Microsoft Campus Agreement at MIT: FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Operating Systems and CALs (Client Access Licenses)

Eligibility

Who is eligible for the MSCA?
MIT Faculty, Staff, Graduate Students and Undergraduates for use on Institute-owned equipment. A Professor Emeritus is noted as a faculty member.
Note: MIT Affiliates who are not MIT students or staff members are not licensed to use the software made available through the Campus agreement.

Do I get home use rights under the Campus Agreement?
You have the same use rights for an Institute machine you use at home as you would for one you use at MIT. Additionally, you may install the software on one personally owned machine provided that the software will be used for MIT purposes only. All other personal workstations should be upgraded via a personal purchase at GovConnection.

Obtaining and Installing

How can staff obtain Windows XP Professional?
Staff can obtain the ISO or ZIP image of Windows XP Professional from the network distribution site. Upon download, staff will receive a welcome email that contains the product key for installation.

How can students (graduate students and undergraduates) obtain Windows XP Professional?
Graduate students and undergraduates can obtain the ISO or ZIP image of Windows XP Professional from the network distribution site. Upon download, undergraduates will receive a welcome email and the installation must occur within a five-day window. See the next question for further information.

I purchased a machine that has Vista installed on it. Can I downgrade to Windows XP?
Under the MSCA at MIT, machines purchased with Vista cannot be downgraded to Windows XP. Vista must remain the base operating system.

What is the difference between staff and student downloads and installations?
Students have a one-time download and install. Student information will be recorded in the database to meet the licensing terms and conditions. The product key is encrypted within the download and needs to be installed within five days of downloading. If it is not, the install will fail. It is felt that five days is sufficient time to install.
Note: Conditions for students are restrictive and we need to notify them again prior to graduation. Students are not eligible to use the software if they leave MIT prior to graduation. This information is provided in the email students receive after downloading.

What if students miss the five-day window or their machine becomes unstable or compromised?
In the event students miss the window, they are eligible for an additional download and install. This must be installed within the five-day window or the install will fail. Students that miss the second window will need to purchase it from GovConnection or another vendor.

Can I provide a student with a copy of Windows XP Professional?
No. Students who miss the window to install need to purchase the OS from an outside vendor.

I have an Institute-owned machine being used for research at an off-site location. Is it legal for me to install Windows XP on that machine?
Yes. As long as it is an Institute owned machine being used for Institute business/research.

What are CALs and what CALs are included with the Campus Agreement?
Client Access Licenses, or CALs are licenses that gives a user the right to access the services of a server. The Microsoft Campus Agreement is limited to workstation (desktops and laptops) operating systems and client access licenses for those workstations to access various Windows servers deployed on campus. It does not cover the operating system license for servers. Server operating systems may be purchased at a discounted price through MIT's Microsoft Select Agreement through the MIT Departmental Catalog at GovConnection.

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Office Professional

Is Microsoft Office Professional available through the Campus Agreement?
An Institute-wide license was not purchased for Office Professional for Mac and Windows, although several departments have chosen to add this option for their faculty and staff members. Some Departments, Labs and Centers have funded Office for their Graduate students. The software liaison list includes information about which departments, labs and centers are making Office Professional available to their faculty, staff and graduate students. Go to the Office Liaisons page to find your liaison.

What if a department wants to opt-in to the Office Professional agreement?
Open enrollment will begin in January, 2005. Any requests from Departments, Labs and Centers who desire to opt-in should send email to liaison-opt@mit.edu.

Can I install Office 2003 Professional to my container within the WIN.MIT.EDU domain?
If your Department, Lab or Center has enrolled within the agreement, you will be able to install Office 2003 Professional to your container. The administrative install for Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 SP 1 MIT licensed Volume Media is now available.

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