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About this Version 

IS&T offers limited support for the business-class versions of Windows 8 including:

  • Windows 8 Pro
  • Windows 8 Enterprise: available via free download through MIT's Microsoft Campus Agreement (MSCA). Click the Download Software button at the top of this page.

Note: Windows RT that is pre-installed on PCs and tablets powered by ARM processors is not supported at this time.

Support details:

  • Migrating to Windows 8 is a very involved process that requires a lot of preparation and planning
  • IS&T recommends a clean install versus an upgrade and will continue to support other versions of Microsoft operating systems including Windows 7 Enterprise
  • Windows RT that is pre-installed on PCs and tablets powered by ARM processors is not supported at this time.

Known issues:

  • Vendors have not offered support yet for TSM backup client and SAPgui.
  • MIT Certificate for Internet Explorer 10 (default browser) can be obtained using CertAid tool only in traditional desktop version and not in Windows Store version
  • Windows RT, a version of Windows 8 for systems with ARM processors, only supports applications included with the system or obtained via Windows Store
  • PGP Desktop is not supported on Windows 8

If you rely on an application that is not yet fully compatible with Windows 8 (see known issues above), you should hold off on upgrading or purchasing a new machine with Windows 8. Until software vendors have released versions of their applications that are compatible with Windows 8, IS&T will be unable to support them.

How to obtain

This software is made available free of charge to authorized members of the MIT community.

Click the Download Software button at the top of this page.

IS&T recommends Windows 8 Enterprise users to subscribe to MIT's Windows Automatic Update Service (WAUS) to ensure that your machine will get IS&T approved security updates and patches.
Note: Windows domain users are subscribed to MIT WAUS by default.

System requirements

If you decide to buy a Windows 8 machine, IS&T recommends that you select a system bundled with Windows 8 Pro edition. This version will provide you with more functionality and options.

Note: The Windows 8 edition and Windows RT can't be a member of the Windows domain.

Below are minimum requirements needed in order to run Windows 8.

  • Computer/processor: 1.0 GHz or above
  • Operating system: Windows 8 Enterprise
  • Memory: 1GB (for 32-bit) and 2 GB RAM (for 64-bit)
  • Disk space: 20 GB or greater
  • Additional requirements:
    • Graphics card: DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
    • DVD-ROM
    • To run Windows Store apps, a screen resolution of 1024×768 or higher is required

Installing

If you install Windows 8 Enterprise, be sure to activate your machine. If you are using WIN.MIT.EDU, Windows 8 will automatically activate, and you will not need a special installer to get certificates.

Using