explorer 10

 Y
My Virtual Computing Lab:  

RemoteApp

 Y

Remote Desktop

 Y
MyUB:  

Chrome

 Y

Firefox

 Y

Internet Explorer 10

 Y
Newsgroups:  

Thunderbird

 Can connect and subscribe but no postings
OpenPort: Not Tested Yet
Oracle:  

ODBC

 Y
Password changing (UBITName):  

Chrome

 Y

Firefox

 Y

Internet Explorer 10

 Y
Printing:  

iprint@ub (standard)

 Not Tested Yet

iprint anywhere

 Not Tested Yet

Local TCP/IP Printer

 Y

Print Server

 Y
ResNet: Not Tested Yet
SharePoint 2010: Not Tested Yet
Software (download, sales):  

Microsoft Office 2010

 Y

Symantec AntiVirus 12.1.2015

 Y
UBclicks:  

Test TurningPoint Software

 Not Tested Yet
UBlearns:  

Chrome

 Not Tested Yet

Firefox

 Not Tested Yet

Internet Explorer 10

 Not Tested Yet
UBfs (UB file service) - Web space, quota and central disk space:  

Browse to

 Y

Map network drive

 Y
Videoconferencing:  

Lync and Lync Web App

 Y
VPN:  

AdminVPN

 Y

AdminVWS (Remote Desktop)

 Y

DeptVPN

 Y

Anyconnect (UBVPN) (off campus)

 Y
WebEx:  

Chrome

 Not Tested Yet

Firefox

 Not Tested Yet

Internet Explorer 10

 Not Tested Yet
Wi-Fi:  

UB Guest Wi-Fi Network

 Y

UB Secure Wi-Fi Network

 Y

Manage an Upgrade to Windows 8 on Your Personal Computer

Available Versions of Windows 8

Add Windows Media Center

Add Windows Media Center to Windows Media Pro

Upgrading from Previous Versions of Windows

Upgrade from previous versions of Windows using the Upgrade Assistant. It tells you if your computer is ready to upgrade to Windows 8, and scans devices, apps and hardware to see if they are compatible with Windows 8.

Find Answers

How long can I keep using Windows XP?

Windows XP SP3 extended support from Microsoft ends April 8, 2014.

How long can I keep using Windows 7?

Windows 7 SP1 mainstream support from Microsoft ends January 12, 2015.

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